Eddie Aikau Invitees Announced
Overnight, the invitees to the Eddie Aikau Invitational were announced with Russ Bierke and Ross Clarke-Jones representing Australia in the men, and Laura Enever and Felicity Palmateer the women.
"Childhood dream come true!" wrote Russ on Instagram.
This year will be the first time since Quiksilver left the wheelhouse in 2016 that the contest has a major sponsor. Earlier this year, Rip Curl agreed to terms with the Aikau family, however it's not known how many years the contract applies.
Now celebrating it's fortieth year, the contest has only been run ten times in that period. The last time was January 2023 where Waimea Bay lifeguard Luke Shephardson was a popular winner.
The invetees are as follows - men at left, women at right.
The waiting period for this year's instalment runs from December 14, 2024 through March 13, 2025. The contest will only run if face feet reaches forty feet.
Comments
I’m looking forward to seeing Bruce give it a nudge that’s assuming he accepted the invitation?
He still surf?
Not sure mate?
Shiit Yeah..Bruce is Back
https://stabmag.com/full-frame/full-frame-bruce-irons-is-back/
Bruce has got the full meth-mouth going on these days from photos I’ve seen on da socials
Vaping can’t be helping him.
I don't think it's vaping that is the issue.
Isn't Jamie Mitchell Australian?
Good question. From the Goldy, married to a Hawaiian and he's lived there for a long time.
Has he done a Rupert on us?
Ha! I lived in Burleigh for years, I doubt any of the locals called me a Queenslander. Has he got American citizenship like Rupert ? ( just checked and still listed as an Aussie by the Wossle and they'll change anyones flag )
if you guys want Rupert back, please by all means take him!
Would be a controversial list in big wave circles I’m sure.
Hopefully they get to run!
Not many Aussies & what Twiggy an alternate? And Natxo. Two of the best paddlers in the game.
Very surprised to see Twig demoted.
Was Tom Lowe also demoted, or an alternate last year too? Stoked to at least see his name there.
No twiggy isn't a good look
Eli Olsen over Twiggy?
Mikehunt will be along soon to complain about Flick being in it. I’ll put 20 bucks on it
Olson charged in the last one when it was giant.
Shame Flick the only one repping WA. Happy to see her in it though.
Goofyfoot. Hi mate.
Well, Mikehunt and Mal Caithness will be having kittens.
Because they don’t believe chicks can surf huge waves, but more so Flick is from his home state of WA , what a mental conundrum for Mal, surely he can’t bag her now, but probably will. Brain overload boys. AW
Flick isnt from his home state
Thanks for the correction
Flick is from WA
The other is a Queenslander
Thanx also for the correction. Can't let the facts get in the way ...
Well Fred, apologies couldn't reply sooner, been up to me armpits in crocodiles with far more important shit. Could elaborate however no biggie.
To your point, seems to me ur trolling for a "gotcha moment" over the list, ur call. I'm so looking forward to seeing said invitee get her chance to shine. Maybe then when the sheer weight of proof & evidence overcomes my personal experiences & observations then I'll eat crow. We'll see mate. Destiny awaits, the spoils go to the victor.
With respect, the pedigree ain't there. Go Floss.
P.S. Never bagged women's big wave surfing, see my previous post's. Ur comprehension okay bloke?
Twiggy Would Go
Is Jamie Mitchell doing a Oleary Connor?
JM is such an Auzzy hey??
what happened to Eric Haas?
Yeah!
Or was that last year he was invited to?
Yeah, on the list last year. Probably the guy I most want to see at the Eddie.
Bit old now, has been a tough road for him, what an absolute freak of a Surfer.
No Twiggy doesn’t make sense. Has he upset someone in higher places ?
Having talked to Eddie about getting a lifeguard job back in the 70's I feel so lucky to have met him. This contest is legendary. Waimea Bay is legendary! I truly hope we have a great winter surf season and the Aikau's continue to hold this event.
The list is understandably HI-biased and many current big-wave legends from elsewhere are not there. And with perennial names the average competitor age seems to go up yearly (I am just guessing this one).
Is RCJ out there charging somewhere still at 58/59 or has he slowed down a bit ?
Not sure he's charging like he used to, however past winners get automatic entry until they decline it.
He's charging!!
That's good to know.
Would Laurie Towner want to be in this? If it was purely a mertiocracy, do people here think his incluson would be warranted. Just curious.
Absolutely.
He could easily win an Eddie with his talent and balls.
Where's Fillipe on the list ?
Invited but couldn't make it. Too busy doing close-out air 360s with Italo, helping ADS to improve his arms, or crying along with Gabriel.
Slater will 100% pull out like last year or whenever it ran.
Slaters paid his dues.
He has got nothing more to prove.
He is a former winner and it is HI. Why do you think he would pull out? He doesn't like the wave?
Hawaiian offshore bouys in 2023 were reading 27ft @19 seconds; the night before the Eddie comp.
Many surfers without 10ft boards would pull out except .... invited Hawaiians.
The waves & local crowd were immense. Find a board or watch on...
Big waves and drop d chuggalug macho musuc above starts after 25 minutes.... for 2 minutes of glory.
The entire Waimea Bay closed out at 60ft....
@bbbird love it mate. Brings it all into perspective. This is what the Eddy was always about. Love ur work.
a different backing track
Eric's going
what's the gos. @IB? link didn't take..
Works when I click on it.
Just a funny wee clip of Eric Haas saying he just has to paddle out at the Eddie, even if he's not on the list.
Should be mandatory to go all the way and pull into the shorey to register a score.
Anyone else sick of seeing 5 guys take the drop next to each other and get mowed down by white water?
The thought that instantly comes to mind whenever i hear the contest name is Bruce getting a 100 score for getting a good one in the spot, no one else on the wave, reads it like a book all the way through including somehow turning that board from off the tail in nice spots when it caps then going backhand into the shorey with no grab.
The vision, the dream, the courage & faith is all you need to be in the moment? ..... & the magic board.
that was brilliant, @bbbird, so many moments I hadn't seen, 10:00, 13:30, 16:30...
the old school can chill, it's gonna be storytellers that forge a financial surfing future.
GranTwiggy clearly has the 'cleverest'/ trickiest/most instinctual and tweaked lines.
His drops are like watching a falcon peg pigeon prey from 100s of metres above,
and cleave it at the neck..
This clip was the best promotion of the recent Eddie I have seen. Well done, Koa's team.
Damn b6, I find Koa a bit full on so I wasn’t going to watch that but you’ve convinced me
I find Koa & K. Lenny a bit full on but there surfing does the real talking .
he is. but his people understand how to tell a story.. I kinda want more people to get what special surf events are and feel like. like how scientists are expected now to communicate with the public, so we don't become vestige festoons stranded in stagnant ponds like where @burleigh et al bathe. post if you dig it.
hahaha, yum the stagnant pond.
You’ve probably seen Nate Flo’s Eddie episode, that was great as was Mark Healey’s.