Location

24 hours notice for a one day, once a year surf comp at California's premier big wave spot.

It was Monday evening and by chance I had the ABC news on when they announced that the Mavericks surf competition would be held the next day. There was already a large swell and with storms in the Pacific big waves were a good possibility for the following day.

Rose was working Monday to Wednesday so I was totally free to roam San Fran by myself. What better activity than to see some of the world's best big wave riders surfing such a heavy surf break. No question, I was going to be there. Despite my inclination to drive on the left hand side of the road Rose was kind enough to lend me her car after I dropped her off at work.

The drive down was easy but as I hit Princeton airport cars appeared everywhere. Parking was easy enough to find on the side of the #1 Highway which left me with a easy walk around the harbour and out to the point. Unfortunately the hill was closed and already packed with people so I continued around the coast and clambered up the crumbling and steep sand cliff to get a good view of the riders.

The waves weren't massive but certainly big enough to make for a good spectator sport and some really heavy wipe-outs. Perched on the cliff, listening to my iPod with what could easily be mistaken for the summer sun beating down on me I was in heaven. My butt was a different story. Perched like a seagull on an almost vertical sand hill wasn't the most comfortable viewing position so after a couple of hours I slid down and walked along the coast under the cliff towards the break.

Although standing under the cliff was more comfortable it was much more dangerous. There the sand gave way to more solid sedimentary objects. While I was there I saw a rockslide not 10 metres away from me. A young girl copped the brunt of it and ended up being airlifted to hospital. She was going to make, perhaps with a concussion and a few broken bones though. Who would have though that with all those crushing wipeouts in the surf it was the spectators who were in most danger and would sustain the biggest injuries.