Will there be a Mavericks in 2007?

Nine weeks into the waiting period, which is scheduled to end March 31, there is no hint of the kind of surf needed for the (mostly) annual Mavericks big-wave surf contest, reports the Mercury News. There is a possibility that wait may be extended into April, which as been as good as March in recent years.

The culprit is a lingering high pressure system that doesn’t seem to be weakening, Collins said.

It takes more than big waves to make the contest a success, though. Other variables include wind, swell direction and tides.

Some surfers fear organizers will bow to commercial interests and hold the contest in medium-sized surf, trying to sell it as the Super Bowl of big-wave riding.

A total of $75,000 in prize money is at stake.