“The Eddie” won’t run this year, but the pumping North Shore surf will still be ridden by the world’s best surfers — and Wednesday was a prime example of that.
On the same day the Aikau family announced that there will be no big-wave invitational named after the legendary Eddie Aikau this winter, a swell with 10-foot, clean waves graced Oahu for the start of the Vans World Cup of Surfing at Sunset Beach and 3- to 4-footers hit the Valley Isle for the Maui Women’s Pro at Honolua Bay.
“The Aikau Ohana is looking to the 2018-19 big-wave season when ‘The Eddie’ will go,” Clyde Aikau texted to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser on Wednesday afternoon, a few hours after the family sent out a news release with the announcement.
Clyde Aikau, Eddie’s brother, remained upbeat despite the negative news.
“We love Hawaii,” he added.
“ ‘The Eddie’ is more than just a surf contest,” the release read. “It has become a Hawaiian tradition held with special reverence by the Aikaus, whose connection to Waimea Bay dates back more than 100 years to their great, great grandfather, Kahuna Nui HewaHewa. His protection of this sacred aina lives on with the Aikau ohana today and is part of their uncompromising kuleana to Hawaii.”
To not hold “The Eddie” this year (which only happens with wave faces of at least 20 feet) was a difficult decision for the Aikau family, and it was precipitated by the loss of Quiksilver as a title sponsor along with delays in the permitting process. The event is seeking a new major sponsor.
Florence withdraws from Vans World Cup
The second leg of the Vans Triple Crown — the Vans World Cup of Surfing — got underway at Sunset Beach on Wednesday as the lower-seeded surfers hit the water.
But the biggest news on the North Shore on Wednesday was the withdrawal from the contest by top-ranked and defending world champ John John Florence of Haleiwa. He is opting instead to concentrate on the season-ending Billabong Pipe Masters, where he’ll be defending his world championship.
The World Cup made it through 16 first-round heats and two in the second round Wednesday, and Hawaii surfers made a big showing with eight heat winners, including Haiku’s Billy Kemper and Lahaina’s Dusty Payne, and a total of 15 making the second round. One first-round winner from Hawaii, Elijah Gates, was bounced in his second-round heat late in the day. In addition, 10 from Hawaii did not make it out of the opening round.
Hawaii’s Sebastian Zietz, Ezekiel Lau, Keanu Asing and Joshua Moniz — as well as world No. 2 Gabriel Medina of Brazil and No. 3 Jordy Smith of South Africa — are among those who will get going in the third round. The contest is likely to happen today with the continuation of the second round, conditions permitting.
Florence, Medina and Smith — as well as No. 4 Julian Wilson of Australia, who also is not entered in the World Cup — are all in the chase for the men’s world title, a drama that will play out at Pipe, Dec. 8-20.
Filipe Toledo, the winner of the first Triple Crown event — the Hawaiian Pro at Alii Beach Park in Haleiwa earlier this month — is at the top of the standings that will determine the Triple Crown champion (the best surfer among the three season-ending North Shore contests), but he is also not entered at Sunset.
Hawaii’s new world longboard champion
Haleiwa’s Honolua Blomfield clinched the World Surf League’s women’s longboard world championship by securing a victory in the Taiwan Open World Longboard Championship at Jinzun Harbor in Taitung, Taiwan.
In clean 3- to 4-foot surf, the 18-year-old Blomfield scored an event-high 18.60 to defeat 2011 longboard world champ Lindsay Steinriede (16.50) of Dana Point, Calif., in the final.
“I feel like I’m on top of the world and that this isn’t real,” Blomfield said. “To have all of your hard work pay off like this feels better than anything. This is the best day of my life.”
Fitzgibbons eliminated on Maui
Carissa Moore of Honolulu remained in the running for a fourth world title with three others in the WSL season-ending Maui Women’s Pro at Honolua Bay.
Moore, No. 4 in the rankings, won her first-round heat and went directly to the third round, where she placed second and will meet fellow Hawaii surfer Tatiana Weston-Webb in an elimination fourth-round heat when the contest resumes today, conditions permitting. The contest needs just one more day to wrap up.
In a major upset, No. 1 Sally Fitzgibbons of Australia lost in the second round to Hawaii wild-card Brisa Hennessy and dropped out of contention for the world championship.
Two in contention — No. 2 and defending world champ Tyler Wright of Australia and No. 3 Courtney Conlogue of Santa Ana, Calif. — won their third-round heats to move directly to the quarterfinals. Like Moore, No. 5 Stephanie Gilmore of Australia — who is a six-time world champion — will surf in an elimination fourth-round heat.
Wright can win the world title by making the two-person final, win or lose. If Wright places third, only Conlogue could unseat her at No. 1, but only with a victory.
If Wright places fifth (by making it into the semifinals), Conlogue could pass her for the world title by making the final, win or lose. The only way either Moore or Gilmore can add to their world-title hauls is with a contest victory, a Wright fifth-place finish and Conlogue’s elimination in the semifinals.
