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JAMM AQUINO / JAQUINO@STARADVERTISER.COM
Large surf rolls towards the shore on Monday, February 1, 2016 at Waimea Bay on Oahu’s North Shore.
Organizers of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big wave surfing competition say the event will go on Wednesday at Waimea Bay.
“It has taken us six years to pull the trigger, but this is the first swell we have seen that is truly lining up as an Eddie swell,” said Event Director Glen Moncata.
The National Weather Service office in Honolulu is predicting surf to climb steadily Wednesday morning into the “extra-large” category, meaning breakers on outer reefs.
“The swell will be up right up there with the biggest ones this season,” said Derek Wroe, a meteorologist with the Honolulu office of the National Weather Service.
In addition, winds will be light, which is also favorable for the surf competition.
In the meantime, a high surf advisory is in effect until 6 a.m. Tuesday.
Surf along the north and west facing shores of Kauai and Niihau and the north facing shores of Oahu, Molokai, and Maui is expected to be 12 to 16 feet, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters say the high surf will continue through early Tuesday, when a new north-northwest swell arrives.
The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is a one-day big wave event requiring wave-face heights of around 40 feet (20-foot Hawaiian-style measurements). The event was last held on Dec. 8, 2009, and has only been held a total of eight times in its 29-year history. It is only held when wave heights and surf conditions meet contest standards.
The holding period for the contest runs until the end of February.
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EVENT HEAT DRAW:
Heat 1:
Shane Dorian (HAW)
Kohl Christensen (HAW)
Greg Long (CA)
Ramon Navarro (CHI)
Sunny Garcia (HAW)
Ross Clarke-Jones (AUS)
Jamie Mitchell (AUS)
Heat 2:
Kelly Slater (FL)
David Wassell (HAW)
Grant Baker (ZAF)
Reef McIntosh (HAW)
Jamie O’Brien (HAW)
Aaron Gold (HAW)
Tom Carroll (AUS)
Heat 3:
John John Florence (HAW)
Mark Healey (HAW)
Clyde Aikau (HAW)
Nathan Fletcher (CA)
Noah Johnson (HAW)
Peter Mel (CA)
Takayuki Wakita (JPN)
Heat 4:
Bruce Irons (HAW)
Makuakai Rothman (HAW)
Ian Walsh (HAW)
Albee Layer (HAW)
Kala Alexander (HAW)
Garrett McNamara (HAW)
Jeremy Flores (FRA)
TOP 5 ALTERNATES:
Mason Ho (HAW)
Danilo Couto (BRA)
Mark Mathews (AUS)
Koa Rothman (HAW)
Ben Wilkinson (AUS)
Waves too small and junk- Eddie wouldn’t go. Sounds like they just want to make money….
“Organizers are willing to condense the format to try to fit it into a workable window,”
Really? They’ve had the contest 8 times in 29 years. That’s all about the kala? I don’t think so. This is probably the one contest with integrity because the Aikau name is attached to it.
Forecast is for 30 foot faces with occasional 40 footer. Not big enough for Eddie…
Read the report. That’s only in the morning. Building throughout the day with some possible closeouts in the afternoon. This swell will be big. Quiksilver is not having this just to make money.
Read, listened and watched forecast- still looks no good, we will see…..
It’s not a money maker, it’s old school. Eddie was a native Hawaiian.
Get ready for carmaggedon in Haleiwa.
Wait for it…hold on…one mo sec….okay…RAIL would have solved all the traffic problems at North Shore!!!
hope Oceanic can televise it
The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau will be broadcast LIVE on the WSL website http://www.worldsurfleague.com/. In Hawaii: Live on Oceanic Time Warner Cable channels 250 and 1250HD
It may have the size……but let’s hope the swell direction and the winds cooperate as well?
Guy Hagi said “guarrans the waves going be beeeg!”
Ed would go.
I think the conditions are good. Eddie will go. The last time in 2009 the weather was cold as well. Surf conditions pretty much the same. Go check the archives.