Eddie Aikau: Breaking News, Rumors & Highlights

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Waimea Bay is hallowed ground in the world of surfing. The iconic spot on Oahu’s North Shore, along with Sunset Beach, is where modern-day big wave surfing was born.

Surfing News / SURFER / December 8

A Celebration of Life & Legacy: Scenes from The Eddie Opening Ceremony (Photos)

I remember watching the 2016 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational on a large screen in a dark classroom. Most of the students weren’t regular surfers, had no idea who Eddie was, and probably couldn’t pin Waimea Bay on a map.

Surfing News / SURFER / December 2

Watch: Bodyboarders Charge Mutant Waimea Bay Shorebreak

Waimea Bay holds a sacred, singular role in the world of surfing. First and foremost, it’s where modern big-wave surfing began, with Greg “da Bull” Noll

Surfing News / SURFER / December 2

20ft Waimea Bay Ahead of Eddie Aikau Event: ‘As Big As It Gets’ (Video)

It’s officially open season on the North Shore of Oahu. Beginning around Thanksgiving – funny how big swells always seem to arrive on major holidays, no?

Surfing News / SURFER / November 7

Mason Ho Dances With a Freakish Puerto Rican Wedge

Mason Ho ain’t afraid of backwash. Remember his full send into the shorebreak at the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational? He and his gun were launched 20 feet into the air.

Surfing News / SURFER / October 1

Invitees For 2025/26 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational Unveiled

Winter must be knocking on the door because the invitees for the Rip Curl EDDIE Big Wave Invitational have just been released. From previous winners like

Surfing News / SURFER / September 15

Two Big Wave Legends, One Monstrous Maverick’s Tube (Photo)

The Pacific Ocean went into hyperdrive last December. Just before Christmas, the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational ran at Waimea Bay; Jaws, on Maui, was jumbo; and that same swell that hit Hawaii also made its way to California, specifically Maverick’s.

Surfing News / SURFER / July 29

Peter Mel: ‘That’s the Fastest I’ve Ever Gone on a Surfboard’

Peter Mel had quite the 48-hour itinerary. He was one of a handful of surfers who competed in the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational in December, drove to the airport at the end of the event, then surfed the same swell the next day Maverick’s.

Surfing News / SURFER / July 26

North Shore Lifeguard and Eddie Winner Bags Another Waimea Bay Gem

If one were to submit the script of the 2023 Eddie win to a Hollywood studio, the feedback underlined in red may describe it as too fantastical. A storybook tale so fanciful that even Disney would have to make it less cliché.

Surfing News / SURFER / May 7

RIP Clyde Aikau: An Interview by Bruce Jenkins

As the surfing world mourns one its greatest watermen, Clyde Aikau, homages, tributes, and eulogies have been pouring in from around the world. Uncle Clyde, as he was known, was loved by all who knew him and many more who didn't.

Surfing News / SURFER / May 6

Celebrating Surf Legend Clyde Aikau: 1949-2025

The word “waterman” gets tossed around a lot in surfing, especially in reference to big waves. Someone who truly embodied that word, that essence of being, that way of life, was the legendary Clyde Aikau, who passed away after a battle with cancer over the weekend; he was 75 years old.

Surfing News / SURFER / April 18

“Full Carnage”: Snapping Soft-Tops at Waimea Bay (Video)

While Waimea Bay is mostly known as one of the world’s most historically significant big wave surf spots – ushering in the modern era of heavy water wave-riding,

Surfing News / SURFER / February 21

Here’s What Waimea Bay Looked Like 100 Years Ago

Waimea Bay is sacred ground in big wave surfing. It is the site of the world’s most prestigious surf contest, the annual Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, although the event has only run 11 times since its inception in 1985 on account of the requisite 40-foot-plus waves during the event window.

Surfing News / SURFER / January 31

The “Biggest Swell in Years” Just Hit Nazaré (Video)

It’s been a somewhat quiet season, thus far, in the Atlantic big wave surfing sector. Elsewhere in the Pacific, there's been less crickets – capping off

Surfing News / SURFER / January 22

"Behind The Eddie" (And A Heavy Waimea Wipeout) With Tyler Larronde

The 2025 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational has come and gone, but some competitors are still licking their wounds. One such athlete, Tyler Larronde, was

Surfing News / SURFER / January 11

Outrigger Canoe Surfers Score Rare Offshore Oil Rig (Video)

At the tail end of 2024, just before Christmas, a large and memorable swell popped up in the Pacific Ocean. In Hawaii, The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational

Surfing News / SURFER / January 2, 2025

Big-Wave Surfers Go On a 5-Day Jaws Bender (Gallery)

On December 22, 2024, while the surf world’s collective eye was fixed on Waimea Bay during the 2024 Eddie Aikau Big-Wave Invitational, lensman Fred Pompermayer was in the channel at Jaws, documenting a select few hellmen as they tackled what some are calling the heaviest Pe'ahi paddle waves in history.