Greg Long congratulated by peers Kelly Slater & Twiggy Baker

        

       
Greg Long  |  Joliphotos.com  | click for info/zoom 

Huge waves at the Bay, some incredible waves ridden at the Eddie

Surfersvillage Global Surf News, 8 December, 2009 : - - Aloha from a memorable day on the North Shore. Amazing day of surfing at the Quiksilver Eddie Aikau. Greg Long snared a victory with four top rides in the last heat of the day. Huge waves at the Bay some incredible waves ridden. Long day at the beach. More surf on the way, it's turning into a pretty good winter season - Stay tuned

California's Greg Long, 26, (San Clemente) made a late charge in the final heat of the day to claim the $55,000 winner's purse. Long committed to a never-say-die attack, securing all four of his top scores - several of them death-defying, and one of them a perfect 100-point ride, in 40- to 50-foot waves. It was the high point of his career to-date - pretty incredible given that he only rode Waimea for the first time this week.

       
Kelly Slater sequence

        
Kelly Slater & Reef McIntosh sequence

         
Slater/McIntosh                                The bay                                       The beach    

Quiksilver Eddie Aikau |  Joliphotos.com  | click for info/zoom 

From the moment the event was declared "on" at dawn, to the final gut-wrenching wipeouts that came with the peaking swell of afternoon, the air was filled with salt spray and adrenaline. Not a square foot of sand or lava rock was empty as a capacity crowd of over 50,000 packed the natural amphitheater of Waimea Bay to experience the pairing of Mother Nature and the men who ride her mountainous surf.

       
Ross Clark Jones                              Andy Irons                                    Mark Healy    

       
Mark Healy sequence

       
    Michael Ho                                  Kelly Slater                                 Winners podium

Quiksilver Eddie Aikau |  Joliphotos.com  | click for info/zoom 

"The Eddie" has grown to be the world's longest-running and most respected big wave contest. First staged at Sunset Beach in the winter of 1984/85 then moved to Waimea in 1985/86, it has been held just seven times. Its strict adherence to wave height stipulations has only served to underscore the authenticity and importance of the event. Past champions are Denton Miyamora (1985), Clyde Aikau (1986), Keone Downing (1990), Noah Johnson (1999), Ross Clarke-Jones (2001), Kelly Slater (2002), and Bruce Irons (2004).

www.Joliphotos.com

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