LIHU‘E — With the Hawaiian surf forecast still delivering potential for 20-foot surf this Thursday, organizers and competitors are making precautionary preparations in case The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, fueled by Monster Energy can run. Contest director George Downing
LIHU‘E — With the Hawaiian surf forecast still delivering potential for 20-foot surf this Thursday, organizers and competitors are making precautionary preparations in case The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, fueled by Monster Energy can run.
Contest director George Downing would like to emphasize that the event has not been officially called “on”, but that the potential for Eddie-sized surf at Waimea Bay does exist, so better to be ready than ill-prepared. The peak of the swell is anticipated to be early morning Thursday, so organizers need to be in place for an immediate start if the waves do measure up.
“Let’s not forget, we are not dealing with a concrete stadium sporting event,” said Downing. “Surfers and great surfing events are 100 percent dependent upon many nuances of nature that not even the latest, greatest technology can perfectly predict. What we are saying is that the potential for 20-foot surf does exist. We might go, we might not, but we will always be ready for when the bay calls the day.
“That’s what this event, in particular, is about. We will do exactly what Eddie and big wave riders have always done through the years: watch the swell developments, be ready, and wake up to see what the day delivers. Practice makes perfect.”
Hawai‘i surf forecasters at the local National Weather Service bureau expect the peak of the swell to be some time between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. Thursday. The most current estimates expect swell heights of around 18-22 feet for Oahu’s North Shore (not specific to Waimea Bay). The incoming swells associated with this episode should be fully registering on NDBC buoy 51101 between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. today, which will supply the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau team with their most reliable batch of data ahead of Thursday morning.
The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is a one-day big wave invitational staged at Waimea Bay with a minimum wave height requirement of 20 feet. It was last held on December 8, 2009, in 20- to 25-foot surf and was won by California’s Greg Long.
The event is held in memory of one of the greatest Hawaiian watermen of all time, Eddie Aikau, who was a pioneer big wave rider and highly respected lifeguard at Waimea Bay. In its 26-year history, the event has only been held a total of eight times.
Updated information can be found at www.Quiksilver.com/Eddie where fans can also sign up for text alerts.
The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is the world’s longest running and most prestigious big-wave invitational and is the only one sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the governing body of professional surfing.
Pires signs 10-year deal with Quiksilver
LIHU‘E — Portugal’s Tiago Pires, 30, entering his fourth season as an ASP World Tour campaigner has just signed a 10-year contract with international powerhouse Quiksilver. The “Portuguese Tiger” had this to say:
“It’s official. I’m part of the Quiksilver family from today and on for the next ten years. Really grateful for the opportunity and stoked to be a part of this project. It’s going to be an exciting year! Thanks everyone for their support and happy surfing. Best!”
KBA at First Halves, Saturday
The Kaua‘i Bodyboarding Association’s second competition of the current season is scheduled to run Saturday at First Halves in Kekaha.
The event had been scheduled for this past weekend, but poor weather conditions caused the delay.
For further updates, call the KBA hotline at 482-0172.
