Mavericks.
one
of
the
most
feared
waves
on
the
planet

Please Wait

A newway to celebrate

Video Performance Contest

Our Mission is to celebrate Mavericks and support the brave men and women that dare surf it.

2023 Mavericks Awards

The Mavericks Awards is a digital video performance contest in which big wave surfers and videographers submit their best surf content from Mavericks from the entire winter season.

Founded by Jeff Clark and Chris Cuvelier, our mission is to celebrate Mavericks and the brave men and women that surf it.

Watch the Show

Respect. Inclusion. Equality. Safety. Environmental Stewardship. Community.

One of the most feared waves on the planet

Mavericks is that rarest of things: not just a perfect wave and not just a giant wave but a perfect, giant wave.

The peak lies a little less than a half mile off of Pillar Point and is marked by a clump of Stonehenge like boulders lining the inside. Massive swells looming out of the deep approach a shelf made up of black, ungodly reef and boulders 20-feet beneath the surface at breakneck speeds. From there, Mavericks becomes a 20-foot version of Stockton Avenue: a perfect, jacking AAA-frame breaking both ways, the right going long and the left a short-lived explosion of hell and spitfire.

Source: Surfline.com

Our

Judges

The best Mavericks waves of the season will be judged by a panel of world-class big wave surfers. “There is no bigger honor in surfing than being judged by your peers. I am excited to be a judge on a panel with such accomplished big wave surfers and I am looking forward to celebrating the winners.” - Jeff Clark

Jeff Clark

Mavericks Pioneer.

Maya Gabeira

Former World Record Holder.

Darryl "Flea" Virostko

Three Time Mavericks Contest Winner.

Chris Bertish

Mavericks Invitational Champion.

2023

Nominees

Here are the nominee’s for the 2023 Mavericks Awards.

2023

Winners

These are the talented men and women who braved Mavericks last season and were selected as the best for 2023.

Frequently Asked Questions

When does the Mavericks Awards Window Open?: October 1st 2023 - April 15th 2024
Who is it open to?: Anyone can submit content for the Mavericks Awards. Be aware, Mavericks is extremely dangerous. You should not surf Mavericks unless you have extensive big wave experience and training. Minors (surfers under 18 years of age on date of wave ridden) must have the prior consent of their parent or legal guardian to enter a submission in consideration for an award.
How are the winners chosen?: Content from each swell is curated by Mavericks Awards Co-founders Chris Cuvelier and Jeff Clark. At the end of the season, the content is reviewed by the judges against the criteria for each category and winners are selected. If the judges are not unanimous, the majority wins!
What are the criteria for the judging?: Biggest Wave (Women & Men): The winner will be the surfer that paddles into the biggest single wave of the season based on analysis & interpretation by the judges looking at available pictures and video. The height of the Biggest Wave will be judged based on wave height at takeoff. Must make the wave.

Ride of the Year (Women & Men): The winner will be the surfer that paddles into the best single wave of the season based on analysis & interpretation by the judges looking at available pictures and video. Key criteria includes: quality of wave, location of the take off point, critical drop, intensity of the wave, how the wave was ridden, how was the wave optimized (made it look easy), full and complete wave.

Performer of the Year (Women & Men): The winner will be the best overall performance of the entire season. Key criteria includes: quality of waves, quantity of waves, intensity of waves, how the waves were ridden (takeoff point, execution, turns/carves, style points); consistent performance.
How much is the prize money?: The prize money for the 2023 Mavericks Awards is $25,000. 60% of the prize money goes to the athletes and 40% goes to the photographers that submitted content and is distributed based on the number of clips used in the Awards show. We anticipate the prize money for the 2023/2024 season will be $25,000 - $100,000
What are the Mission and Values of the Mavericks Awards?: Our mission is to celebrate Mavericks and the brave men and women that surf it. Our values of respect, inclusion, equality, safety, environmental stewardship and community guide all our decisions and how we operate the Mavericks Awards.