Eddie Aikau: The Quiksilver In Memory Of Legendary Surfer Is On


Eddie Aikau would be pleased. After weeks of waiting, the elite Quiksilver Memorial in honor of legendary surfer Eddie Aikau is on.

There is about a two-month window when the event can occur during the year and there have been many false starts. Big named surfers like Tom Carroll and Ross Clarke-Jones had been gathering on Oahu’s North Shore since early in the new year. The Eddie Aikau Quiksilver Memorial was set to proceed on February 11 with a seemingly perfect forecast only to be called off at the last minute. The final decision for the event is made the very morning of the competition. Clyde Aikau, Eddie’s brother, made the call this morning and commented on the conditions.

“I’ve been riding Waimea Bay for over 40 years and today has to be one of the best days I’ve seen in 40 years.”

Waves had been peaking at about 50-feet in Hawaii earlier this week, leading organizers to begin preparations for the elite big-wave surfing competition at Waimea Bay on the North Shore in Oahu.

The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau was last held in 2009. Big-wave conditions occur rarely and cannot be predicted. In order to run multiple heats, the waves need to reach at least the 40-foot (12-meter) mark consistently over a full day with sustained swells. Those conditions have only been met — and The Memorial has only been held — eight times in the last 32 years.

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This year’s El Nino — the warm ocean current that changes usual weather patterns around the world – has been creating stormy conditions with high winds across the north Pacific, leading to hopes among the surfing community that the exacting conditions for the Eddie Aikau Quiksilver Memorial would take place.

Eddie Aikau was a surfer and a lifeguard in Waimea Bay, one of the few places in the world where a big-wave competition can be held. Waves come from the deep onto a shallow shelf, creating the potential for 40-foot-plus waves.

The Eddie Aikau Quiksilver Memorial is an invitational competition that attracts the world’s elite surfers, including Hawaii’s own Mark Healey and 11-time world champion Kelly Slater. Crowds of up to 20,000 are expected for this rare event.

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave International surf competition features seven surfers with heats of an hour each. Each competitor surfs twice and the scores are determined over the best four waves for each surfer. The winner of the Quiksilver in memory of Eddie Aikau is calculated according to a cumulative score. Today’s huge waves have topped the 40-foot mark and have led to some havoc, including a slew of broken boards and a spectacular wipeout from South African surfer Grant Baker in the first round.

Hawaii’s John John Florence won the competition just before press time in his first appearance at the invitational with 301 points in two rounds. Australian Ross Clarke-Jones commented on the atmosphere generated by the rare competition.

“All the crowd watching and all the competitors; everyone is so excited and there’s an amazing vibe around it all. It’s such a special event to be a part of.”

Edward Ryon Makuahanai — or simply Eddie — Aikau was a Hawaiian surfer and lifeguard. Born on May 5, 1946, he became the first official lifeguard at Waimea Bay in 1967 and developed a reputation as one of the world’s premier, and best-known big-wave riders. He became renowned for his daring in riding the huge swells as well as his bravery in the role of lifeguard.

Eddie Aikau lost his life on the ocean in 1978 during a 30-day, 2,500 mile journey recreating the sailing route of the ancient Polynesians who migrated between Hawaii and Tahiti. The canoe carrying the volunteer crew capsized and Eddie paddled away on his surfboard to get help — never to be seen again. The search for Eddie Aikau was the largest air-sea search operation ever performed in the history of Hawaii at the time, unfortunately without results.

“Eddie Would Go” became a popularized slogan in the area and The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave International surf meet was developed.

[Photo by Caleb Jones/AP]

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