Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational Gets Yellow Alert As Massive Swell Heads For Hawaii
Organizers of the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational have officially put the iconic big-wave contest on yellow alert as all eyes are on a developing large northwest swell that's about a week away from hitting Hawaii. Surf for the contest at Waimea Bay must be at least 40 feet and consistent enough to run the event for the entire day.
"Models have been and continue to suggest a large to possibly XL size NW swell maxing out around the 15th-16th. Still uncertain for specifics at this time, but our confidence is high for something substantial during this time. Local wind conditions could be an issue, though, possibly onshore northerly flow," reports longtime Surfline forecaster Chris Borg in his Waimea Bay report.
A week is a long time when it comes to surf forecasting, and a lot can change during that time, but this appears to be a good opportunity to potentially run at Waimea. It looks like the North Pacific is cooking up more swell after that, so stay tuned, winter's far from over.
First run in 1984, the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational has only ran ten times in 40 years. Established in memory of Aikau, a Hawaiian lifeguard who lost his life at sea in 1978, the last running of the event in 2023 saw North Shore lifeguard Luke Shepardson take the win over reigning champ John John Florence. In a full-circle moment, Shepardson had been scheduled to work the lifeguard tower at Waimea the day of the Eddie and started the day taking breaks during his shift to go surf his heats. Eventually he was given the day off and went on the win the contest in front of nearly 50,000 fired up fans. It's been estimated that over two million surf fans around the world tuned in to watch.
Other previous winners include Kelly Slater, Greg Long and Bruce Irons. There are 40 surfers invited to compete in the event, along with 23 alternates.
