It’s an honor like no other to be invited to “The Eddie.”

Only the bravest – or some may argue craziest – of surfers each year are selected for the short list that makes up The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau nominees. This year two San Clemente surfers – Greg Long and Nathan Fletcher – have received official notice that if the Eddie goes, they will be called upon to take on monstrous waves at Waimea Bay, Oahu.

The contest is much different than any other you’ll ever witness, and Mother Nature and the surf gods are so fickle that they’ve only brought waves and conditions ripe enough to run eight times out of the last 27 years. The contest is held on a single day between Dec. 1 through Feb. 29, only if waves reach at least 20-feet and conditions are clean enough – and if the waves don’t show, the contest doesn’t run and surfers wait until the following year.

There’s only 28 surfers from around the world who get invited, with a list of 24 alternatives. Greg’s brother Rusty is among alternatives.

Who can forget when “The Eddie,” as most refer to it, ran in 2009 – when San Clemente big-wave rider Greg Long won the prestigious event over 11-time World Champ Kelly Slater?

CHECK OUT A SLIDESHOW FROM THE 2009 “QUIKSILVER IN MEMORY OF EDDIE AIKAU CONTEST”:

“I’m humbled to even be in this event,” Long told the crowd after his win. “It’s about that respect, friendship and camaraderie in the lineup,  which I know Eddie had out there.”

The Eddie came close to running again in January of this year, but while the surf was massive, swell wasn’t consistent enough to run.

Eddie Aikau is one of the most respected Hawaiian surfers in history, who passed away in 1978 after attempting a 2,500 mile voyage that followed the ancient route of the Polynesian migration between the Hawaiian and Tahitian island chains.

When the boat capsized, Aikau attempted to paddle back to land to get help, and the 31-year-old was never seen again.

Here’s more history about the Eddie:

Eddie Aikau hit the scene in 1966, kicking off a relationship with Waimea that would become legendary – saving countless lives as the Bay’s first official lifeguard and surfing for up to eight hours at a time without breaks, riding beautifully.

More than the wave, the rider, or the equipment, it was the camera capturing the images that brought about international awareness and elevated Waimea to what was perceived as a recognition wave.

Television coverage, contests, and the pro surfing movement all started to gel around the time and surfing was becoming a legitimate lifestyle. Surfers who came for a season ended up staying, and pretty soon Waimea had a solid base of big wave chargers: Mike Diffenderfer, Owl Chapman, Reno Abellira, Sam Hawk, Downing, Cole, Grigg, Kimo Hollinger, Buzzy Trent, Jose Angel, Aikau, Kealoha Kaeo and Tiger Espere.

With the 1980s came the redefinition of the way Waimea was surfed. While the takeoff remained the crux of the ride, maneuvers offered a whole new challenge as surfers looked to transpose a new standard of carving turns onto the expansive canvas of Waimea.

In the winter of 1984/’85, the first Eddie Aikau Memorial was held at Sunset Beach. The next winter Quiksilver took this event to a new level, relocating it to Waimea Bay . They invited big wave specialists from around the world, and provided a platform for showcasing the sport’s high-end, and performance levels went through the roof…

For more info on the event, or updates, check out Quiksilver.com/Eddie.

Check out the higlights from that event in this video:

LIST OF INVITEES:

Brock Little – HAW

Bruce Irons – HAW

Clyde Aikau – HAW

Dave Wassel – HAW

Greg Long – USA

Jamie O’Brien – HAW

Jamie Sterling – HAW

Kala Alexander – HAW

Kelly Slater – USA

Keone Downing – HAW

Kohl Christensen – HAW

Makua Rothman – HAW

Mark Healey – HAW

Michael Ho – HAW

Nathan Fletcher – USA

Noah Johnson – HAW

Peter Mel – USA

Ramon Navarro – CHL

Reef McIntosh – HAW

Ross Clarke – Jones – AUS

Rusty Keaulana – HAW

Shane Dorian – HAW

Sunny Garcia – HAW

Tom Carroll – HAW

You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.