We are in Honolulu for a week or two every winter, so we have had many opportunities to see the world-famous big waves of the North Shore of Oahu. Theoretically, that is. Despite the fact that Waimea Bay is internationally known for big waves, I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve gone by there during the 18 years I lived there, and during yearly trips ever after, and seen it looking as flat as a glass tabletop.
Dan and I have been married for 16 years, or 17 trips to Hawaii for him, and he can count the number of times he’s seen big surf on Waimea Bay on one hand, and still have fingers left over.
We once again missed the really big stuff during November’s trip, although it was out there. I had to laugh when I heard one of the news interviews with various surfers and surf watchers. A woman who had moved to Hawaii in 2004 said that it was the first time in the five years she’d lived there that she’d seen big waves on Waimea Bay. I heard her loud and clear!
The really big thing that we missed was “The Eddie” — the 2009/2010 Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau. This tournament is held in memory of legendary Hawaiian surfer and waterman Eddie Aikau, who was lost at sea in 1978 when the voyaging canoe Hokule’a capsized. Aikau was lost in the last rescue attempt of his life as he went to seek help for the rest of the crew. The tournament holding period runs from December 1 through the end of February, and wave face height must be 40 feet or more for the tournament to be held. It has been held only eight times since its inception in 1984, including this year’s exciting competition held on December 8, won by Greg Long.
You can see videos online at Quiksilver’s site, like this highlights video:
Watch the video for Heat 8 (actually Heat 4 of Round 2); you’ll see 100-point rides from winner Long and Ramon Navarro:
Also check out these highlights from Riff Raff Surfboards. We encountered some heavy traffic and crowded conditions on the one day we headed up to the North Shore, but nothing like what you’ll see in this video!
Although I grew up in Hawaii, I’ve never gone board surfing and certainly I’ve never surfed big waves! I was never a really strong swimmer and always nearsighted, so water sports weren’t a huge draw for me. I could sit and watch the ocean and surfers for hours, though. I love the Internet for making it possible for me to watch the entire tournament online on a frigid December day in Chicago.