Despite requests on the surf competition's Web site, massive crowds poured into Half Moon Bay Saturday to witness 24 top surfers take on enormous waves at the Mavericks Surf Competition. Spectators happily hoofed a mile-and-a-half to the hills clustered above the surf spot, with dogs, children, and even babies in strollers. The view of the waves was spectacular, but even with binoculars, the surfers looked like so many specks of driftwood floating around in the massive surf.
The big news of the weekend, however, was that some people attempted to gain better vantage points on the beach, and got closer to the action than they wanted, as evidenced in the video above. And yet, news that a massive wave drenched and injured a number of fans was something that many in the crowd were blissfully unaware of.
Once you've gotten your fill of mayhem in the video above, click on the link for more fans' point-of-view shots:
For most, the trek started on a car-clogged road.
Even from a distance the crowds were evident on top of the hill. Rows of porta-potties lined the road.
These guys were trying to make things more festive by blasting techno. Somehow it wasn't working.
Spectators blanketed the terrain.
Later, Googling at home, these people would learn some of their fellow event-goers spent the rest of the day in the hospital. But for now -- surf's up!
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