The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational (colloquially, "The Eddie"[1]) is a big wave surfing tournament held at Waimea Bay on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. The tournament is named for native Hawaiian, champion big wave surfer, and life-saving Waimea Bay lifeguard, Eddie Aikau.[1] Created in 1984 at nearby Sunset Beach, the invitational tournament moved to the notoriously big-waved Waimea Bay, where Aikau's family maintains an ancestral tradition as caretakers of Waimea Valley.[2][3]
Previously, The Eddie was formally the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau until 2016, after which sponsor Quiksilver and the Aikau family could not agree to terms for a new contract;[4] since 2024 it has been called the Rip Curl Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational after the surfing apparel company Rip Curl took over sponsorship of the event.[5]
- ^ a b Craig Hysell. "It Could Be Worse: Eddie Aikau". Celebrate Hilton Head website.
- ^ Eddie would go: the big waves of Eddie Aikau, The Roar, Retrieved on 9 December 2009
- ^ Hawaiian Legends Series - Info, Kuliana, Retrieved 27 February 2016
- ^ "Quiksilver pulls sponsorship of 'The Eddie' surfing contest". Honolulu Star-Advertiser. Associated Press. October 9, 2017. Retrieved December 6, 2017.
- ^ England, Steve (June 4, 2024). "Rip Curl Sponsors The Eddie". Carvemag.com (Press release). Retrieved December 23, 2024.