![]() ![]() Alternate invitations will be offered in the order set out below: The alternate invitation list is used to replace injured or unavailable surfers from the invitation list. The invitation list this year is as follows: (listed first name alphabetical order) More about the 2016-2017 Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational can be found on /eddie Each surfer’s best four waves count toward the final score, with a maximum individual wave score of 100 points based on size, risk and how well the wave was surfed. The contest format has two rounds, each with a maximum wave count of eight waves. “Being invited is one of the highlights of my career. “I have grown up with the story of Eddie and respecting those who surf in this event,” CT competitor and Eddie invitee Jeremy Flores. It’s always a special time of year for us.” “It’s a real blessing to be welcomed into the Aikau Ohana. “This event is very much about family and community,” said 2009 Eddie winner and 2015/16 Big Wave Tour Champion, Greg Long. The invitees also include decorated big wave chargers Greg Long, Billy Kemper and Shane Dorian. The Eddie will be contested by 28 invitees, including last year’s event winner and newly crowned WSL Champion, Florence, as well as surfing legends Ross Clarke-Jones, Tom Carroll and Michael Ho. Thank you to the Aikaus and Quiksilver and the WSL for welcoming us back this year.” “2016 was the biggest year of my life and it started at The Eddie. ![]() ![]() “I am super honored to be back here this season,” said John John Florence, current WSL World Champion. It is an event so rare that it has only run nine times since its conception in 1984. What started 32 years ago to pay tribute to Aikau, has grown to become an almost mythic event. Surfers again joined in the water as onlookers watched from the beach and the sun set behind Ka‘ena Point.Ī WSL specialty event, the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau, is a one-day, big wave competition at Oahu’s Waimea Bay that runs only when wave heights reach 40 feet and over. It set the tone for the highly revered annual event that commenced its 32nd season as athletes stood side-by-side with their boards in a colorful circle of camaraderie.įollowing the traditional surfers’ circle and blessings on land, the invited athletes paddled out at Waimea and gave their leis to the sea as an offering – a “Ho’okupu” in the spirit of Eddie Aikau. The Hawaiian blessing and prayers silenced the crowd while honoring and connecting all present to past and living Hawaiian culture. The official Invitee and Alternate introductions were made by legendary watermen Mark Cunningham and featured powerful speeches by Clyde Aikau and World Surf League (WSL) Big Wave Tour Commissioner Peter Mel. The Aikau family and a significant number of the world’s greatest big wave surfers gathered to show their respect for Eddie in the event’s 32nd anniversary. The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational officially kicked off the 2016/17 holding period with a culturally rich ceremony to honor Hawaiian waterman, Waimea Bay lifeguard and Big Wave pioneer Eddie Aikau. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |