Some of the world’s top surfers are watching the waves on Thursday and getting ready to compete in one of Hawaii’s most prestigious big-wave surfing events.
The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau event is only held when waves in Waimea Bay top 20 feet, which hasn’t happened since 2009. Waimea only gets huge swells in the winter, so organizers block out a three-month window from December to February and hope for a Pacific storm.
They got their wish this year — with just days to spare.
A Pacific storm with hurricane-force winds north of Hawaii is churning up powerful swells. Surfline.com forecaster Jonathan Warren said Waimea Bay could see waves of 35 to 50 feet.
Organizers had hoped to run the event earlier this month, but had to cancel when the surf was lower than expected.
Only 28 of the world’s best big-wave surfers were invited to compete, including American Greg Long, who won the competition in 2009.
Aikau was a legendary big-wave surfer and the first official lifeguard on Oahu’s North Shore. He died in 1978, after volunteering to go for help when a canoe trip hit bad weather.
The memorial competition was held for the first time in 1984 and Aikau’s younger brother Clyde won the second time it was held, in 1986-87.
The huge waves and fickle nature of the competition have made it a popular event with surfers and locals. Some fans camped out on the beach or slept in their cars to get a good spot, and the roads were crowded in the predawn hours.
If you’re not able to make it to Waimea Bay, you can watch the competition on the World Surf League website.
