Return to News
A wave worth waiting for
January 07, 2025
Community Engagement
4 min read
“Crazy magic.” That’s how Rip Curl’s General Manager Marketing, James Taylor, describes watching surfers drop into 40-foot walls of water at The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational.
On 23 December 2024, more than 50,000 people crowded onto the sand at Hawaii’s Waimea Bay. For just the eleventh time in 40 years, the ocean delivered and the world’s most revered big-wave surf contest was on.
First held in 1985, The Eddie is more than a competition. It honours legendary Hawaiian lifeguard and surfer Eddie Aikau – a man who saved over 500 lives and gave his own in service to others.
The Eddie is also a waiting game. With a narrow three-month window and a strict 20-foot swell minimum – which means 30-foot waves at Waimea Bay – the ocean decides if “the bay calls the day”. Some years, it never does.
The event begins with a traditional ceremony and blessing from the King of Hawaii. Surfers paddle out, form a circle and give thanks to Eddie’s memory. Then, they wait.
Where courage meets culture
For Rip Curl, the event is a profound honour, regardless of whether the wave arrives. “Some years, the opening ceremony is held and the waves never come. But when they do, it’s unforgettable,” James says.
On 6 December, the 2024 window opened. Just over two weeks later, the call came. Thirty-five men and 10 women were invited to compete, with scores based on their best three waves. Landon McNamara, son of contest director Liam McNamara, took the win. Landon is the first goofy-footer to claim victory after scoring a perfect 50/50 ride in front of his father.
“They say Eddie picks the winner,” Landon said. “I’m just so grateful he picked me.”
The swell, the spirit, the story
The Eddie captures people’s imagination far beyond the surf community. The phrase Eddie Would Go is found on bumper stickers, t-shirts, surf boards and cultural memory. It speaks to a man who would paddle out when no one else dared.
“To be part of The Eddie is to help carry forward the legacy of one of Hawaii’s greatest watermen,” James says. “And for Rip Curl, it’s a privilege to have a place in Hawaiian culture and help keep Eddie’s spirit alive.”
