text: Greg Long, left, and Jamie Sterling surf a giant wave during the Mavericks surf contest in Half Moon Bay. The world's best big-wave competition, Titans of Mavericks has been set to start today. Mavericks is the world's premiere, high adrenaline, big wave surfing event is a one-day invitation-only surfing competition that is held at the legendary Mavericks surf break located near Half Moon Bay, about 20 miles south of San Francisco. (Ben Margot/AP