Jeff Clark is a renowned big-wave surfer, born on March 26, 1957, in Redwood City, California. As a young boy, he moved to Miramar Beach in Half Moon Bay with his family, where he developed a passion for surfing and sought out bigger, stronger waves along the rugged Northern California coast.
Growing up, Clark and his friends would often gaze out at the large waves off Pillar Point breaking from the hillside of Half Moon Bay High School during the winter months. Clark, being the adventurous type, carefully studied the conditions and at the age of 17, paddled out to Mavericks alone, leaving behind his high school friend who declined the adventure and instead jokingly told Clark he would "call the Coast Guard and tell them where I last saw you."
Clark surfed Mavericks alone for the next 15 years, before he could convince others to join him. During this time, he shaped his boards specifically for the conditions at Mavericks, making him one of the premier big wave surfboard shapers in the country.
Not only is Clark an exceptional surfer, but he is also ambidextrous, a rare trait among big wave surfers. He is a natural goofyfooter, but spent ten years learning to ride regularfoot, allowing him to ride frontside when tackling the more treacherous right-breaking waves at Mavericks.
Clark's dedication to Mavericks has earned him recognition as one of the "world's best big-wave riders" by Surfer Magazine in 1994. He has been featured in several films, including Riding Giants and Adventures in Wild California, and is the only surfer in the San Mateo County Sports Hall of Fame.
In addition to his surfing accomplishments, Clark co-founded the annual Mavericks Surf Contest with Quiksilver in 1998 and later joined forces with Evolve Sports to form Mavericks Surf Ventures (MSV). He resigned from the Board of Directors in 2009, cutting ties with MSV.
Today, Clark owns Mavericks Surf Shop in Half Moon Bay, where he sells his own line of clothing and surfboards. He continues to shape custom boards and is widely regarded as one of the most respected big-wave surfers in the world.
