SA surfer wins Mavericks race

SAN FRANCISCO – A South African man who got into an elite US surfing contest by winning an online vote rode his way to a perfect score and top honours on Tuesday.

Grant ‘Twiggy’ Baker, 32, won the classic Mavericks contest off the coast of Northern California and claimed a US$30 000 prize. Baker received perfect-ten scores for each of two huge waves he surfed in the Pacific Ocean at Half Moon Bay, about 48 kilometres south of San Francisco.”What a day,” said Baker, who referred to himself as a surf-world outsider.”That’s the best I’ve ever surfed.”The Mavericks is an elite surfing competition named for a local reference to the coastal peaks where, when conditions are right.-Nampa-AFPBaker received perfect-ten scores for each of two huge waves he surfed in the Pacific Ocean at Half Moon Bay, about 48 kilometres south of San Francisco.”What a day,” said Baker, who referred to himself as a surf-world outsider.”That’s the best I’ve ever surfed.”The Mavericks is an elite surfing competition named for a local reference to the coastal peaks where, when conditions are right.-Nampa-AFP