HALEIWA, Hawaii—Legendary surfer Eddie Aikau would have gone out. But Wednesday’s surf in Hawaii didn’t stack up to his namesake competition’s big-wave standards, and the event was called off hours before it was supposed to happen.
“Eddie would go” is the mantra of the Quiksilver surfing competition in memory of Aikau, a Native Hawaiian surfer famous for riding monster waves and saving hundreds of lives as Waimea Bay’s first official lifeguard.
The event was last held in 2009, when waves built to competition size for long enough for the surfers to run their heats.
The towering breakers were a no-show, and as the sun came up over throngs of spectators and dozens of elite surfers, 'The Eddie' was called off.
