Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Invitees Announced!

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Nov 22, 2010

Photo: Sarah Towner
Michael Ho, Andy Irons and Peter Mel at the 2009
Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau.

Quiksilver.com/Eddie launched today with the announcement of the 28 coveted Invitees and 24 Alternates to The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, fueled by Monster Energy. The event will be held on one day, between December 1, 2010 and February 28, 2011, when waves exceed the 20-foot minimum threshold and Invitees contend for the $98,000 prize purse. The traditional opening ceremony will take place at 2:30pm, December 2nd, 2010, at Waimea Bay.

Monster Energy will be presenting the Monster Drop Award for the surfer who makes the most critical drop and rides out of it during the event. The judges will determine the winner the day of the competition and will present the chosen surfer with a unique Monster Drop Specialty Award.

Photo: Sarah Towner
Bruce Irons at the 2009 Quiksilver in Memory of
Eddie Aikau.

Held in honor of the legendary Hawaiian waterman, Eddie Aikau, The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau gathers the most skillful and dynamic big-wave surfers from around the globe. The Eddie is a surfer's ultimate challenge, employing unassisted manpower to physically paddle into and ride giant waves.

The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau is the world's longest running and most prestigious big-wave invitational and is the only one sanctioned by the Association of Surfing Professionals (ASP), the governing body of professional surfing.
What began as a local tribute to one of Hawaii's favorite surfing sons in 1984, soon took on a life all its own and the story is the reason why this event continues to grow. Eddie Aikau has come to personify all of the human qualities we honor today: respect, humility, passion, and a love for fellow man. Waimea Bay was the canvas upon which his story is told each year, in his memory. For over 25 years, it is a story that has traversed the globe to touch hearts, minds and imaginations: a life lived with passion, dedicated with meaning, and exited from heroically.

Photo: Sarah Towner
Large crowds swarmed Waimea Bay at the 2009
Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau.
Just 31 years of age when he lost his life in an attempt to save others, Aikau has physically been gone longer - 33 years - than he was here. But far from being forgotten, his life, the waves he rode, and the lives he saved on his ancestral grounds at Waimea Bay have become a part of history, passed on from person to person around the world like a wave seeking shore.

The Eddie has run just eight times in 25 years. You don't want to miss it when the Bay calls the momentous day. Go to Quiksilver.com/Eddie for swell updates, happenings from the North Shore, and to sign up for text alerts to make sure you're the first to know when the Bay calls the day!

Invitees
Clyde Aikau HAW

Kala Alexander HAW

Tom Carroll AUS

Kohl Christensen HAW

Ross Clarke-Jones AUS

Shane Dorian HAW

Keone Downing HAW

Sunny Garcia HAW

Mark Healey HAW

Michael Ho HAW

Bruce Irons HAW

Noah Johnson HAW