Contestants of the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, fueled by Monster Energy, were calling the waves at Waimea Bay today bigger than any contested the past three times this event ran. But organizers opted to employ patience and wait for tomorrow as surface conditions are forecast to improve with wave size continuing in the giant range. Wave face heights were in the 25- to 40-foot range today and rising. It made for a dramatic warm-up that thousands flocked to the North Shore of Oahu to witness.
The single lane highway that runs the stretch of the North Shore was bumper-to-bumper by sunrise. Many made the pilgrimage on foot and bicycle late last night, sleeping under the stars to catch the action early.
The invitees to the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau weren't far behind them and headed out at dawn into the salt-spray, mist-filled lineup in search of the "big one".
