Waimea Bay dishes up monumental surf for the 25^th anniversary of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Competition.

After five years of waiting, 'The Eddie' finally took place at Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Hawaii on Tuesday 11 December 2009. It was only the eighth time in a quarter of a century the surf has been considered big enough (over 20 feet in size) for the event to go ahead.  

This year's contest coincided with the 25^th anniversary of the first ever Eddie in 1984, and so it was fitting that the biggest sustained swell in 40 years should grace the Hawaiian shores and offer up waves close to 40-50 feet in size for the 28 competitors invited to surf.

It was also to be a fitting result, with a true big-wave specialist, Greg Long (aged just 26) taking the $55,000 prize in the last heat of the day, with some colossal air drops which eventually squeezed 2002 Eddie winner Kelly Slater, into second place.

The competition was made all the better by Quiksilver's impeccably smooth live streaming of the event on the company's website, which allowed fans all over the world the chance to witness what is arguably surfing's most important competition, as it unfolded.

It also gave those new to the competition a chance to undertake some essential learning about one of the sport's greatest icons. 

Eddie Aikau

It should not be understated as to just how significant Eddie Aikau was to the history and tradition of surfing as a whole. The first ever lifeguard at Waimea Bay, he helped pioneer big-wave surfing in Hawaii in the early 1970s, and was one of the original legends many of today's superstar surfers looked up to and respected whilst first learning their trade. This was underlined by Eddie's bravery in the water of one of the world's most dangerous surf spots, where he saved countless lives with often just the use of his surfboard as aid.

Unfortunately, it was Eddie's bravery that was to bring his life to a tragically short conclusion. So often involved in promoting the heritage of the Hawaiian people, he was chosen to be a crew member on The Hokule'a, (a traditional sailing canoe used by the Polynesian Voyaging Society to replicate the original, thousand year-old, 2,500 mile-long Polynesian migration between Hawaii and the surrounding Tahitian islands) and he jumped at the opportunity to be part of such a prestigious event.

The boat and its crew left the Hawaiian Islands on 16 March 1978, but stormy weather developed 12 miles south of the island of Molokai, which caused the canoe to capsize. Stuck in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, in the depth of night and with no radio systems, Eddie tried to save the rest of the crew by paddling off for help, on his surfboard towards the lights of nearby island Lanai. However he tragically disappeared and was never seen again. He was just 31 years old. Hours later an airplane spotted the upturned boat and the rest of the crew were eventually saved by U.S. Coast Guards.

Unlike any other competition

Eddie's death was a devastating blow to the Hawaiian people and the world of surfing, which had lost one of its most-cherished icons in heartbreaking fashion. Although it took a number of years for people to truly come to terms with his death, it was eventually deemed that his memory needed to be honoured appropriately, and from this decision the idea of an annual big-wave competition was spawned. The Eddie was officially ready to go.

With the competition came a selection of unique rules, designed to keep the spirit of Eddie alive. Firstly, the surf had to be at Waimea Bay, and had to be over 20 feet in size and of a certain quality. Eddie Aikau was most respected for his ability to surf waves that many other surfers wouldn't touch because of the size, and so it was decided that whilst the event would be planned every year, it wouldn't take place unless conditions were ideally suited. Hence the recent five year wait.   Secondly, contestants had to paddle in. And standard competition rules about right of way were thrown out of the window. Drop-ins were allowed as they were such a common feature of big wave riding at Waimea Bay. There was to be no jet-skis and no towing in. It was all about proving yourself in the toughest conditions, just like Eddie had done in the past.

Greg Long 

So to 2009, and to a winner that epitomises the big-wave ethos as laid down by the rules of The Eddie. For those in the UK who were able to stay awake into the wee-small hours to witness Greg Long's incredible last-gasp win, it should be appreciated just how huge the waves he (and all the other contestants) caught actually were. Consider the fact that, on the very same day, the rarely breaking Cribbar in Newquay, Cornwall was being impressively towed into by a team of surfers at a size many of us would consider to be huge. Then triple the size and take away the jet-ski element, and you still struggle to comprehend what those surfing at The Eddie were actually throwing themselves head-first into.The live streaming of the event may have brought the competition closer to home, but the surfing on show still felt detached from reality.

(Chris Ward)