Green means go.
Lady and gentlemen surf fans, dig out your most comfortable surf-watching pants, throw the roast in the oven and otherwise clear Sunday’s schedule. For tomorrow The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational runs. Yes, the Bay has officially called the day and our heroes and heroines will paddle into morning glory.
It all gets underway at 8:00 am, Hawaii time, wherein contest organizers will peer over the horizon to make sure the promised swell has arrived.
The aforementioned lady and gentlemen surf fans who happen to be on Oahu and would like to watch from the cliffs can arrive at 4:00 am and park in Waimea Valley for the low, low cost of $50.
It will be The Eddie’s eleventh running.
I was on those cliffs watching myself during the eighth Eddie. The year was 2009, the day December 8th, and I was on Oahu’s North Shore malingering about. Word spread quickly that the contest was going to go and a palpable thrill hung heavy on that tropical air. I felt watching it would be silly and planned on spending the day in Honolulu, nursing a fine Mai Tai at the Royal Hawaiian. Alas, Stab’s Sam McIntosh was flying in and I picked him up from the airport. I told him that we would not be heading north but rather into town for Mai Tai’s as soon as his luggage had been secured. He gave me an odd look and gently asked if we could maybe try to catch the contest. I told him it was silly but wanted to be a good host so relented.
In retrospect, Sam was right and I was very glad to have witnessed the mayhem.
Live chat, here, tomorrow.
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I would adapt.. or I would Die. If I lived to close
This morning:
20-25FT
8.3FT22s
NNW336º
9.4FT14s
NNW327º
1.3FT9s
E94
YUGE!
That’s why I noted the being a farmer bit. If you’re not a farmer, redeeming qualities are few and far between. But yes, we should all be thankful for existence.
Not when you’re the anal gangbang of California.
https://media4.giphy.com/me…
Squealing Jonah would go
I miss Hippy.
And Ben
If Nate wins maybe he gets a wildcard into the Pipe Pro? Surfer of the Year 2024. Vans Pipeline Masters Champ. Eddie champ. Seems reasonable.
And if he wins Pipe and takes the yellow jersey? Then what?
send him to the Dubai pool!
They will.
Next up would be Supertubes he might do ok there. But then? El Salvador, Bells, Gold Coast, Margaret’s, trestles and Rio.
Nate would be toast
how big was it when you paddled out @Twillsy ?
some solid sets starting to come through.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VrgcOZGkSj4
I lived on Oahu early 00,s , watched RCJ , s win, saw Kelly steal Tony Ray’s win and also Bruce’s, 3 Eddie’s in 6 years
Big difference then was the invitees were all deserving of a spot rather than product placements by sponsors
You totally speak true how about the Mavs contest they gave him Slaters the greatest contest surfer all time but big waves not his deal
Most surfers aren’t cut for it I’ve know guys that could barely surf that loved big waves it’s mental
I got mega lucky in 2016 and was on the beach all day for the JJF win. 2022 seemed more consistent and bigger but just getting so lucky with the timing of my trip was crazy. I landed two days before it started and was staying like 2 minutes walk away. The vibe was insane and watching the bay close out was a mythical event I’d read about and seeing it maybe 3 or 4 times that day from 200m away at beach level was fucken scary!
siiick
Could this be the first time Kelly uses the “couldn’t find a sitter” excuse?
Do I detect an air of cynicism in this breaking news report Chas. My two cents worth says it is in the memory of an icon of Hawaiian surf culture and for that it is worthwhile. Mostly though it’s become something of a circus. As other recent events have too. Surfing is changing. Good bad or indifferent. Positive vibes are in the air long term I say.
It was pretty sick when they set up all kinds of coffee and food stands on the beach at Mavericks, and a bunch of people got washed off the jetty.
Oh my instinct not to go was absolutely wrong. It was absolutely electric watching.
ok, what the fuck
https://uploads.disquscdn.c…
Can’t wait to see the rip curl poster girl Goat out there go Steffi
it neeeeeeeearly ran when i was there in feb. the swell peaked over night unfortunately.
that would have been a bucket list tick for sure.
got to watch the sunset comp in complete carnage conditions though, that was a wild scene, in and out of the water.
The storm is strong but moving nearly straight east and will only swipe the islands. Be interesting to see if Eddie actually goes
Headed for Nor Cal. Not sure how the wind is gonna be here. On and off rain for the next week.
Yeah all the energy is pointed straight at northern California. Mavs could be insane if the weather isn’t shit, which it is here currently. SoCal will get good too with all the west in it.
I’m north of the Golden Gate can confirm shitty weather. Haven’t seen the sun for four days due to tule fog, and now it’s raining. South wind will probably be an issue
Where do you surf on huge swells?
Sometimes it’s manageable at Fort Point but it can get too big to surf around here. Probably what’s going to happen this week.
I would think those 2 spots to the west of F.P. would be the call. D.M. and E.P.
In 1980 I was 17. Massive swell probably biggest I’ve seen outside Hawaii. Santa Cruz totally closed out with howling south winds and sideways rain.
Drove north. I’ll never forget seeing Pidgeon Point. Literally 40’ faces looking like a cross shore rock infested j bay.
Made it to the City and drove blindly until we found D.M.
50 guys out super low tide. Insane.
We paddled out but couldn’t get a waves as every gnarly City, Pacifica, Marin County animal was out.
Scooted over to E.P. and scored
Maybe 81’ can’t recall.
I guess the swell is supposed to get here Monday? Weather forecast says south wind 5-7 so maybe be mavs will be rideable.
D.M.
When i lived in the City during the 80s, D was my favorite spot. When it was on, everything else in my life came to a stop.
Potatoe Patch
The fog has been brutal. I’m currently in the anal gangbang of California (Central Valley) for work so weather is the least of the concern, but it’s been shit the last few days. Was up in Arnold the other day out of the fog though and it was sunny and nice.
Satan’s taint heat in the summer and fog in winter. Could never live in the Sac valley.
Outside of being a farmer, I often wonder how people willingly decide to live here. There’s some pretty cool spots up along the Sierra foothills, but the Central Valley itself has no redeeming qualities.
Is that you Raimana????
yep swell is now showing more nth direction swell…..winds are great but still showing 21 sec kickoff swell at 14′ going to during the day, 17 sec at 16 ‘…so still pretty good chance…..is the only way to watch , buy the app???
Yeah it appears if you want the Eddie to go into your household you’ve gotta download RougeTV and pay em 2 rubles. Fuckin wankers ruin everything.
Actually it looks like you can watch it on the Ripcurl site.
yeah I’m not convinced from all the buoy monitoring I just did…
Stream brought to you by someones Instagram Live? Or are we being blessed with real cameras this time?
KHON2.com and of course surfline
It’d be cool to see Medina in those kinda waves… (hint hint @ripcurl)
Love to see his nuts swell more. Always looks like backside guys seem at a disadvantage style there as the wave being short. His caliber maybe he could take to another level!
I feel like he’d be a force… doing turns and shit. Probably on like a 7’6 vs all the 9’and 10′ boards. Doubt we’ll ever see it though.
They can’t swell anymore without choking Neymar