The "call alert" on the Titans of Mavericks official site has been upgraded to green for "Event On", and CBS 5 that organizers made a final decision this afternoon to issue the call to the invited surfers that the competition is on for Friday.
Much like there was last Thursday, there are inbound swells predicted of 16 feet or higher based on some readings of buoys near Hawaii, due here by the end of the week. Only this time, the Super Bowl won't trump it.
Drew Peterson, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, said that area is forecast to see waves between 13 and 14 feet on Friday, but the unique topography of the oceanfloor at Mavericks could push waves up to 25 to 30 feet, with the occasional breaker topping the 35-foot mark.
As discussed earlier, the 1999-founded big-wave surfing competition will hold its 10th contest this year, assuming the waves come together, after skipping 2015 due to a lack of big waves. When the competition is called, professional surfers from around the world drop everything and fly to the Bay Area to participate. (See pictures from the 2014 competition here.)
Spectators tend to have view the event through binoculars from the shore, however in the past it's been televised from AT&T Park as well. There will be a live, Redbull-sponsored webcast here starting at 8 a.m. on Friday.
Back in early January, waves at Mavericks a break that's about a mile off shore near Half Moon Bay hit 50 feet, but at the time weather made the conditions too gnarly for the competition.
Currently, the whole Pacific is alive with action, which is leading to another non-annual surf competition in Hawaii's Waimea Bay, the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau, being called for Wednesday. This is the first time that competition, which requires waves of greater than 20 feet, has been held since 2009.
Previously: The Super Bowl Is Ruining Mavericks Now Too
Mavericks Waves Hit 50 Feet, Surf Competition Could Be Called Any Day
