"Against All Odds"

The 2010 Mavericks Champion Story

by Andy Davis

The dream could have ended with an air hostess in Detroit. In her mid-thirties, long brown hair, attractive in a milfy kind of way, let’s call her Joyce. In front of Joyce is Chris Bertish, his only baggage is a wetsuit slung over his shoulder and a laptop bag. Apparently his board has been checked straight through from Cape Town to San Francisco. He’s totally broke. On the verge of financial ruin. All his credit cards maxed out, his overdraft too. He has just R450 to his name. He borrowed money from his brother Greg for the airfare, a further R5000 from one of his mates to pay for the re-booking fee. For the last three weeks he’s been on standby, waiting to fly out at a minute’s notice. It’s the busiest time of the year for his business. He’s drained, jet-lagged, dog tired. And now Joyce is telling him that his ticket to San Francisco, the final leg of the journey, has not been confirmed, the flight is full, there are another 10 people on the waiting list, and the plane is boarding.

7th January 2010

After arriving back we only had a couple days to re-coupe before the solid West Swell hit..Heavy and hard!

It had loads of energy and was moving fast. I got had a shocker of a first session and only ended up getting four or five waves, after almost two hours, which just never happens with me, ever!

I was cold and bummed, decided to go in, had a Starbucks latte, some fruit, an energy drink, changed my board, my wetsuit, the music I was listening to, my attitude and went back out an hour later..

Chalk n cheese..First wave I got stuck in a wave within the main wave half way up the face and pitched..Pitched and beaten to hell! Hard and heavy! But after that it was all joy, got right back in the saddle and charged hard. Late, steep and deep on these big, thick walls, with heaving cathedrals of water throwing far and wide with enough power to light up a small city for endless nights. When Mavericks breaks bigh on a west swell it's thick, lurchy, deadly and evil.