Eddie Aikau 2011. Forecast Still Looking Strong - Contest Preparations Underway. With the Hawaiian surf forecast still delivering potential for 20-foot surf this Thursday, January 20, organizers and competitors are making precautionary preparations in case the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau, Fueled by Monster Energy, can run. Contest Director George Downing would like to emphasize that the event has not been officially called on, but that the potential for "Eddie"-sized surf at Waimea Bay does exist, so better to be ready than ill-prepared.
The peak of the swell is anticipated to be early morning Thursday, so organizers need to be in place for an immediate start if the waves do measure up.
"Let's not forget, we are not dealing with a concrete stadium sporting event," said Downing. "Surfers and great surfing events are 100 per cent dependent upon many nuances of nature that not even the latest, greatest technology can perfectly predict. What we are saying is that the potential for 20-foot surf does exist. We might go, we might not, but we will always be ready for when the bay calls the day.
"That's what this event, in particular, is about. We will do exactly what Eddie and big wave riders have always done through the years - watch the swell developments, be ready, and wake up to see what the day delivers. Practice makes perfect."
Hawaii surf forecasters at the local National Weather Service bureau expect the peak of the swell to be some time between 4am and 8am Thursday. The most current estimates expect swell heights of around 18-22 feet for Oahu's North Shore (not specific to Waimea Bay). The incoming swells associated with this episode should be fully registering on buoy 51101 between 4pm and 8pm tomorrow, which will supply the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau team with their most reliable batch of data ahead of Thursday morning.
