Mavericks

Mavericks surfers call early conditions ‘treacherous’

By Susan Slusser

When the storied big-wave Eddie Aiku competition was called off in Hawaii because of less-than-imposing swells earlier in the week, there was thought that the Titans of Mavericks event, set for Friday, might be less hearty than in previous years.

And then, in the first round, Santa Cruz surfer and Mavericks veteran Kenny “Skindog” Collins was overwhelmed by a 35-foot face and had to be pulled out by a jet ski.

“I almost drowned,” Collins said after getting back to the dock at Pillar Point Harbor; he called the conditions “treacherous” and credited his life vest with saving him after the worst wipeout of his career.

Two competitors have been killed in the event’s history; Mark Foo during the 11994 Mavericks competition and Sion Milosky in 2011.

Collins, 48, had to exit the event because of a ruptured left ear drum. Asked if the rupture occurred when he hit the water, Collins said, “The water hit me. I was so disoriented, going in all directions. This is the most scariest thing I’ve ever done.”

Collins was in the second group on the water on Friday, and, he said, “Things happened fast. So easy, so quick, when the water hit me, it felt like the whole ocean came down on me. I thought I had a concussion at first, I was so dizzy. I’ve never been hit so hard. It was coming down my throat.”

The waves grew in size throughout the morning. Jamie Mitchell of Australia won the first heat, Tyler Fox the second, with two more rounds to go before the semifinals in the early afternoon. Others in the semifinals include Carlos Burle and first alternate Travis Payne, who is from Pacifica and is a San Francisco paramedic. The finals are set for about 3 p.m.