Waimea Bay, Oahu, HAWAII – (Monday, January 20, 2014) — Organizers of the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau big wave invitational at Waimea Bay, Oahu, Hawaii, will continue to monitor a giant swell forecast for this Wednesday, January 22, but only give the one-day competition a 50 percent chance of running at this stage. A final decision will be made by 5pm Hawaii time today.
Above: The past week has seen Waimea Bay break on several occasions, with plenty of swell hitting Oahu’s North Shore. Yesterday surfers enjoyed a 15-foot warmup session at the Bay with beautiful conditions. Photo: Quiksilver/Bielmann.
“The size will definitely be there – approximately 40-foot wave face heights – but strong, adverse winds out of the WSW are a major limiting factor,” said event organizer Glen Moncata, citing recently issued weather and ocean reports.
“Unfortunately it doesn’t look like the size will hold into Thursday when winds are expected to be more favorable, but we will continue to monitor the system’s development throughout today before making the final call this afternoon.”
With a roster of invitees from international locations as far afield as Chile, South Africa, Australia and Europe, this afternoon’s call will be the final determination for this week’s big wave episode.
The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is a one-day big wave event requiring waves face heights of around 40 feet (20-foot open ocean swell). The event was last held on December 8, 2009, when it was won by California’s Greg Long, and has only been held a total of eight times in its 29-year history, adding to the event’s mystique and prestige. It has until February 28, 2014, to run this winter if and when the combination of required wave face heights and rideable conditions arise.
To view the full list of Invitees & Alternates, and information about this year’s event, please visit www.Quiksilver.com/Eddie
