Mavericks is one of the biggest and most deadly breaks for surfers, and almost every year there is an invitational surf contest there when the storms and swell are just right and the wave comes up. This year, though, the wave isn’t just cresting over the reef, it’s also breaking the gender barrier: There will be a women’s surf competition, too.

The contest is being hosted by WickrX Super Sessions, and a select group of female big-wave phenoms have been invited to compete. The surfers will get the call sometime late in November or early December, whenever the conditions conspire to make the infamous surf break take shape. Mavericks only comes up in certain weather and swell conditions, but when it does, it’s one of the biggest, most challenging, and hazardous big waves out there. Mavericks has claimed the lives of two expert big-wave surfers and the epic spot in Half Moon Bay, Calif. has been the subject of films and a book.

So thank you, WickrX Foundation, for putting on the Super Sessions this year. Because it validates the fact that women can be mavericks, too. And we’re not talking about Sarah Palin.