Drought makes it better at Mavericks (video)

The big waves spun off by a storm north of Hawaii reached California yesterday and today, absent the wind or wet weather that would spoil the surfing. Those were pushed off to the north by the persistent ridge of high pressure out in the Pacific that has locked California in an epic siege of dry days, weeks and months. The Ridiculously Resilient Ridge is truly "a severe event," our scientist-contributor Grace Peng writes today. "This is not media hype. This could be a catastrophic disaster. It's time to prepare for the worst drought and wildfire season in California in my lifetime."

Up at Half Moon Bay in San Mateo County, Grant Baker of South Africa won today's Mavericks Invitational surfing competition. Twenty-four big-wave surfers were invited this year.