There was excitement in Hawaii and amongst the world’s surfing community last week, as surfers prepared to tackle huge waves in the occasionally held big wave competition known as The Eddie. Unfortunately, despite widespread enthusiasm and an elite cadre of the world’s top surfers descending on Hawaii’s Waimea Bay, the event was eventually called off.

The reason? The waves weren’t big enough.

The event, also known as The Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau, has been running for 25 years, but in this time it has only been held eight times. This is because rules state that the surf contest can only be held when waves reach heights of 20 feet or more.

Following a storm in the Pacific Ocean, event organisers were optimistic that the swell would be large enough to hold the competition. But early on Thursday it was announced on the competition’s official website that, “while there were definitely 20- to 25-foot waves sporadically throughout the morning, the consistency of those large waves was deemed to be insufficient to run the two rounds of the competition.”

A crowd of 15,000 had gathered in Waimea Bay in the hope the event would be held. While they were undoubtedly disappointed, the crowd remained to watch some of the world’s top surfers making the most of the waves.
The event is held to commemorate legendary Hawaiian surfer and lifeguard Eddie Aikau, who disappeared without trace in 1978 after the canoe he and others were crossing the Pacific in capsized and he swam for help.

This year’s event in Hawaii’s Waimea Bay now has until February 28th to run, upon which the holding period for the competition will be postponed for another year.