HALEIWA, Hawaii — Throngs of spectators packed the beach before dawn and elite surfers descended on Oahu’s North Shore, as anticipation built for a big-wave surfing competition last held six years ago. But the towering waves required for the event were a no-show, and as the sun came up Wednesday organizers called it off hours before it was supposed to begin.
The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau competition began in 1984, but has only been held eight times. Aikau is a Native Hawaiian surfer famous for riding monster waves and saving hundreds of lives as Waimea Bay’s first official lifeguard.
The two lane road that snakes along Oahu’s North Shore was backed up with traffic early Wednesday as eager spectators rode bikes or walked to the venue. Parking was nearly impossible to come by for miles from the beach.
El Nino conditions had helped stir up big waves, but the forecast 40-foot swells never materialized Wednesday, event spokeswoman and longtime Aikau family friend Jodi Wilmott said. Organizers will keep watching the ocean in the coming weeks to see if conditions will allow the competition to go ahead.
Wilmott told The Associated Press on Tuesday that surfers show up at the event to honor the legacy and generous spirit of Eddie.
“The surfers invited to this event absolutely understand the prestige of being invited,” Wilmott said. “It’s about coming together to honor the most famous big-wave rider there has ever been and to do that basically at the Mecca of surfing.”
As a lifeguard, Aikau is credited with saving hundreds of lives from the dangerous surf of Oahu’s North Shore, and he is said to have never had a fatality while on duty.
He was a guardian of the bay and any other body of water he visited, Wilmott said, and fittingly so as he was a direct descendant of a Hawaiian high priest named Hewahewa, who was given the task of watching over the Waimea Valley long before Eddie arrived.
“He really did share aloha wherever he went,” Wilmott said. “He loved to share his own spirit of what being a Hawaiian was. He played music freely and told stories of Hawaii wherever he travelled.”
When the surf was too big for most in Waimea Bay and the crowds cleared out, Aikau would grab his surfboard and take on the biggest waves around, Wilmott said.
“His spirit was very caring, very accommodating, very peaceful, and when he would ride it was just a sight to behold,” she said.
Ultimately, however, Aikau gave his life to the ocean in a final attempt to save others. The 31-year-old Aikau was part of a team that was attempting to trace the route of their Polynesian ancestors from Hawaii to Tahiti aboard the traditional Hokulea canoe in 1978.
The vessel encountered rough seas and eventually capsized. Aikau took his surfboard and paddled away for help. He was never seen again, though the rest of the crew was eventually rescued.
Some of the best big-wave surfers in the world were at Waimea Bay to compete in the event, including Eddie’s brother Clyde Aikau, who is the oldest competitor at 66 years old. He’s also the only surfer to attend all of the competitions.
Another big-wave competition, Mavericks, is expected to be held on Friday in Half Moon Bay, California.
