Poised on a surfboard and dwarfed by a tower of water some 10 times her size, fear is one of the first emotions that big wave surfer Laura Crane feels before she hurtles down a 60-foot behemoth.

VIDEO: A surfer wiped out on a huge wave at Mavericks and then spent the next 100 terrifying seconds fighting for his life.

"You start praying, relax and wait for the right timing to pass by." Pro surfer describes what it was like when he wiped out on a monster wave at Mavericks in Half Moon Bay.

Waves reached heights of 50 feet Sunday during the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational in Hawaii that produced epic rides and big wipeouts.

"The Eddie" competition requires consistent 40-foot or higher surf. If Sunday's event goes on as planned, it'll be only the 11th time it has happened since 1984.