Bruce Irons : photo Joli

Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau

Waimea Bay Oahu, Hawaii
1 December 2007 - 28 February 2008

Live Coverage  |  Results/Photos/Videos etc

QUIKSILVER ANNOUNCES INTERNATIONAL LIST OF INVITEES FOR 2007/2008
THE QUIKSILVER BIG WAVE INVITATIONAL IN MEMORY OF EDDIE AIKAU

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 1 November, 2007 : - - Huntington Beach, Ca -- Quiksilver, the leading brand in boardriding and presenters of The Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational, In Memory of Eddie Aikau, has officially announced the Invitees and Alternates to this year’s event. For the first time in the event’s 23-year history, the list of Invitees has been extended from 24 to 28, reflecting the growth in international big-wave riding talent.

Starting this year, the regions of Asia, South America, Africa, and Europe have each been awarded one Invitee slot for their top big-wave rider, taking the total number of Invitees to 28. (Those four Invitees are denoted by ** in the official list.)

“We are extremely pleased to announce the growth of this year’s event and to welcome elected riders from Asia, Africa, South America and Europe,” said Bob McKnight, CEO, Quiksilver, Inc. “The quest to ride the world’s biggest waves has become a truly international and influential sport, complete with an ever-growing depth of talent and the discovery of big-wave riding locations around the globe.

“Eddie Aikau was a man who loved to ride big waves and who shared his passion with many during his own travels to places like South Africa, South America, and Australia. We believe that the growth of this event, in his honor, is becoming a truer representation of how far Aikau’s life and legacy have traveled with each passing year.”

For the first time the event website, quiksilver.com/bigwave, will host a live webcast of the Opening Ceremonies on November 29th, 2007.  The actual contest, if and when it goes, will also be broadcast live on the internet. The event website, which is live today, also features photos, videos and
text from the event’s storied history, links to purchase limited edition merchandise and profiles of each competitor. 

Scheduled to take place at the hallowed grounds of Waimea Bay, on the North Shore of Oahu, between December 1, 2007, and February 29, 2008, the event, otherwise known as “The Eddie”, requires a minimum of 20-foot surf (based on Hawaiian scale measurement, translating to 30-40 foot face waves) in order to run.

Created in 1984 (first year event ran) to honor the legendary Hawaiian waterman, Eddie Aikau, The Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational, In Memory of Eddie Aikau gathers the most skillful and dynamic big-wave surfers from around the world as polled by a comprehensive panel consisting of influential watermen, members of the surf industry, internationally recognized surfing Associations, as well as a public poll.

Past winners include Denton Miyamura, Clyde Aikau, Keone Downing, Noah Johnson, Ross Clarke-Jones, Kelly Slater and Bruce Irons. Following is a complete list of invitees and alternates for this year’s event. For further information go directly to quiksilver.com/bigwave.

INVITEES: (first name alpha. order)
1. Andy Irons (Hawaii)
2. Brian Keaulana (Hawai) 
3. Brock Little (Hawaii)
4. Bruce Irons (Hawaii)
5. Carlos Burle (Brazil) **
6. Clyde Aikau (Hawaii)
7. Darryl Virostko (California)
8. Greg Long (California)
9. Ibon Amatriain (Spain) **
10. Jamie O’Brien (Hawaii) 
11. Jamie Sterling (Hawaii)
12. Keone Downing (Hawaii)
13. Jason Ribbink (South Africa) **
14. Kelly Slater (Florida)
15. Makua Rothman (Hawaii)
16. Mark Healey (Hawaii)
17. Michael Ho (Hawaii)
18. Noah Johnson (Hawaii)
19. Paul Paterson (Australia)
20. Peter Mel (California)
21. Ross Clarke-Jones (Australia)
22. Rusty Keaulana (Hawaii)
23. Shane Dorian (Hawaii) 
24. Sunny Garcia (Hawaii)
25. Takayuki Wakita (Japan) **
26. Titus Kinimaka (Hawaii)
27. Tom Carroll (Australia)
28. Tony Ray (Australia)

ALTERNATES
1. Darrick Doerner (Hawaii)
2. Chava Greenlee (Hawaii) Aikau Pick
3. Kalani Chapman (Hawaii)
4. Pancho Sullivan (Hawaii)
5. Taylor Knox (California)
6. Reef McIntosh (Hawaii)
7. Tony Moniz (Hawaii)
8. Garrett McNamara (Hawaii)
9. Ross Williams (Hawaii)
10. Dave Wassel (Hawaii)
11. Ian Walsh (Hawaii)
12. Braden Dias (Hawaii)
13. Myles Padaca (Hawaii)
14. Anthony Tashnick (California)
15. Kala Alexander (Hawaii)
16. Keoni Watson (Hawaii)
17. Derek Ho (Hawaii)
18. Tom Curren (California)
19. Nathan Fletcher (California)
20. Danny Fuller (Hawaii)
21. Dustin Barca (Hawaii)
22. Koby Abberton (Australia)
23. Laurie Townend (Australia)
24. Manoa Drollet (Tahiti)

HONORARY INVITEES
Mark Foo (Hawaii)
Todd Chesser (Hawaii)
Tiger Espere (Hawaii)
Jay Moriarity (California)

LOCATION:                   Waimea Bay, North Shore, Oahu
OPENING CEREMONY: Thursday, November 29, 2007. 3pm
HOLDING PERIOD:        Dec. 1, 2007 to Feb. 29, 2008.
                                     To be held on one day when surf    
                                     measures at least 20 feet.
BIG WAVE RIDERS:      28 of the world's best.
PRIZE MONEY:             US$98,000 in prize money
                                     US$55,000 for first place.

