PHOTOS: Hitting the Waves at Mavericks, Jan. 6 - Part 1

for the Mavericks Invitational surf contest saw a beautiful sunny day, big surf and a low tide last Friday.

While surfers, spectators and the media mingled on Mavericks beach, about 20 surfers were on the break beneath a helicopter filming the action for the movie . 

Mavericks is a challenge to photograph, whether you are on the crumbling bluffs or being soaked on a rocking boat. Most of these pictures were taken from the bluff where I squeezed in amongst the giant lenses of the elite filmmakers. Always a great experience.

Pictures of the people on the beach and the ceremony are in Part 2 tomorrow.

Any help with the names of folks in these pictures is greatly appreciated.

To receive news feeds about Half Moon Bay and the unincorporated Coastside between Montara and Pescadero, visit Half Moon Bay Patch on Facebook and "like" us here. Follow us on Twitter here.