And the Winner....

We know you don't come here for surf news, but the king of 40-foot waves at Mavericks this year is South African Greg Long, who achieved a perfect score in the final heat. Not long ago, this contest was somewhat pompously called "Men Who Ride Mountains." On Saturday, though, all the surfers' talk of humility rang true. That's when the six finalists revealed that way out there on the water, while waiting on a near-flat ocean, they pulled their boards in a circle, held hands and agreed to split the $75,000 prize.

Then four-story waves started to roll in and the heat was on.

Here's the San Francisco Chronicle's coverage, where you can watch Long's ride on video. The San Jose Mercury News has this story.

Surf update: Mavericks Big Wave Contest Called

Our big wave, we learned today, was a harbinger of more. This morning a neighbor ran out to greet us as we began our walk. The Mavericks big wave surf contest has been called for tomorrow, she alerted us. A booming crash from the beach echoed up the valley and her eyes widened.

Local surfing legend Jeff Clark calls the contest after checking charts and forecasts for gigantic waves and good weather. Then surfers from all over the world have 24 hours to get here and prepare to ride. What started out as a scrappy challenge among a crew of dedicated and crazy surfers has turned into a big event.