After a six-year wait, and one false alarm… The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is on. Contest organizers gave the “green alert” warning early Wednesday morning following a forecast for another round of record-breaking surf. The contest commenced early this morning and is now underway.
Randy Rerick is the former director of the Triple Crown and acting Beach-Master for the Eddie.
UPDATE - 10:00
Updates:
5:30 am: Swell is a little too big with occasional close out sets. Contest organizers are waiting for daylight to decide whether to run event.
7:15 Clyde Aikau announces that the Eddie is a GO. As the entire audience sings Hawaii Pono'i. Surfers will begin the 1st round at 8am.
The invitation-only event requires precise conditions for wave height and wind speed. "It has taken us six years to pull the trigger” said Event Director Glen Moncata.
The competition honors Eddie Aikau- a North Shore lifeguard and original member of the H?k?le‘a voyaging crew. In 1978 at the age of 31, he was lost at sea during a storm encountered by the H?k?le‘a. The last “Eddie” in 2009 attracted almost 20,000 spectators and this year is expected to again pull record numbers. Early reports have people already camping on the North Shore in preparation.
There will be various platforms on which to view the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau:
In Hawaii: Live on Oceanic Time Warner Cable channels 250 and 1250HD
On the internet: www.quiksilver.com/eddie and www.worldsurfleague.com and on the WSL App.
EVENT HEAT DRAW:
Heat 1:
Shane Dorian (HAW)
Kohl Christensen (HAW)
Greg Long (CA)
Ramon Navarro (CHI)
Sunny Garcia (HAW)
Ross Clarke-Jones (AUS)
Jamie Mitchell (AUS)
Heat 2:
Kelly Slater (FL)
David Wassell (HAW)
Grant Baker (ZAF)
Reef McIntosh (HAW)
Jamie O'Brien (HAW)
Aaron Gold (HAW)
Tom Carroll (AUS)
Heat 3:
John John Florence (HAW)
Mark Healey (HAW)
Clyde Aikau (HAW)
Nathan Fletcher (CA)
Noah Johnson (HAW)
Peter Mel (CA)
Takayuki Wakita (JPN)
Heat 4:
Bruce Irons (HAW)
Makuakai Rothman (HAW)
Ian Walsh (HAW)
Albee Layer (HAW) replaced by Danilo Couto (BRA)
Kala Alexander (HAW)
Garrett McNamara (HAW) replaced by Mason Ho (HAW)
Jeremy Flores (FRA) replaced by Koa Rothman (HAW)
TOP 5 ALTERNATES:
Mason Ho (HAW)
Mark Mathews (AUS)
Ben Wilkinson (AUS)
