HALEIWA, Hawaii — Tens of thousands of people are expected for the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, and it will be the first time the event has ever fallen on a Sunday. 

What You Need To Know

  • Because The Eddie falls on a Sunday for the first time, tens of thousands of spectators are expected

  • Parking will be limited; there will be paid public parking at Waimea Valley, and parking is not allowed on either side of Kamehameha Highway

  • TheBus Route 52, which goes directly to Waimea Bay, will have four extra early-morning buses

  • The Department of Parks and Recreation will provide portable toilets at Waimea Bay Beach Park

“It's a historic day. This one particularly is our first one in probably a long time, and I'm not sure if ever, that the event falls on a Sunday. So just by virtue of that, the availability of people being off on Sundays and being able to attend the event, is going to be far greater than any of the past we've seen in 2016 and 2011,” said John Nucci, the deputy director of the Department of Transportation Services, at a press conference on Friday. 

This is the first time the event will be held since 2016. Since starting in 1984, the contest has only been held nine times. 

The infamous big wave surf contest is only called on if surf heights consistently reach 20-feet between Dec. 14, 2022, through March 23, 2023.

Wave heights on Sunday are expected to be between 25-30 feet, which is 50-60 feet when viewed from the front. 

Organizers will make the final call on Sunday morning whether to hold the contest. However, Clyde Aikau, the younger brother of the contest’s namesake and an organizer of the event, said at a press conference Friday that conditions are favorable. 

“We've been tracking this swell for the last three weeks. … The wind conditions will be fantastic coming out of Waimea Bay Valley. The direction of our swell is gigantic and it's coming from a westerly direction. And it's coming right into Waimea Bay,” said Aikau. “We're looking at a slow start in the morning of Sunday. … We're looking at a slow start for probably the first two heats. But after that, it's going to be building.”

Park facilities

The Department of Parks and Recreation will provide portable toilets and extra pumping at the comfort stations at Waimea Bay Beach park. There are no concessions, so visitors are advised to bring their own food, sun protection and water. 

Due to Waimea Bay’s geography and the fact that there will be many people on site, cell or Wi-Fi reception may be limited or not available. 

Parking

With large crowds, parking will be limited.

There will be paid parking available at Waimea Valley for spectators.

Public parking is not allowed on either side of Kamehameha Highway from Iliohu Place to the Saints Peter and Paul Mission beginning Saturday at 10 p.m. until the event ends on Sunday.

The Bus

The City will provide four extra early-morning buses on Route 52 that will go directly to Waimea Bay, starting from the mauka side of Ala Moana Center from Kona Street, where it intersects with Kona Iki Street. 

These buses will depart at 4:30 a.m., 5 a.m., 5:30 am and 6 a.m. and will display a special sign saying “52 Haleiwa-Waimea Bay.”  

Regularly scheduled Route 52 service will operate every 30 minutes, starting at 6:20 a.m. In order to get to Waimea Bay on the regular Route 51, passengers must transfer at Weed Circle to Route 60. These trips may take as long as two hours because of heavy traffic. 

People may also park and pick up the Bus along Route 52, including at Kalihi Transit Center, Mililani Park and Ride, Wahiawa Armory and Wahiawa Park and Ride.

The Bus will also operate shuttles between Weed Circle at Haleiwa to Waimea Bay, so that anyone who can find parking on the North Shore will be able to board one of those buses. 

People returning after the surf contest may ride Route 60 to Honolulu and Ala Moana Center via Kaneohe or ride Route 60 back to Haleiwa and transfer to Route 52 at Haleiwa Beach Park.

Please visit thebus.org for more information.

Viewing options

For those who do not want to brave the crowds or will not be able to make it to Waimea Bay on Sunday, the event will be covered on KHII, KHON and Surfline.com. The event will be aired live on KHII from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with a rebroadcast of the event’s last two hours on KHON from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Known as the “Super Bowl of Surfing,” there were more than 1.2 million streaming views recorded during the Eddie in 2016. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to include details on parking restrictions along Kamehameha Highway. (Jan. 21, 2023)