According to UC Berkeley and KTVU Channel 2 meteorologist, Bill Martin the legendary big waves heading for Mavericks this weekend started picking up strength nearly 4,000 miles away off the coast of Japan. For those of us who don't remember the 4th grade trip to the science museum where they explained all this stuff, Martin elaborates:

This weekend's big surf is being generated from thousands of miles away. Oceanographers refer to this distance as a "fetch." We get some of the biggest waves in the world because we have one of the largest fetchs in the world.

Bill, stop trying to make "fetch" happen.

Mavericks, meanwhile, will happen for the first time in three years this Sunday.