Huge waves bring Hawaii surf contest The Eddie after hiatus
One of the world’s most prestigious and storied surfing contests went forward in Hawaii for the first time in seven years HONOLULU -- One of the world’s most prestigious and storied surfing contest s went forward Sunday in Hawaii for the first time in seven years with towering wave faces and a swell that will grow into the late afternoon. And this year female surfers are competing alongside the men for the first time in the 39-year history of The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational. The event — alternatively known simply as The Eddie — is a one-day contest held in Waimea Bay on Oahu’s North Shore only when the surf is consistently large enough during the winter big wave surfing season from mid-December through mid-March. The wind, the tides and the direction of the swell also have to be just right. “Large enough” means 20 feet (6 meters) by Hawaii measurements. That’s equivalent to about 40 feet (12 meters) when measured by methods used in the rest of the U.S. Before this year, conditio...