John John Florence took on the massive waves of Hawaii's Waimea Bay to win the Eddie, a big wave surf competition, on Thursday.
Known officially as the Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau contest, it rarely occurs due to its strict requirements. Waves must reach 30-40 feet for the event to be official. On Thursday, the surf reached heights of 45-50 feet.
Grant "Twiggy" Baker took a huge spill from the top of said waves.
While the Eddie was launched in 1984, it has only officially occurred eight times. On a scale of one to Halley's Comet, The Eddie is the Cicada-birth of sporting events.
Eddie Aikau earned notoriety for riding huge waves on Oahu's North Shore. As Waimea Bay's first official lifeguard, he held local legend status during his life. "Eddie would go," is the catchphrase of the event.
"Today has been one of the best days I've seen in 40 years," said Clyde Aikau, Eddie's younger brother who won the second Eddie memorial in 1987, according to CNN.
As a lifeguard at Waimea Bay, Eddie Aikau saved hundreds of lives.
"He really did share aloha wherever he went," said event spokeswoman Jodi Wilmott, according to the Associated Press. "He loved to share his own spirit of what being a Hawaiian was. He played music freely and told stories of Hawaii wherever he travelled."
During a 1978 attempt to retrace the journey of their Polynesian forebears in a traditional Hokulea canoe, Aikau and the team he was part of encountered rough weather in open water off the coast of Hawaii. They took on water and capsized.
In search of help, Aikau paddled away on his surfboard. While the rest of the team was rescued, Aikau was never seen again. The surfing competition remembers his love and contribution to the sport.
