And while he himself embodied all the values needed to be among the North Shore’s best, riding the biggest and heaviest waves around with a intense passion for the pursuit, he wanted to help others do the same. Surfing is a very individualized sport: it’s an exploration of one’s own limits - physical, mental, and spiritual. What made Eddie different was, without a doubt, his selflessness. During a nine-year tenure as protector of the hallowed coastline, he attempted over 500 rescues. With a recognized prowess as a waterman, he was appointed lifeguard of the beaches between Sunset and Haleiwa, an appropriate role for the big wave surfer as he often swam into 30 foot swells. Born in Maui, his family moved to Oahu when he was 16, and shortly thereafter he was a North Shore local surfing the gnarliest breaks, his favorite being Waimea Bay. And it was Eddie’s love for both that led him to paddle out of a maelstrom and into the open sea towards Lānaʻi for help.īut before he went on the courageous rescue mission, his legend was already growing on the islands. And Eddie loved his community: his people his Hawaiʻi. Makua Hanai literally means “feeding parent” in Hawaiian, usually in the description of a fostering parent who nurtures those around them - not only one’s kin, but the community they hold close. Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii.His full name, Edward Ryon Makuahanai Aikau, makes it seem as if he was born for his life’s journey. He died when he was only 31, after Hokulea capsized and he paddled toward the shore of Lanai on his surfboard in an attempt to get help. He was the first lifeguard for the North Shore, braving waves that were 30 feet or more to save hundreds of people. The contest is named for Eddie Aikau, who was a legendary waterman, crew member of the the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokulea and lifeguard at Waimea Bay. Since starting in 1984, the contest has only been held nine times. A link for a live stream of the surf competition can be found on the official website. Known as the “Super Bowl of Surfing,” over 1.2 million streaming views were recorded during the last event. The Eddie last ran in 2016, when waves in the bay reached heights of 30 to 50 feet. Only 28 surfers are invited to compete in the contest. 14, 2022 through March 23, 2023. Jet skis are not allowed to tow in surfers. The infamous big wave surf contest is only called on if surf heights consistently reach 20-feet between Dec. The status is now yellow, because there are large swells expected next week, according to organizers. Red means there is no lare big wave surf expected in the next week. Yellow means there is a possible large Eddie-size swell coming in 5 to 7 days. Green means the Eddie is a "go" and will be held in 2 to 3 days. Organizers said on Tuesday morning that Wednesday's event was canceled because of the direction of the swell and poor wind conditions.Ī three-colored code alert system is used to send updates about the surf competition. on Tuesday it was called off, according to the Eddie Aikau Foundation. The official website for the event posted on Monday that the contest was set to go Wednesday, but by 7 a.m. HALEIWA, Hawaii - The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, also known as “The Eddie,” is a no go as conditions change.
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