Top big wave riders and respected surfers gathered at Waimea Bay for the opening ceremony of the 29th Annual Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau. “The Eddie” big wave event waiting period began Dec 1st and will hold until Feb 28th. The contest will only run if the waves reach an excess of 20 feet Hawaiian scale at Waimea Bay on the north shore of O’ahu. 
The event is held in memory of Eddie Aikau, a Hawaiian who was lost at sea in 1978 after attempting to paddle for help when the Hokule’a canoe was damaged on a voyage to Tahiti. Aikau remains to be one of the most respected watermen in history, surfing huge swells, performing thousands of rescues on the north shore and winning the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship the year before he passed.
The original crew members of the Hokule’a were present for the Eddie opening ceremony. The list of contest invitees includes Eddie Aikau title holders Bruce Irons, Greg Long, big wave riders Garrett McNamara, Ian Walsh, Peter Mel and Mark Healey, Hawaiians Clyde Aikau, Sunny Garcia, Kala Alexander, and Jamie O’Brien, and top ASP World Tour surfers Kelly Slater and John John Florence.
“The Eddie represents so much more than just a big wave contest,” said Greg Long. “It is about remembering our love and respect for the ocean and each other. Every year that I stand on the beach I can’t help but take a moment to reflect on my life and think about whether or not I have lived by the same morals and values that Eddie did.”
The Eddie was established in 1984 and has only been held a total of eight times since. The last time the event ran was in 2009. Don’t miss this unique big wave event, follow updates on The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Event website: http://quiksilverlive.com/eddieaikau/2014/
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