A year after winning the 10th Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, Luke Shepardson still feels blessed.
“That was out of my wildest dreams,” Shepardson said. “I’ve only ever dreamed of being a part of (the Eddie). I don’t think I ever really dreamed of winning.”
This year’s Eddie waiting period began Dec. 14, and will run until March 12. Forty surfers, including Shepardson, and 23 alternates are invited to participate in this year’s competition. The first iteration of the renowned big wave surfing competition was held on Jan. 3, 1985, and has only been held 10 times due to its condition requirement of 40-foot wave faces at its venue, Waimea Bay Beach Park.
But even if Shepardson isn’t surfing in an Eddie this year, he’ll still be in the water this season — as a lifeguard with the Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division of Honolulu Emergency Services.
“Working as a lifeguard definitely changed my view of surfing,” said Shepardson, who works at Waimea Bay. “It made me be more aware of the safety aspect, not only for myself but also being out in the lineup and watching other people around me.”
The North Shore sees millions of tourists every year, the busiest time between November and February when it’s traditionally the best time for big-wave surfing in the state.
“As the majestic waves of the North Shore beckon both thrill-seekers and surf enthusiasts, we stand committed to ensuring the safety of all who dare to embrace the power of the Pacific,” Mayor Rick Blangiardi said in a statement. “In our ocean playground, where giants rise, our lifeguards, hailed as the best in the world, stand as unwavering sentinels, ensuring that every thrill-seeker’s quest for adventure is met with the embrace of safety.”
According to data from the Ocean Safety and Lifeguard Services Division, there were 59,489 preventative actions taken — referring to instances when lifeguards “prevented a beachgoer in advance from doing something unsafe” — on the North Shore in 2022, the most of any shore on Oahu.
Shepardson said that while incidents happen all year, the type of accident tends to change depending on the season, with the summer seeing more medical cases and freediving shallow water blackouts, and the winter seeing surfing cases.
“Throughout the surf season, we get different waves of people coming in. Now through March, we have the contest season and you get all the best pro surfers in the world here, and then we also get the surf fans that come that have a little bit of experience but not much. Those people get into accidents as well,” Shepardson said. “In the early season from August to December when there’s less contests, we have more just average surfers that are looking for a surf trip that come. They’re not superadvanced but they want to push themselves into advanced waves.”
Shepardson said that when visitors and locals alike come out to surf, they should understand their personal limits and physical capabilities. He also recommends that when people surf somewhere new, they ask questions on not only how to get out but also if something goes wrong, where the best route is to swim back in.
“For people that are coming here that are new to here, or are not familiar with the area if they’re from here, go and ask questions,” he said. “Most of the time, a lot of rescues that we do are people breaking their leashes and thinking swimming towards the channel is the safe route, but that’s the worst thing that can happen. As soon as you swim to the channel, that’s clear water, and the clear water takes you out to sea, while the whitewater pushes you back to shore.”
But even for Shepardson, who will make five years of lifeguarding Friday, the fear surrounding hitting massive waves never truly goes away.
“It’s always scary, but you have to just know how to cope with the fear of it,” he said. “Growing up here in Hawaii, you learn all the proper things to do, and you just have to not let the fear or the scariness of it hinder your ability to think and make the right choices and do what you need to do to deal with the situation at hand.”
As the world anticipates the potential calling of an Eddie, Shepardson said he’s a mixture of both excited and nervous about what could happen this year after last year’s feat.
“They say Eddie chooses the winner, and his mana was definitely out there that day. I don’t know why I got chosen, but I’m very blessed and grateful that it was me,” he said. “It was my biggest surfing accomplishment. I think I’ll never be able to top that.”
