Clyde Aikau, younger brother of Eddie Aikau, first rode Waimea Bay in 1969. Today, at 66 years of age, he remains one of the most psyched big wave riders on the planet. His voice is excited and as energized as a frothing teenager as he talks about his preparations. If the Bay calls the day, expect him to be ready to lead the charge of those invited to ride in his brother’s name. We caught up with him between training sessions and surfs at the Bay.
The human body is capable of undergoing massive transformations in that span of time. Revolutions can arise. Empires can fall. Trends can come, and trends can most certainly go. But one thing that cannot change in seven years — or any amount of time, for that matter — is the spirit of The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau surf contest.
The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau will GO this Wednesday, February 10, at Waimea Bay. Organizers gave the event the green light early this-morning after consulting the latest round of forecasting models. This will be the 9th "Eddie" in 31 years. The event was last held in December of 2009, and was won by California's Greg Long.
Organizers anticipate a solid day of surf that will meet the event's strict wave face height requirement of 40 feet, with favorable light winds in the morning, turning light trades by afternoon.
"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.
Moncata and the organizing team continue to confer with event patriarch George Downing, who has made the call on every event since its inception.
"As George has famously said, 'The Bay Calls the Day' and that will be Wednesday," added Moncata.
There will be various platforms on which to view the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau:
Watch on www.quiksilver.com/eddie and www.worldsurfleague.com
Via App: WSL App
Aritz Aranburu doing some serious backside tube riding at Mundaka in the Basque Country to the sounds of Motörhead.
The world’s 10 best under 18 surfers were in Brazil’s Fernando de Noronha, for the final of Quiksilver’s 2015 King Of The Groms. While they were there, Matt Hoy chatted to each of the groms for Stab magazine to talk all things surf.
Tyler Hollmer-Cross (Hobart, Tasmania) slips up and pays some dues at Shipstern Bluff, Tasmania, Australia on August 26, 2015. Video by Tim Bonython. An entry in the TAG Heuer of the Year category of the 2016 WSL Big Wave Awards.
