The Titans of Mavericks is for sale, and starting price is $1M. That’s chump change for an organization like the WSL, and wouldn’t it just put the Big Wave Tour onto a whole new level of legitimacy.
While the Big Wave Tour-lite that is currently being touted is as legit as it gets – with the three events on the tour being Puerto Escondido, Nazaré and Jaws/Pe’ahi – it would add another depth to the tour to get Mavericks as a fourth event, and I for one hope that it happens.
The Titans Of Mavericks has got one weird backstory, and it seems to mainly consist of people taking it over in a bid to make money and get wealthy off the sport and the name, and all of them failing hopelessly. The event got into trouble when non-surfers started sniffing around, and this latest round of talks comes as no surprise.
Still, if WSL take it over and add it to the tour, it would instantly become a well-managed and authentic big wave event with all the trappings that come with the WSL and their event management.
Puerto Escondido is a great event for a number of reasons. It replaced Dungeons on the tour and the local community was thankful and embracing for it. The wave is amazing, and Puerto consistently provides some of the biggest and most gnarly beach break barrels in the world. On top of this, it’s super-consistent and easy enough to forecast. There are always going to be a couple of A-grade days to choose from in a year, and the event will always run.
Jaws/Pe’ahi is possibly the most perfect big wave spot in the world, with perfectly shaped 50-foot waves hitting the reef and peeling perfectly towards the channel. Jaws is also super consistent and will always have a couple of contestable days in a year, making it an event that can be planned for in advance. The local community also embraces the event and makes it a solemn event with cultural significance, and the local safety crew that helps out is one of the best in the world.
Nazaré needs no pep talk, as it is without a doubt the biggest of big wave spots, and is as terrifying and as gnarly as it can get. There are still people out there who cannot quite believe what they saw this year when mad dog Jamie Mitchell from Burleigh blasted his way to victory with some of the biggest and heaviest lefts ever ridden out there. Nazaré dominated the WSL Big Wave Awards and deservedly so. Those three big wave locations are the real deal.
Mavericks should be the fourth. It overshadows all the secondary big wave spots like the aforementioned Dungeons, Punta Galea, Nelscott Reef, Punta De Lobos, Pico Alto and Todos Santos. Nope, Mavericks needs to be in the big leagues and she needs to be in the mix as soon as possible.
Having a tour at Escondido, Jaws, Nazaré and Mavericks would be incredible, and would most definitely make for an exciting ride for surfers ad spectators alike. Come to think of it, the winner after those four events of that possible tour would actually be a titan.
Ben Andrews and the WSL Big Wave Awards – Paddle Award winner at Mavericks.
Wilem Banks at Maverick's – 2017 TAG Heuer Wipeout Award Winner – WSL Big Wave Awards
