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It turns out Eddie wouldn’t go, this time. A red alert has been issued for the Eddie Aikau Invitational, meaning it will not run this week.
In order for ‘The Eddie’ to take place, wave face heights must consistently reach 40 feet at Waimea Bay, during the contest’s waiting period of December 14, 2023 through March 12, 2024. Organizers had been tracking a possible “Eddie-sized” swell that was supposed to hit as early as Thursday. However the red alert announcement means that the prediction did not come to fruition, and this week will not have the surf required for the event to run.
The invitational has only run 10 times since 1985. Last year’s event took place on Jan. 22, 2023, when North Shore lifeguard Luke Shepardson won after entering the competition as an alternate. Last year was also the first time women were invited to the event.
“For the Eddie to happen, it’s got to be special,” Shepardson told KHON2. “Everything has to come together – all the conditions, the waves, the wind.”
For now, we’re left waiting for another swell to appear on the horizon, with just a month left for organizers to give the green light.
