The Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau has been placed on “green alert” for Thursday at Waimea Bay. The final call to go will be made at the beach Thursday morning. If the big wave competition is a go, it will start at 8 a.m. with Kona’s own Shane Dorian in the first heat.
Current forecasts call for 40- to 50-foot waves on Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
The event – one of the most elusive on the big wave tour – has run only eight times in the past 30 years because of the extraordinary conditions that are required for the event to be called “on.” The tournament can only be held when wave heights reach a sustained minimum 40 feet. The last time the event was held was on December 8, 2009, and was won by Californian Greg Long.
About two weeks ago, it looked as though The Eddie would take place when organizers gave the event the green light on the morning of Feb. 5 with a competition date of Feb. 10. Many of the world’s elite surfers headed to Oahu for the event, but unfortunately the waves were a no-show.
The Eddie is a tribute event for native Hawaiiaiian big wave surfer, and early Waimea Bay lifeguard, Eddie Aikau.
Aikau was just 31 years old when he was lost at sea during an ill-fated voyage on Hawaiiaii’s Hokule’a double-hull sailing canoe in 1978. Aikau was a young man at the height of a career, equally dedicated to big-wave riding and lifeguarding at historic Waimea Bay.
Filled with a pure passion to ride giant surf, take care of his fellow man, and uphold his Hawaiiaiian culture and family values, Aikau became the benchmark by which all big wave riders are measured.
The Eddie will be contested by 28 invitees, including defending Eddie winner and BWT current rankings’ leader Greg Long. Clyde Aikau, Eddie Aikau’s brother and winner of the second Eddie event is also expected to compete, along with 11-time World Champion and 2001/2002 Eddie winner Kelly Slater.
If the contest is a go, it will be streamed on the World Surf League website. It will also be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network and on Oceanic Time Warner Cable channels 250 and 1250HD.
Heat 1: Shane Dorian (Hawaii), Kohl Christensen (Hawaii), Greg Long (Calif.), Ramon Navarro (Chile), Sunny Garcia (Hawaii), Ross Clarke-Jones (Australia), Jamie Mitchell (Australia)
Heat 2: Kelly Slater (Florida), David Wassell (Hawaii), Grant Baker (South Africa), Reef McIntosh (Hawaii), Jamie O’Brien (Hawaii), Aaron Gold (Hawaii), Tom Carroll (Australia)
Heat 3: John John Florence (Hawaii), Mark Healey (Hawaii), Clyde Aikau (Hawaii), Nathan Fletcher (Calif.), Noah Johnson (Hawaii), Peter Mel (Calif.), Takayuki Wakita (Japan)
Heat 4: Bruce Irons (Hawaii), Makuakai Rothman (Hawaii), Ian Walsh (Hawaii), Albee Layer (Hawaii), Kala Alexander (Hawaii), Garrett McNamara (Hawaii), Jeremy Flores (FRA)
Top 5 alternates: Mason Ho (Hawaii), Danilo Couto (BRA), Mark Mathews (AUS), Koa Rothman (Hawaii), Ben Wilkinson (Australia)
Three-time WSL champ Fanning says 2016 is ‘personal year’
Mick Fanning — a three-time WSL Champion and 2015 World runner-up — announced that he is viewing 2016 as a ‘personal year’ in which he will take time off from full-time competition.
The Australian endured an intense 2015 in which he was thrust into the international spotlight following an on-air battle with a Great White Shark during July’s J-Bay Open. Despite the incident, Fanning rallied to battle for the WSL Title throughout the back half of the season, pushing the race to the final event of the year. Suffering the tragic and unexpected loss of older brother Peter during the event window, Fanning’s performance at Pipeline was emotionally charged, but ultimately short of the world surfing crown.
“Last year was definitely intense – what happened at J-Bay, being in a title race and the unfortunate passing of my brother,” Fanning said. “There was so much build up with everything happening. I got to a point at the end of the year where I felt empty. I didn’t feel like I had much to give back.
“This year, I’m going to take some time off and have a bit of a personal year,” Fanning continued. “Just to regroup and re-stoke the fire.”