Honolulu Star-Advertiser from Honolulu, Hawaii • B1

FRIDAY FEBRUARY 26, 2016 Bl tasDorts Nick Celario ncelariothegardenisland.com 245-0437 i KEOKI WSL John John Florence of Hawaii (pictured red) takes off Aikau at Waimea Bay on ThursdaY. on a steap wave alongside Mason Ho of Hawaii (black) during Round 2 of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie It Oahu 's Florence wins 'The Eddie surf contest is a HEFF WSL Caleb Jones ASSOCIATED PRESS HALIEWA, Hawaii There are two sayings that come along with the Eddie Aikau big-wave surfing invitational: "The bay calls the day" and "Eddie would go." For the first time in six years, the bay and event organizers gave the nod Thursday as a powerful and sustained swell produced huge surf on Oahu's North Shore. Eddie, a famed lifeguard and big-wave surfer who once protected these shores, most certainly would have gone. Before the sun came up over the horseshoe-shaped Waimea Bay, organizers huddled together to make the final call on the event, which has only run nine times in its 31-year history. Eddie Aikua's brother, Clyde, announced to a large crowd early Thursday morning that his brother's namesake surfing contest was on.

John John Florence of Hawaii holds up his winning check after winning the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau at Waimea Bay on Thursday. tempting to trace the route of their Polynesian ancestors from Hawaii to Tahiti aboard the traditional Hokulea canoe in 1978. The vessel encountered rough seas and capsized. Aikau took his surfboard and paddled away for help. He was never seen again, though the rest of the crew was eventually rescued.

bodies Eddie's spirit, said event spokeswoman and longtime Aikau family friend JodiWilmott. Navarro is a "very unassuming, a very humble character," Wilmott said. "He has a higher vision." In 2009, when Navarro was invited to his first Eddie competition, he awed the crowd when he rode the biggest wave of the day, scoring a perfect 100 on the monster breaker that towered over him. "Eddie was a higher-vision guy, too," Wilmott said. "He had loftier goals for humanity, and he understood the power of relationships.

That is just the spirit Ramon has tapped into." Navarro came to the North Shore and worked his way into the surfing community by building mud brick ovens and selling empana-das to beachgoers, Wilmott said. Navarro surfed in the first heat of the morning on heat, Clyde took a couple tumbles going after a few bombs, but he kept getting back out into the lineup and finally showed a beautiful old-school Hawaiian stance on a picture perfect wave. Despite being 43 years older than the eventual champion and not high up the final leader-board, Clyde set a standard of a different kind. Kelly Slater is a master at finding the necessary wave when he needs it. Slater's final ride Thursday didn't put him in position to win, but it was clutch by other standards.

After former Eddie participant and North Shore legend Brock Little passed away on Feb. 18, Slater said he was trying to find a Waimea barrel to commemorate Little's iconic 1990 performance. With just a few minutes left in his second 60-minute Thursday, and despite only catching one wave out of a possible four, earning him a mere 5 points out of 100, Navarro said he was just happy to be involved in the event. "This is my dream," Navarro said after drying off from his hour-long session. "I can die happy now." Looking forward to his second heat of the day, Navarro said he hoped that Eddie would "look at (him) and send (him) some good waves." "I'm going to try my best and enjoy it, I'm just happy to be here," he added.

Local Hawaii surfer John John Florence won Thursday's event, catching four massive waves for a total score of over 300 points. Australia's Ross Clarke-Jones took second, and Hawaii's Shane Dorian finished third. The competition began in 1984, six years after Eddie Aikau died. As a lifeguard, Eddie Aikau is said to have never had a heat, Slater was able to stay high on a medium sized wave and get a quick cover, staying on his feet to ride the thrashing whitewash all the way to the beach. It was the only barrel during the eight heats and a fitting tribute.

At 49 years old, Ross Clarke-Jones still has a number of years left by Clyde Aikau standards, but he pushed the wave's limits harder than just about anyone of any age. RCJ held the lead through his first two heats and would have earned the prestigious title if not for John John's brilliance. Bruce Irons didn't hit the highlight reel until late in his second heat, but he located a very manageable big wave and styled his way to a 57-point score by staying on his feet as if he were just waterskiing a "I've been riding Waimea Bay for over 40 years, and today has to be one of the best days I've ever seen," Aikau said. "It is a go!" he added as the crowd came alive with whistles, cheers and applause. They got what they hoped for as huge sets of monster waves crashed onto the outer reef of the bay, producing some waves that organizers estimate were 60 feet tall.

Clyde Aikau is the only competitor to surf in all eight previous competitions and is the oldest at 66 to compete in this year's event. Thursday will be his last time surfing in the contest, he said. Clyde said the event isn't really about competition, fame or money. It's about honoring his brother's legacy of helping others and his passion for the ocean. "We are humbled and privileged," he said.

One competitor, Ramon Navarro, the son of a fisherman from south Chile, em 2009. The eight hours of big-wave madness was one of the most incredible days in recent surfing history as the invitees, the alternates who got the call and the water safety crew had their senses tingling while set after set of 40 to 50-foot faces washed through the lineup and left consistent mayhem in their wake. While John John Florence showcased his casu-alness and plucked some of the most heart-stopping rides of the winter on his way to the title, some of the day's other competitors piled on the memorable performances. At 66 years old, Clyde Aikau represents everything this event is about. His brother's legacy continues to persevere and Clyde gave Waimea Bay everything he could, just as Eddie did.

In his opening Green means go! Waimea provides, 'Eddie' participants deliver fatality while on duty. When the surf was too big for most in Waimea Bay and the crowds cleared out, Aikau would grab his surfboard and take on the biggest waves around. Ultimately, however, Aikau gave his life to the ocean in a final attempt to save others. The 31-year-old Aikau was part of a team that was at quiet lake. Irons, Reef Mcintosh and Kala Alexander, Kauai's three competitors, found some pretty waves throughout their days, but Alexander had the heaviest moment of the group.

He and former Big Wave Tour champion Makuakai Rothman collided near the top of a huge takeoff and tumbled multiple stories down the face. These and a host of others are all moments that I'll surely never forget, but Mason Ho's wipeout might be most etched in my memory. Ho, who doesn't have a second gear other than full throttle, took an enormous drop and made it more than halfway down one of the biggest waves of the day before lurching forward and getting cleaned up by a set that eventually sent spectators running up the beach. It wasn't the steepest fall, but it was so emblematic of Mason head first at top speed. Thankfully he, and everyone else who endured severe wipeouts all day long Twiggy Baker, Mark Healey Nathan Fletcher, just about everyone walked away unscathed.

After the previous false start, I didn't let myself get too excited until we got the final word early Thursday morning. That call alone was something to cherish and remember, but the actual surfing was so unique and exciting, we'll remain fulfilled for however many winters we have to endure before the next Eddie. But, I mean, we'll take one next year if Waimea feels like providing. David Simon can be reached at dsimon thegardenisland.com. MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY DAVID SIMON The idea behind "The Eddie" is that the scarcity is what makes it special.

Getting the green light and then having the bay actually call the day is the rush, in itself. Anything that happens after that is just gravy. Well the gravy boat was absolutely overflowing Thursday as "The Eddie" ran for the first time since.