High Surf, Waimea and Eddie Aikau
Exceptionally large North Shore surf was expected at high tide this morning (6:30 am). Waves as high as 50 feet (25 feet Hawaii scale) were expected. At Waimea Bay the grandstand went up in anticipation of the Quiksilver Eddie Aikau Big Wave competition. This event is only held at Waimea when clean, steady surf of at least 20 feet (Hawaii scale) is expected. These conditions only appear about once every other year so it is a Big Deal here in Hawaii. All the greatest surfers in the world are already on island for the last three events of the world surfing tour (at the moment they are in the midst of the final event, the Pipeline Masters) and only the top 24 big wave surfers are invited to participate in the Eddie Aikau.
With my wife's help I woke up earlier than usual, threw together some snacks and a beverage in a backpack, grabbed my binoculars and drove to North Shore. I got half-way between Chun's Beach and Waimea before having to park on the side of the road. The traffic was virtually stopped dead in its tracks. Along with many others I walked the final mile and arrived at the the Waimea Bay overlook at 7:50 am. The morning competition was over by the time I arrived, the high surf had never gotten much above 25 feet and had dropped below that by the time I arrived. A second one-hour heat was scheduled for the afternoon.
The swells were still large enough to produce waves on the outer reef and thirty or more surfers and boogie boarders were swarming around hoping to catch a stray "big one." Funny to say, the largest wave I saw this morning was missed by every single surfer. One guy almost made it but when the wave broke past him several thousand spectators audibly groaned in unison.
Events like this are an "only in Hawaii" sort of thing...like a minor Woodstock Festival but with more spontaneity. Families with children, single women with dogs, North Shore counter-culture types with the fragrance of pakalolo, guys on bicycles, and even a few carrying surfboards all heading in the same direction with slippahs on their feet. People stuck in the traffic are patient and polite and, in spite of the lack of parking (by the time I left people were walking 2 miles to get to Waimea) private driveways, fire plugs and bus stops were respected. The spirit of Aloha is tangible at these events. The man next to me was trying to take pictures but a long shoot from a kiawe bush kept getting in his way. Another man, below us, saw this and bent the branch over and put his bag on it to hold it down.
After about 20 minutes or so I walked back to my car and headed back to the church to start the day. I had seen some interesting people, been part of a cultural event unique to Hawaii, saw one terrific wipe-out and got in two miles of walking exercise as a bonus.
For those of you who may not know who Eddie Aikau was, here is a brief bio: Eddie was a native Hawaiian Big Wave surfer and North Shore lifeguard (a Big Deal in Hawaii). He was also heavily involved in the renaissance of Hawaiian culture in the early 1970s. In 1978, while serving as crew on the Hokule'a (Hawaiian voyaging canoe), the ship capsized in inter-island waters. As the ship and crew floundered helplessly Eddie offered to paddle his board an estimated 12 miles to Lanai for help. After much discussion he was allowed to go. He was never seen again. Today a common bumper sticker reads simply, "Eddie would go!" His legacy continues to provide a good role model of a good man sacrificing himself for others. There is a monument to him at Waimea Bay and when the Big Wave contest is held there it bears his name as a tribute.
Click on picture for larger image
Update: Bruce Irons of Kauai won the 2004 Eddie Aikau Big Wave competition with 370 points out of a possible 400 (the four highest scoring rides are added up, each with a possible 100). Among his scores was a 99 and a perfect 100 (a 40 footer which he rode all the way to the beach and finished with a barrel ride in the dangerous shore break).
With my wife's help I woke up earlier than usual, threw together some snacks and a beverage in a backpack, grabbed my binoculars and drove to North Shore. I got half-way between Chun's Beach and Waimea before having to park on the side of the road. The traffic was virtually stopped dead in its tracks. Along with many others I walked the final mile and arrived at the the Waimea Bay overlook at 7:50 am. The morning competition was over by the time I arrived, the high surf had never gotten much above 25 feet and had dropped below that by the time I arrived. A second one-hour heat was scheduled for the afternoon.
The swells were still large enough to produce waves on the outer reef and thirty or more surfers and boogie boarders were swarming around hoping to catch a stray "big one." Funny to say, the largest wave I saw this morning was missed by every single surfer. One guy almost made it but when the wave broke past him several thousand spectators audibly groaned in unison.
Events like this are an "only in Hawaii" sort of thing...like a minor Woodstock Festival but with more spontaneity. Families with children, single women with dogs, North Shore counter-culture types with the fragrance of pakalolo, guys on bicycles, and even a few carrying surfboards all heading in the same direction with slippahs on their feet. People stuck in the traffic are patient and polite and, in spite of the lack of parking (by the time I left people were walking 2 miles to get to Waimea) private driveways, fire plugs and bus stops were respected. The spirit of Aloha is tangible at these events. The man next to me was trying to take pictures but a long shoot from a kiawe bush kept getting in his way. Another man, below us, saw this and bent the branch over and put his bag on it to hold it down.
After about 20 minutes or so I walked back to my car and headed back to the church to start the day. I had seen some interesting people, been part of a cultural event unique to Hawaii, saw one terrific wipe-out and got in two miles of walking exercise as a bonus.
For those of you who may not know who Eddie Aikau was, here is a brief bio: Eddie was a native Hawaiian Big Wave surfer and North Shore lifeguard (a Big Deal in Hawaii). He was also heavily involved in the renaissance of Hawaiian culture in the early 1970s. In 1978, while serving as crew on the Hokule'a (Hawaiian voyaging canoe), the ship capsized in inter-island waters. As the ship and crew floundered helplessly Eddie offered to paddle his board an estimated 12 miles to Lanai for help. After much discussion he was allowed to go. He was never seen again. Today a common bumper sticker reads simply, "Eddie would go!" His legacy continues to provide a good role model of a good man sacrificing himself for others. There is a monument to him at Waimea Bay and when the Big Wave contest is held there it bears his name as a tribute.
Click on picture for larger image
Update: Bruce Irons of Kauai won the 2004 Eddie Aikau Big Wave competition with 370 points out of a possible 400 (the four highest scoring rides are added up, each with a possible 100). Among his scores was a 99 and a perfect 100 (a 40 footer which he rode all the way to the beach and finished with a barrel ride in the dangerous shore break).
posted by Bird of Paradise at 9:08 PM
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