The Eddie surf contest may go next week.
Officials just changed the status to “yellow” for the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, as they closely watch conditions for Feb. 15-16, when a massive swell is expected.
A three-colored code alert system is used to send updates about the surf competition. Green means the Eddie is a "go" and will be held in 2 to 3 days. Yellow means there is a possible large Eddie-size swell coming in 5 to 7 days. Red means there is no large big wave surf expected in the next week.
“There is still uncertainty on the details of this potential swell,” Kevin Wallis, Surfline’s Director of Forecasting, said in a news release.
The Global Forecast System, a National Centers for Environmental Prediction weather forecast model, has been fairly consistent in showing a major swell. However, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts has shown a weaker swell, with a different swell timing.
Wallis said if the GFS model proves to be correct then Hawaii’s North Shore would see “a building swell Thursday afternoon the 15th, a peak overnight and slowly settling swell through the day on Friday the 16th.”
Waves would reach heights of 20-feet and higher in Waimea Bay. However, the wave heights may peak overnight, meaning that Waimea Bay would not get a full day of 20-foot surf, as the wave heights would be too small Thursday morning and Friday afternoon.
The infamous big wave surf contest is only called on if surf heights consistently reach 20-feet (when measured from the back) between Dec. 14, 2023 through March 12, 2024. Jet skis are not allowed to tow in surfers.
Only 40 surfers are invited to compete in the contest.
The Eddie was held last year, when Luke Shepardson, a Honolulu Ocean Safety lifeguard, won. It was the first year that women competed in the contest.
Before that, the Eddie was held in 2016, when waves in the bay reached heights of 30 to 50 feet. Hawaii's John John Florence won.
Since starting in 1984, the contest has only been held 10 times.
The contest is named for Eddie Aikau, who was a legendary waterman, crew member of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokulea and lifeguard at Waimea Bay. He was the first lifeguard for the North Shore, braving waves that were 30 feet or more to save hundreds of people.
He died when he was only 31, after Hokulea capsized and he paddled toward the shore of Lanai on his surfboard in an attempt to get help.
Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.