Quotes from Australian Invitees:

Paul Paterson (Yallingup, WA):
“Taking part in the best surfing event on the planet is the highest honour and an absolute pinnacle of my career. The big waves are generally the best. Just to surf perfect Waimea with a handful of guys I have admired since I was a grommet, is amazing. To top it off, I rode the biggest wave I have paddled into in my life during the 2002 event. It’s all about the spirit, camaraderie, adrenalin rush and general good fun.”

Tom Carroll (Newport, NSW):
“The event means a coming together, a union of the souls that embody and represent the spirit of Aloha that may still, hopefully, remain within the surfing culture of today, however distracted we may become. Eddie Aikau stood for the spiritual principals that underlie the meaning of Aloha. I will keep coming back to be reminded and to experience the extraordinary opening ceremony and, of course, stay alert for George Downing’s call on the event day with this reason mind.

“The last and only Eddie I competed in was New Years Day, 1999. The build up to the swell arrival was intense. A large WNW swell rose from two-to-three foot, at 23 second intervals around midday on New Years Eve to a ground rumbling 25-foot-plus at 24 second intervals at three-am on Jan. 1st. Hard to sleep… my family and I were evacuated from our house at Log Cabins and headed for the Turtle Bay Hilton.

The next day I experienced the event. No words can describe the feeling of being surrounded by the power of the Bay in all her glory! Or how you feel on the eve of departing for Hawaii and taking part in the ceremony. I have deep feelings of gratitude. Time for reflection and joining others at the Bay gives me a sense of belonging to the larger picture.”

Ross Clarke-Jones (Central Coast, NSW):
“The Eddie is not a competition, it is an event. Simply, a gathering of men who are passionate about riding big waves. No body loses, everybody wins… from the invitees, to the spectators, to the dogs on the beach.  When it goes, it is undoubtedly the most exciting and fun day of the year!”

Tony Ray (Torquay, Vic):
“Really, really stoked … every time I get in it, it’s like yesss! I love being in it. It’s the best event. I get butteflies in my stomach, I always have the visualise in my head and what it’s going to look like when the wave’s are coming at me, I visualise what I have to do and what it feels like in my head.
You have to commit and go, no matter what happens. And once you’re that far, it’s time to rely on all the skills and experience I’ve had from the last 30 years of surfing.

It’s nervous energy, and dealing with it gets the juices going! It’s a real buzz. Then you look around there’s other guys out there paddling with you, and you can see they’re all going through the same thing. All of a sudden you’re all best friends, you kind of glued together, hooting each other into waves, even though you’re competiting against each other. You’re looking out for each other, as well as testing your skills against each other and the ocean.”

About Quiksilver
Quiksilver, Inc. (NYSE:ZQK) is the world's leading outdoor sports lifestyle company, which designs, produces and distributes a diversified mix of branded apparel, wintersports and golf equipment, footwear, accessories and related products. The Company's apparel and footwear brands represent a casual lifestyle for young-minded people that connect with its boardriding culture and heritage, while its wintersports and golf brands symbolize a long standing commitment to technical expertise and competitive success on the mountains and on the links.

The reputation of Quiksilver's brands is based on different outdoor sports. The Company's Quiksilver, Roxy, DC Shoes and Hawk brands are synonymous with the heritage and culture of surfing, skateboarding and snowboarding, and its beach and water oriented swimwear brands include Raisins, Radio Fiji and Leilani. The Rossignol, Dynastar, Lange, Look and Kerma brands are leaders in the alpine ski market, and the Company makes snowboarding equipment under its Rossignol, Dynastar, DC Shoes, Roxy, Lib Technologies, Gnu and Bent Metal labels. The Company's golf business includes Cleveland Golf, as well as Never Compromise putters and Fidra apparel. Gotcha is the Company's surf-based European brand addressing street fashion.

The Company's products are sold in over 90 countries in a wide range of distribution, including surf shops, ski shops, skateboard shops, snowboard shops, proprietary Boardriders Club shops, other specialty stores and select department stores.  Quiksilver's corporate and Americas' headquarters are in Huntington Beach, California, while its European headquarters are in St. Jean de Luz and St. Jean de Moirans, France, and its Asia/Pacific headquarters are in Torquay, Australia.

Previous reports:
# 1 : Coming soon
# 2 : Coming soon
# 3 : Coming soon
# 4 : Coming soon  

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