Surfers Gather for Unique Big Wave Event in Hawaii

The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational comes to life only under optimal surf conditions. With just under two days’ notice, 45 selected surfers had to make their way to Oahu's North Shore in Hawaii by Sunday.

Barry Sweet witnesses the influx of people flocking to the North Shore for the Eddie Aikau competition.

“From dawn till afternoon, the crowd movement resembles a pilgrimage,” Sweet remarks about the audience for the Eddie, as the contest is famously called.

With his wife, Janelle, and her sister, Deann Sakuoka, by his side, Sweet observes the event’s spectators from Pupukea Grill. This family-run food truck is positioned near the narrow Kamehameha Highway, a short ten-minute stroll from Waimea Bay, and is one of the limited dining spots nearby.

Once the Eddie is announced, typically 48 hours before the event starts, a respected cohort of 45 surfers and 25 substitutes begins to work out travel plans. Surfers from countries like Australia, Brazil, France, Italy, South Africa, and Tahiti hustle to ensure they can reach Waimea Bay by Sunday.

Large numbers of spectators, too, converge onto the narrow beach and nearby cliffs, many of whom set up camp promptly once the celebrated event is declared. The only road leading to and departing from the bay, Kamehameha Highway, becomes congested before sunlight even appears.

Distinct from most big-wave surf contests, the Eddie waits for the ideal wave conditions within a flexible timeframe from mid-December to mid-March, seldom occurring but heightening its reputation with the catchphrase, “the bay calls the day.”