Bruce Irons wins epic Eddie Aikau Invitational

Twenty-five year-old Hanalei surfer Bruce Irons made his way out of the shadow of world champion brother Andy Wednesday, by winning surfing’s most prestigious big wave event, the Quiksilver In Memory Of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational held at Waimea Bay on the North Shore of O‘ahu.

“This is greater than I could ever have imagined,” said Irons in an Association of Surfing Professionals press release. “It’s every bit as big as it looked in all the videos and pictures I saw growing up. To ride the biggest waves of my life, to win a contest in the name of Eddie Aikau, a hero we’ve all grown up with, I don’t know. I just don’t know what to say.” Irons pushed the limits way beyond his wildest childhood dreams, tackling waves that exceeded 40 feet in height to finish first in a field of 24 world class big wave riders, including his brother. His victory, in the 20th anniversary Quiksilver Eddie earned him $55,000. He became only the seventh surfer to win the event as it can only run when the surf hits a consistent minimum of 20 feet.

Irons called the surf the biggest waves he had ever ridden.

Irons scored a total of 370 points, out of 400, for his best four rides. And he scored the day’s only perfect score of 100 points for a massive wave which he kept riding into the massive Waimea shorebreak, tucking into a huge tube to the delight of about 20,000 spectators gathered at Waimea Bay.

“At first I was thinking oh, oh, oh no, but then I just went, no way, I’m going for it,” said Irons. The crowd on the beach was calling out for him to back-off, but erupted into cheers and whistles as he flung his arms high and tackled the 12-foot close out barrel like a head-on car crash.

Irons brother Andy Irons, who wrapped up his third world Association of Surfing Professionals title in Brazil earlier this year, placed fourth in the prestigious event.

Legendary Kaua‘i big wave surfer Titus Kinimaka also made a strong showing in the contest, placing eighth.