Anxiety is building at Half Moon Bay. A medium-sized NW swell is hitting the shores of California and the 2012 Mavericks Invitational may be called on, in the next days, if all weather conditions meet properly - wave face, tide, wind and wave period. Watch the Wave Height Forecast for the West Coast of USA, here.

The best 24 big wave surfers in the world are ready to answer the call and fly to the San Francisco coast, in 24 hours. Wave conditions are expected to kick the adrenaline, in what is considered to be the best big wave challenge in the world.

The best day may, however, not come. Since 1999, the Mavericks surf contest was only contested seven times. Jeff Clark wants a classic and perfect Mavericks day, in order to blow everyone's mind. Swells are being tracked every day, every hour.

Australia has 2.5 million recreative surfers and the surf industry generates $3.3 billion a year for the Gold Coast economy. That is why local authorities and Tourism representatives are planning to invest in artificial wave parks and surf pools that may boost the surf circus and reduce the increasing case of surf rage in the line-up.

John Nielsen, the new commander of the surf study taskforce, believes that the technology has been evolving quickly and that new ways of riding waves should be explored.

"Wave pools will be operational on the Gold Coast within two years. We are already talking with operators who want to bring them here," he told the Courier Mail. "Can you imagine having wave pools with perfect waves, operating 24-7, and what that will do for the industry?"

Tension and fight for waves is escalating. Legendary Australian surfer Mark Occhilupo has already presented a solution for the problem - limiting the number of surfers heading out to the line-up through the keyhole, at Snapper Rocks, in order to halt the ultra-crowding issue.

Philip Edwards was the first surfer to ride Banzai Pipeline, in Hawaii, back in 1961. Phil, also known as "The Guayule Kid", was born on the 10th June 1938, in Long Beach, California.

Before completing 10 year of age, Phil Edwards was already feeling the attractionof water, ocean and waves. In those days, California was the Mecca of international surfing. The US West Coast had everything for everyone. Waves of all types, a vivid surf culture and an emerging surf industry.

In Dana Point, California, surfers tried to impress spectators with serious wave riding stunts at the famous surf break of Killer Dana, a spot for experienced watermen. Killer Dana was "the" surf spot where you might became the most influential surfer of all time, in a matter of day.

In 1953, Phil Edwards was ready to challenge Killer Dana. As soon as he catches and completes the first wave, something had changed forever in the sport of surfing. Phil was 15 years old and he had just cut back a wave.

"This was Phil Edwards' first attack on Killer Dana. Jim 'Burrhead' Drever took Edwards out with him and kept an eye on him. As the story goes, they took off on a wave together. Burrhead yelled, 'Head for the green!' when Edwards cut back toward the curl", explains Nat Young.

The winners of the Australia's Surfing Life Oakley Big Wave Awards will be announced at Simmer on the Bay, Dawes Point, Sydney, on February 8th, 2012. The finalists of the Biggest Wave, Biggest Slab and Biggest Paddle-in Ride have been named and are available at www.bigwaveawards.com.au.

Big waves and stunning images make the decisive list of Australia's most prestigious big surfing challenge. Mark Mathews, Marti Paradisis, Jamie Mitchell, Ryan Hipwood, Chris Shanahan, Ben Rufus, Damien Warr and Tyler Hollmer Cross are some of the surfers that may lift the title and grab the $35,000 in prizemoney.

"We felt the surfers themselves were the best judges of each other’s performances," explained event co-ordinator Nick Carroll. "They know these wild surf zones better than anyone else and they have a clear view of the challenge involved. We were stoked with the way they responded! They’ve come up with an epic group of finalists, that’s for sure."

John John Florence has conquered the 2012 Volcom Pipe Pro, for the second consecutive year, at Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii. John Florence sealed the victory in the last 10-seconds of the 35-minute final against Jamie O'Brien, Kai Barger, and Nate Yeomans.

O'Brien held the lead for the majority of the final, only to see the top spot disappear in the last minute of the heat. With a minute to go, Florence paddled over and congratulated O'Brien. Watch the final highlights, here.

Then a dark line on the horizon caught his eye. One last wave stacked up on the Pipeline reef. Florence clawed his way past Jamie, over the ledge, under the lip and into the heat-winning tube ride - a 9.93 - to claim the $20,000 first prize and a custom warrior helmet trophy.

"I wrote myself off half way through," said Florence. "Kai and Jamie both had nines and eights. Jamie had two nines. I can't believe it. Here at Pipe anything can happen. I surfed my first heat, then had my hand (injury) and tweaked my neck really bad and that was killing me. So I was seriously considering not continuing on. I got some work done on my neck, taped my hand up and it all worked out."

It's 6th June 1944, in Normandy, France. The Allied troops prepare the largest amphibious operation in history, against Nazi Germany. D-Day has come. While the infantry and armoured divisions wait for the green light, the weather charts are constantly updated.

