The Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau has been placed on “yellow alert” for Thursday at Waimea Bay. The final determination on the status will be made Thursday morning.
The Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau has been placed on “yellow alert” for Thursday at Waimea Bay. The final determination on the status will be made Thursday morning.
Early forecast call for a swell of 20-25 feet with occasional larger waves with face heights of 40-50 feet.
“We are looking very closely at this swell,” said event director Glen Moncata. “These systems are very hard to predict so we will set up for the event, but we will not make the final call until Thursday morning. We don’t want to disappoint anybody and we will leave it up to the Bay to call the day on Thursday.”
About two weeks ago, it looked as though The Eddie would take place for the first time since 2009 and only the ninth time in its 31 year history.
Organizers gave the event the green light on the morning of Feb. 5 with a competition date of Feb. 10 after consulting the latest round of forecasting models. Organizers anticipate a solid day of surf that would meet the event’s strict wave face height requirement of 40 feet, with favorable light winds in the morning, turning light trades by afternoon.
Many of the world’s elite surfers headed to Oahu for the event, but unfortunately the waves were a no-show.
If The Eddie takes place on Thursday, the event will be webcast live at WorldSurfLeague.com as well as on the WSL app. The competition will be broadcast live in Hawaii on cable channels 250 and 1250 by Oceanic Time Warner.
The Eddie is a tribute event for native Hawaiian big wave surfer, and early Waimea Bay lifeguard, Eddie Aikau.
Aikau was just 31 years old when he was lost at sea during an ill-fated voyage on Hawaii’s Hokule’a double-hull sailing canoe in 1978. Aikau was a young man at the height of a career, equally dedicated to big-wave riding and lifeguarding at historic Waimea Bay.
Filled with a pure passion to ride giant surf, take care of his fellow man, and uphold his Hawaiian culture and family values, Aikau became the benchmark by which all big wave riders are measured.
The Eddie will be contested by 28 invitees, including defending Eddie winner and BWT current rankings’ leader Greg Long. Clyde Aikau, Eddie Aikau’s brother and winner of the second Eddie event is also expected to compete, along with 11-time World Champion and 2001/2002 Eddie winner Kelly Slater and Big Island’s own Shane Dorian.