Huge waves have started to roll in on Oahu’s North Shore in Hawai’i and big wave surfers from around the world wait with bated breath. They are all waiting for the answer to one question, is the “Eddie” on or not? The “Eddie”, as it is known to locals and to surfers around the world, refers to the Quiksilver in memory of Eddie Aikau and it is the world’s oldest and most prestigious big wave surfing contest.
Who was Eddie Aikau?
Hawai’i’s Eddie Aikau was a legendary waterman and a local hero. Eddie was the first official North Shore lifeguard and is credited with saving hundreds of lives throughout his career. In 1978 Eddie was selected to be a crew member on the historic Hokule’a voyaging canoe. During the journey the canoe encountered a big storm and capsized.
After hours in the water, with no help in sight, Eddie volunteered to swim to shore in an attempt to save the crew. Tragically, while the rest of the crew was rescued several hours later, Eddie was never seen again. Hawai’i mourned the loss of one of its most beloved sons, but his legacy continues through the world’s premier big wave surfing contest.
Rules of the “Eddie”
The huge waves Eddie was known to surf, and to rescue people from, occur during the winter months in Hawai’i. From December 1 through the end of February, 28 invitation only professional big wave surfers are on-call, awaiting official word that the Eddie is “on.” In order for the contest to be held open ocean waves must consistently be higher than 20 feet (this is an approximately 30 foot wave face) between the hours of about 8:00 am to 5:00 pm on a single day.
While this year marks the 27th anniversary of the contest, due to the stringent rules for holding the contest, it has only been held eight times. The last contest was held in 2009. Once the Eddie is officially declared the 28 world class big wave surfing contestants, as voted on by their peers, have 12 hours to sign in, no matter where they are in the world.
The Wait Continues…
A big swell is predicted over the next few days and many are hoping the waves are consistent enough for the Eddie to be held. Because it takes time for the Eddie contestants from around the world to get to Hawai’i, they tend to monitor wave conditions and are often already here in advance of the official start of the contest. Even if the contest isn’t held the surfers will oftentimes go out and ride the monster waves.
Watching these men riding these moving mountains of life-threatening water is an absolutely breath taking display of man versus nature. Whether or not you are a fan of surfing, you will be awed by the power and courage of these surfers as they take on one of nature’s most impressive sights, the monster waves of the North Shore.