'No Go' the official call for Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie

  ASP Specialty Event
  Waimea Bay Oahu, Hawaii
  1 December 2010 - 28 February 2011

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

Six Weeks Remain in Holding Period With Continued Favorable Ocean Conditions in the Forecast

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 20 January, 2011 : - - Waimea Bay -- George Downing, Contest Director of The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, Fueled by Monster Energy,  has called a "NO GO" for competition at Waimea Bay today, based upon the inconsistency of the swell. While there were definitely 20-foot-plus waves sporadically throughout the morning, the consistency of those large waves was deemed to be insufficient to run the two rounds of competition. The event still has until February 28 to run.

"What we see in conditions like this is just one or two true 'Eddie' size waves in the period of a heat," said Downing. "With seven surfers in the water per heat, that is not the kind of playing field we need for quality, fair competition.

"It's very easy to get caught up in the excitement when those huge waves come through and after all of the efforts of the crew and the spectators to be ready for this day. But what keeps this event the greatest big wave event in the world is never relaxing those standards. Eddie never did.

"We will continue to wait. The holding period runs through February 28 and we know that there is definite potential in the coming weeks for more extra large surf to arise. If that day comes, we will be ready to go again."

Crowds still gathered © Chase Olivieri

The 15,000-strong crowd that had gathered under moonlight since the very early hours of the morning understood the call and settled in for the day, regardless. With the world's best big wave riders making the most of the opportunity to put some time in at Waimea, they will be treated to spectacular rides throughout the day, without question.
 
2002 Eddie winner and 10X world champion Kelly Slater was in firm agreement with the decision: "It's a good call," said Slater. "There are big waves out there, but there's not that many of them. It's not what we need." 

Mahalo to the Hawaii Tourism Authority, the Sheraton Hawaii Bowl, and the City & County of Honolulu for their cooperation and support in bringing today together.

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.

AM Report

Final touches being made by moonlight at Waimea Bay 

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 20 January, 2011 : - - Waimea Bay -- Organizers of the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, Fueled by Monster Energy, spent the day setting the stage for the world's most prestigious big wave event at Waimea Bay on Oahu's North Shore. While the verdict is still out on whether the contest will be a 'go' Thursday, organizers are giving it a 50/50 chance as we approach midnight Hawaii time.

Waves have continued to steadily increase throughout the afternoon at Waimea and a small army of workers will press on through the night to the sounds of loud, rumbling surf. The digital age science of surf forecasting has played its part and now it comes down to the age-old waiting game of seeing what daybreak reveals.

"Every swell has a story," said Contest Director George Downing. "No matter what tomorrow brings, a big day at Waimea is always a special day and there will be no shortage of stories by the time the sun sets. Of course, we hope as much as anyone that the event will be a 'go', but ultimately we don't make the call, the Bay does."

The official call will be broadcast live tomorrow morning, starting at 6:30am, on quiksilver.com/eddie, and in Hawaii on cable channels 11 and 15, and Oceanic Time Warner digital cable channels 250 and 1250.

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.

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!

 

www.quiksilver.com 
http://theeddie.quiksilver.com

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