A recently declassified dossier shows that swell, surf height and wind were crucial variables taken in consideration in the Operation Neptune. It involved tides, winds, waves, visibility both from the air and the sea stand-point, and the combined employment of land, air and sea forces in the highest degree of intimacy and in contact with conditions which could not and cannot be fully foreseen.

On the 1st February, the British Admiralty's Naval Meteorological Service activated a Swell Forecast Section in order to get accurate wave predictions for D-Day, the Big Storm (19th-22nd June 1944) and over-the-beach supply operations following the destruction of the artificial harbor at the Omaha beachhead.

Two years before the Operation Overlord (Normandy landings) and Operation Neptune, Franklyn Roosevelt, the US President at the time, sent a message to Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, showing his concern. "...bad surf on the Atlantic beaches is a calculated risk".

Nearly one million equipped troops were extremely sensitive to wave action. It would not be easy to deploy everyone and everything, quickly and efficiently. The report from Charles C. Bates, retired Lieutenant Colonel of the U.S. Air Force tells "it needed a four-day period of low seas".

Chris Beresford has conquered the 2012 Kneeboard Surfing USA Titles, held in beautiful conditions at Huntington Beach Pier, Surf City USA.

Although kneeboarding is not the most popular wave sport, the younger brother of surfing has proved to be a thrilling challenge, in the head-high waves of the iconic Californian arena. Watch the highlights, here.

Chris Beresford and Tom Backer, the second placed kneeboarder, have been recovering from broken necks but they weren't afraid of fighting for the best spots in the final ranking.

In the two days of kneeboarding sessions, up to 80 riders competed for glory. Impressive number, indeed. Beresford, a San Diego kneeboarder, secured the gold position by keeping closer to the wave and pulling more barrels and tricks than anyone else.

Big wave surfers Jeff Rowley, Greg Long, Shaun Walsh and Albee Layer have paddled-in to gigantic 15 metre (50 foot) plus waves at Peahi "Jaws" and cement paddling in as the new frontier in big wave surfing.

Rowley and friends were on Maui, Hawaii waiting for the monster surf to hit the Peahi, "Jaws" reef and produce the world's biggest surfable waves. Watch the bombs coming in, here.

On one of the biggest waves of the day, Rowley took off underneath the pitching lip of the wave. "As the wave was coming I knew I was in the right position, I didn't want to waste any energy paddling just turn around and go".

"It just picked me up perfectly, It felt like I was riding a magic carpet with my heart in my mouth". In doing so Rowley's ride has skyrocketed into two categories of the Billabong XXL Global Big Wave awards; "Ride of The Year" and "Monster Energy Monster Paddle In".

"Everything I have worked hard and trained for all my life helped me pull off a ride like this”. Rowley specialises in Breath Enhancement Training to maximise time underwater without oxygen and maintain calm in extreme situations.

Perfect 10-12 foot waves hit the 2012 Volcom Pipe Pro, at Banzai Pipeline, Hawaii, from the same WNW swell of the last days.

There were three perfect 10-point rides: Balaram Stack, Dusty Payne and Dylan Graves. Other notable scores of the day included Bruce Irons with a 9.40 and a 8.07 - giving him the highest total combined heat score of the day at 17.47.

There were plenty of single wave high scores from Ian Walsh with an almost perfect 9.87, Gabe Kling with a 9.70, Carlos Munoz with a 9.27, Nate Yeomans with a 9.23 and Mason Ho with a 9.17.

Defending Volcom Pipe Pro champion, John Florence, scraped through today in a heat that could have been a final. Up against former Pipe champion Bruce Irons, Australian Anthony Walsh, and North Shore local Sean Moody, Florence had his work cut out. Florence made a last minute barrel to steal second place away from Walsh and advance.

A new surf pool has been unveiled in desert sands. The Wadi Adventure is the Middle East's first man made artificial wave park located at the base of Jebel Hafeet, in Al Ain, United Arab Emirates.

Developers of the surf facility promise a surf pool capable of making 3.3 meter high waves every 90 seconds. All local and international surfers can enjoy the machine powered waves from 12pm, in 55-minute surf sessions that can accomodate up to six riders.

You'll pay 100 AED (27 dollars) for the artificial experience. The quality of the wave is quite good. You can ride left and right surfable waves. Watch how the wave pool pumps waves, here. There's even a button to control the wave height.

The Wadi Adventure is like surfing in the desert. It also possible to tune and select the size of the waves, whether you're a beginner or an experienced surfer. Wave conditions change throughout the day and night surfing sessions are also available for booking.

Three world class whitewater runways for rafting and kayaking offer a combined length of 1,133 metres. Take a look at the best surf parks, surf pools and artificial waves, here.