Mavericks Pioneer Recalls Near-Death Fears As SMC Honors Surfing

REDWOOD CITY, CA — When Jeff Clark first paddled out toward the massive waves now known as Mavericks, a friend was so worried he might not return that he joked about calling the Coast Guard.

“He said, ‘I’m going to call the Coast Guard and tell them where I last saw you,’” Clark recalled. “Because he didn’t think I was coming back.”

More than 50 years later, Clark, widely known as the first person to surf the legendary Half Moon Bay break, appeared before the San Mateo County Board of Supervisors Oct. 20 as officials proclaimed October 2026 Surfing Appreciation Month.

Supervisors David Canepa and Ray Mueller sponsored the proclamation to recognize the county’s coastline as a world-renowned surfing destination and emphasize beach and ocean safety. Canepa credited 17-year-old Liam Ely, a San Mateo High School student, with suggesting the recognition.

Canepa praised generations of local surfers for their contributions beyond the water.

“When the ocean is your sanctuary, you become fiercely dedicated to protecting it,” Mueller said. “Our local surfers are the front-line guardians of our coast and the heart of its community.”

Ely, who attended the ceremony alongside Clark and longtime surfing advocate Marty Phelps, said the sport has shaped his life.

“Surfing is a huge part of my life,” Ely said. “It’s so much more than just getting out in the water. It’s about community, our amazing coast, and learning to respect the ocean.”

‘Show Up and Be Kind’

Phelps co-founded the Half Moon Bay High School Surf Club with photographer Doug Acton in 2007, with a goal of building community-minded students as well as surfers.

“We wanted to build good community members,” Phelps said.

The club’s students came up with the phrase “Show Up and Be Kind,” which Phelps said now appears on bumper stickers around the Half Moon Bay community.

Clark, now 69, spent several years studying Mavericks from the cliffs before attempting to surf it. He watched how the waves broke and used landmarks to position himself over an underwater reef. He said the break was named after a dog that paddled out to a wave closer to shore.

Clark is still surfing more than five decades later.

“You know, it’s magic,” he said of riding a wave. “It’s like recharging your batteries.”

He recalled a time when surfers were viewed as renegades and students had no school surf teams to join. Today, Clark said, organized surfing gives young people an incentive to get up early, work hard and do well in school.

For those considering surfing for the first time, his advice was simple.

“Slow steps,” Clark said. “Get a good foundation, and you’ll be surfing for life.”