The chance that the organizer of Mavericks big wave surf contest in California could pull off a quick bankruptcy sale so the event could still take place next month is looking increasingly unlikely, the Wall Street Journal reported today. “There’s logistically no way in hell,” said Sabrina Brennan, a commissioner on the San Mateo County Harbor Commission, which issued the permit to the contest’s bankrupt organizer, Titans of Mavericks. The company and parent Cartel Management Inc., filed for chapter 11 bankruptcy on Jan. 31, right in the middle of the official window to host the Mavericks contest, one of surfing’s premier big-wave contests, in which some of the world’s best surfers face off on waves that can reach 60 feet in height. Brennan said that she doesn’t believe the event can happen this year, due to the length of time it would take a new owner to coordinate with authorities including the Coast Guard and California Highway Patrol. The surf contest is held on 48-hours’ notice when wind, weather and ocean swell conditions align for the perfect day. This year would have been the first event under Cartel’s permit, and Cartel has the permission for four more years. Owner Griffin Guess said that a lightning-fast sale, made cleaner by the bankruptcy process, could allow a buyer to hold the event this year prior to the March 31 deadline.
