12/26/2024
There’s something magical about being part of the 3 AM crew at Big Wave Invitational. The energy of the building swell and the crisp wind blowing out of Waimea Valley feeds the buzzing anticipation of the contest crew, people I’ve known my entire life, as we set up for this rare and unique event. 🌊
All of this activity unfolds underneath the Hawaiian night sky so filled with the same bright stars that guided the very navigators who inspired Eddie himself, and so many others, to discover their past, present and future through wayfinding on voyaging canoes like ✨
There’s a ton of imagery out there capturing The Eddie competitors in action with massive waves exploding all around them as they challenge themselves in the 11th running of this historic big wave surfing competition that only the best in the world are selected to participate in. I hope you’ve also seen the insane images of the immensely brave and the phenomenal in action at the event.
But there was something about this particular quiet photo, of the tower lit up in the hours before dawn, waiting in anticipation like the crowds already lining Kamehameha Highway. To me it represents all the volunteers of the Eddie Aikau Foundation, the contest administrators and crew, the sponsors listed below, the broadcasters at .tv the additional first responders, and all the other people who work behind the scenes to bring this event to millions of people around the planet. All of this has one singular purpose. It serves to remind us of Eddie’s life, legacy and values, and that long after the event is over, there is good to be done, by each and every one of us. 💙
Pacific Power Electrical, Hawaiian Native Corporation, Strafford Media