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| Montara surfer rides wave to Mexico By Greg Thomas [ greg@hmbreview.com ] Published/Last Modified on Wednesday, March 11, 2009 11:32 AM PDT Recognized as a charging up-and-comer by his big wave colleagues, Montara surfer Tim West is gearing up for his debut splash at the Mavericks Surf Contest this month. It’s his first year as one of the 24 hailed invitees to the world-class contest — he served as an alternate at the 2008 and 2006 contests — and the 28-year-old Coastsider is simply “stoked.” “I’ve been visualizing the scenario every night before bed,” West says. “I’ll be hunting down the best waves possible.” To that end, West loaded up his Honda with three surfboards, his gear, an acoustic guitar and “some good music” in February and drove South, solo, away from a timid surf break on the Coastside, to train himself for the big day under “motivating weather” in Baja. A few stop-offs in southern California to visit friends and West crossed the border, searching for solitude at “question mark” surfing spots. He landed in Ensenada, Baja California and took out a one-month lease on an apartment near the beach — “a perfect place to train, rest and stay focused for the day a big swell hits Mavs,” West says. “He wants to look at these breaks that he’s never been to and he wants to master (them) in his mind and make himself mentally and physically prepared, the best he can be, for Mavericks,” said Audrey West, Tim West’s mother, of Montara. For three weeks, West has been honing himself at Todos Santos, known for the biggest wave break on the Pacific Coast before Coastside surfers put Mavericks on the map. On Mar. 5 West had an eerie encounter with a “12- to 15-foot” shark chasing him out of the water. The incident reminded him of an episode in 2005 when he was thrown off his board at Mavericks in a great white shark attack. But rather than perceive the events as bad omens, West is calm and level-headed when retelling the experiences. “I live my life around the incident that happened in ’05,” West said Friday. “… I looked at it as a second chance at life and to pursue what makes me happy … so I’m gonna take this chance to ride the biggest waves I can.” When the 24-hour contest notice is called sometime this month, West will saddle up and return to his homestead, ready to compete alongside 23 other superior surfers. Among them stands his friend, surf partner and mentor, 39-year-old Mavericks surfer and El Granada resident Ion Banner. West and Banner, both native Coastsiders, have been training together as a tow-in team for six years — learning hand signals, taking turns on the Jet Ski and getting acquainted with each others’ moves and styles. At their first contest together, last November, the duo took seventh place at the Nelscott Reef Tow-In Classic in Oregon — out of 16 teams. “You can’t do it alone,” Banner said of big wave riding. “The waves that Tim and I have shared have been a team effort. The achievements were done together, whether he rode the wave or I rode the wave. He’s helped me to ride some tremendous waves,” including Banner’s biggest, which he caught at Mavericks in January 2008, days before the contest. Banner and West are something of a force within the Coastside surfing community in that they’re actively reaching out to younger wave riders looking to step up to Mavericks, including Ion Banner’s son, Skylar Banner, who caught 25-foot waves on his first day at Mavericks in October. “This is the second generation with Tim and Ion, and it’ll keep expanding,” Audrey West said. “Since Mavericks is so new to the global surfing community, I think Tim’s trying to get at the front of that movement. Now he’s got a chance to mentor the next generation.” The ever-present “locals versus outsiders” debate persists on the Coastside, especially near contest days. But West’s acceptance into the contest, contest director Jeff Clark says, speaks to his passion for big wave surf and his reputation at Mavericks more than about his hometown or heritage. “He’s spent some time out in the water out there, and everyone is stoked with the way he’s riding, so we thought we’d give him a shot at it,” Clark said. Admitting new blood like West, Clark added, is how you “keep it fresh and competitive and keep everyone sharp.” For West’s part, his aspirations lie in the most massive surf breaks the world has to offer. “Whether there is a sponsor paying for it or if it’s out of my own wallet,” West says, “I will pursue my dreams of surfing big wave spots around the globe.” |