Excerpt from "Big-Wave Backdrop," Dru Harrison and Walt Phillips, Surfing, March 1970

 Rolf Aurness really ripped. That first ride of his set the pattern for the whole contest. Sixteen guys tore Steamer Lane apart.

 Did they ever! As a judge, I'm really stingy with points. I can't remember ever giving 20 points for a ride before, but in this contest I gave the limit six times. Three times to Pat Cosgrove, twice to Aurness, and once to Mike Hynson. And one of Rolf's was on that first ride of the contest. What a ride!

 What a contest! Everything about it was fantastic. Perfect surf. Perfect surfing. Perfect judging. Heck, I even dug the spectators. It was like all of us were brothers. All sharing a beautiful scene. Even the contestants were rooting and cheering each other on. Unbelievable! After the initial shock of finding Greg Tucker, David Nuuhiwa and Corky Carroll in my heat I settled down and caught some of the best waves of my life. Dropping in off the point was reminiscent of big Hawaii. Hitting the bottom you knew you had the juice to drive back up under the lip. Big, thick, smooth-faced, clearly lined, super-good waves. And that feeling ... I never had it before in a contest. It's what surfing's supposed to be. Beautiful. Relaxed. Friendly. Caring. Sharing.

 I know what you mean Walter. Sharing. That's the word. It was happening with me too. And with the other judges. I was digging the scene but unselfishly. It's like the sea was performing some kind of miracle and we were the "chosen." That's pretty far out but that's what I felt at the time. During Mike Hynson's ride I asked myself, "Is this really happening?" Then I glance over at the other judges. Their stunned expressions reassured me. I'm not crazy. It really IS happening. There was no communication between the judges but after Mike's ride, one of them blew his mind. It was Tom Kienholz. "Twenty points! Twenty points?? That's not enough!"

 And he was so right. That wave was 13-feet plus. Mike took off at the Third Reef, faded under the whitewater, carved back, drew a long line right up to the lip—out in front—cutting back—blasting the soup—coming around—set for the inside curl—stalling—S-turning—setting himself farther back—working the wave top to bottom—gaining speed with every turn. It's so beautiful in my mind

 And how about Cosgrove? The ride where he dropped in late behind the peak. He hit the bottom and turned just as the lip of that ten-footer was about to nail him. Turning up under the lip, he disappeared into the tube, locked in so far back I still can't believe it—all through the inside—then climbing back up—slamming against the lip—I tell you, Walter, that ride was beyond description.

[Note: three major surfing contests were held in Santa Cruz between late October and early December 1969: the Santa Cruz AAAA, the Smirnoff Pro-Am, and the Santa Cruz Big-Wave Contest. While the Smirnoff event featured over 200 surfers, only 16 were selected for the Big-Wave Contest.]

Excerpt from "Pat Cosgrove: It's a Free Thing," interview by Walt Phillips, SURFER, March 1970

I feel that contests have to become more relaxed. They are too heartless now. I feel that a competitor has to put on an act for the judges, the spectators, everybody. It’s the people that are making it look hard who are winning their hearts. You have to get in a lot of activity on the waves to win. Activity that isn’t necessary; just part of the act. It’s like I’m selling myself to you. "Here it is."

How did you feel about the big-wave contest you just won?

I think it was the luckiest I’ve ever been. That contest was the most unreal contest I’ve ever competed in. A day earlier they had the Smirnoff Pro-Am, [which] turned into a big fiasco. Then the next day was the Big-Wave Contest. It’s out of the limelight, but it turns out to be the best of all. We didn’t have to make things look hard. We had forty-minute heats. Everything was much more relaxed. The judging was great. Everything was perfect.

What do you see in the future for surfing contests?

I feel that the people who are riding bigger waves now, the ones who are riding them in control, will be the surfers of the future. Surfers like Jackie Baxter, John Boozer, and the top surfboard designers are leading us into another era.

What do you think of professionalism coming into surfing?

That aspect of surfing is on the rise, yet there is another group of people who are making surfing an individual art. There is a separation coming. A lot of people will be able to surf in contests and still surf for fun or for art. Surfing will be both an art form and a full-on competition sport.

1969 Santa Cruz Big-Wave Contest

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