January 2003: Shawn Alladio speeds away from an oncoming set at Maverick’s in the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary after crashing into a rock that was hidden by the wave. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
January 2008: Ross Clarke-Jones of Australia, right, drops in with Ryan Seelbach of San Francisco during a Mavericks surf contest. (George Nikitin / Associated Press)
February 2004: The bird is going to have a much easier time than Zak Wormhoundt, who wipes out during a Mavericks surf contest off the Northern California coast. (Aric Crabb / Associated Press)
January 2003: Shawn Alladio heads out to Mavericks, the world-renowned surfing spot with big-wave surfer Marcelo Ulyssea. (Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)