Since 2016, Darrach Bourke has served as senior vice president of wealth management at Emerson Equity in San Mateo, California. Outside of work, Darrach Bourke enjoys spending time with his family and staying active through outdoor activities such as cycling, skiing, and surfing. A former big-wave surfer, he is experienced in surfing the waters of the famed Mavericks surf break in Northern California.
Located just north of the seaside town of Half Moon Bay, Mavericks is a top surfing destination for big-wave surfers from around the globe. The exact location of Mavericks is approximately one-quarter mile offshore of Pillar Point Harbor. There, unique underwater topography combines with winter ocean swells to create waves that can exceed 50 feet in height.
Since 1999, Mavericks has been the site of a surfing competition held sometime between November and March. Due to the unpredictable nature of offshore weather and local surf conditions, no one knows exactly when, or even if, the invitation-only event will take place each year. Once conditions are right, contest organizers notify the pre-selected competitors, who then have 48 hours to get to Mavericks for the competition.
Five of the past Mavericks contests have been held in February, but conditions have not been right for the event since 2016. The competition was called off in both 2017 and 2018 due to unfavorable weather forecasts.
