Three spectators at Mavericks were injured by rocks falling from the cliffs, reports the Chronicle.

The victims were a 59-year-old man, a 39-year-old woman and her 9-year-old son, Jolley said.

"They were watching the contest and some rocks let go from up on the cliff,’’ he said.

The woman was airlifted to Stanford Hospital with serious injuries, according to Jolley, who said her son, who was in "pretty good shape’’ was taken to the same hospital by ground ambulance.

As part of its Oceans Week program, Hatch Elementary School is presenting a family film and fun night on Thursday. The evening features "The Living Sea", an academy-award nomimated film with music by Sting, local surfing instructor Dave Alexander on open ocean surfing, and local writer/filmaker Gail Evenari with clips from her project about sea turtles in Mexico.

The free event is from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in the Hatch multipurpose room. Popcorn and baked goods will be available.

The Mavericks big-wave surf contest was won Tuesday by Grant "Twiggy" Baker, 32, of Durbin, South Africa.  Baker gained entry to the event by online voters. He takes home $30,000 for a perfect 10 on two rides of 40-foot waves, reports the Mercury News.

The biggest crowd ever turned out Tuesday for Mavericks on a perfect sunny afternoon. But, as always with the offshore surfing event, it was difficult to actually see any surfing.  Click on each image for a larger picture.

Photographers: Send us your Mavericks photos and we’ll add them to a gallery we’re setting up on Coastsider.

MCTV (Cable Channel 6) is raising the alarm about a plan to use Coastside cable fees for services that won’t benefit Coastsiders.

San Mateo County has drafted a new 15-year franchise agreement with Comcast that will charge Coastside Comcast subscribers an additional $.55 per month.  The new fees will pay to deliver services and systems not available on the Coastside.  The new franchise agreement will be considered by the Board of Supervisors, probably on Tuesday, February 28.

MCTV estimates that $222,000 will be raised from Coastside fees during the 15 years of the agreement. This money will be used for programming on Pen TV, in San Carlos, which is not on the Coastside’s cable system, and to build a fiber optic network connecting government offices with Public, Educational, and Government (PEG) stations, but which will not extend to the Coastside.

These fees are for the unincorporated Coastside only. Half Moon Bay has a separate agreement with Comcast that does not expire for another five years. However, this plan directly affects Half Moon Bay residents, who depend on MCTV to telecast their city council, school district, and water district meetings as well as Board of Supervisors meetings.

MCTV wants the supervisors to allocate the full $222,000 to Coastside capital requirements.  Their top priority is to install an automated playback system and equipment to increase the frequency of government meetings telecast on the Coastside. Less urgent, but perhaps more important, this will be MCTV’s last opportunity for 15 years to get money from Comcast to replace some their ageing systems.

The station is asking Coastsiders to contact the Board of Supervisors and ask them to allocate funds specifically to MCTV.  To see MCTV’s press release and suggested letter to the supervisors, click "read more".

Another Princeton boat—and a storage locker—were broken into, a public drunk was arrested in Miramar, some driver did "donuts" on the grass at La Honda Elementary school, a drunk driver was arrested in El Granada, and a woman was arrested for drug possession in El Granada.

Click "read more" for details.

Coastsiders are invited to chant with others at the Sun Center for Well-Being on Saturday, February 11, 7:30pm. Kirtan (Hindu chanting) is "a joyful, heart-opening meditation", according to organizer Elizabeth McLeod. Uma Reed and friends will lead the call-and-response chants. Words and explanation will be provided. No experience or singing voice required. Just come with an open heart and a willingness to have fun.

The Sun Center is a beautiful geodesic dome beside the ocean in Miramar, at 1 Mirada Road (at Medio), Half Moon Bay [Google map].  Visitors are requested to park on Medio Avenue.  Suggested donation is $15. Please RSVP and contact Elizabeth with questions at [email protected] (650) 728-2888

Click "read more" for information about the kirtan leaders.

A Level 2 Mass Casualty Incident was declared when CDF/San Mateo County, Half Moon Bay and La Honda Volunteer Fire Fighters responded to this six-victim motorcycle accident. The incident was reported at 11:13am and occurred on Highway 1 in front of the North Pescadero Beach Parking Lot on the San Mateo County South Coast.

Two separate CalStar Helicopters transported three of the accidents victims to Stanford Hospital in Palo Alto. AMR ground ambulances transported the remaining victims. Highway one was closed in both directions for nearly 2 hours. The cause of the incident is being investigated by the California Highway Patrol.

Mavericks is scheduled for Tuesday, February 7 at 8am.  This year, big wave surfers will compete for a total of $55,000 in cash prizes.

Schedule:

8:00 a.m. – First Round Begins (four heats of six)
11:30 a.m. – Semi–Final Heats Begin
13:30 p.m. – Finals Begin
15:00 p.m. – Awards Ceremony (on beach)

This year’s competitors will be: Anthony Tashnick, Greg Long, Tyler Smith, Zach Wormhoudt, Shane Desmond, Matt Ambrose, Brock Little, Ryan Seelbach, Ryan Augenstein, Evan Slater, Eraldo Gueiros, Shawn Rhodes, Randy Cone, Grant Washburn, Darryl Virostko, Kenny Collins, Peter Mel, Nathan Fletcher, Mike Gerhardt, Grant Baker, Josh Loya, Danilo Couto, Russell Smith and Alex Martins.

The Sharp Park Golf Course in Pacifica has been mostly closed for more than a month, reports the Pacifica Tribune.

The reason? Rain has flooded the fairway of the fourteenth hole, raising the level of a naturally occurring swampy pond that has been ruled a California Red-legged Frog breeding habitat. In essence, all the holes between the oceanfront berm and the clubhouse are off-limits to humans while the frogs recreate.

Apparently, the berm keeps the pond from draining, which causes the flooding. The Tribune says it’s ironic that the man-made berm has made the pond, which would normally be too brackish, into habitat. But it’s a double-edged irony because the berm was designed to control nature in that spot.