If this feels like Déjà vu, well, it just might be. Two weeks ago we were all on call for the ninth running of Quiksilver’s Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau, only to have it all called off the morning of. Mark Healey and Tom Carroll stayed on the North Shore and made going left at Waimea the new in thing, Shane Dorian bolted for Maui and snagged what might have been the barrel of the winter in a winter full of them, and Albee Layer endured an up and down journey home only to get skunked for the Eddie then end up in the hospital anyway. February 10th, 2016 was a hectic day, and it all started when Eddie didn’t go.
Here we are now, twelve days later, and the official page for surfing’s biggest day has one simple message:
Organizers have called a YELLOW alert for this Thursday morning, February 25th. The call to GO will ONLY be made at the beach on Thursday morning. Not before. If ON, it will be an 8am start.
The new purple blob that has us all holding our breath once more was expected to come with plenty of size but unfavorable winds. Meanwhile, the National Weather Service is reporting another very strong storm to roll through Wednesday night with the Bay possibly turning on in plenty of time for the 8 am. Winds seem to be the determining factor in whether or not these two storms come together to create something worthy of the Eddie.
This means the contests’ invitees are all on call, but if we’re to heed the statement on Quiksilvers’ page, none of them will know for sure until Thursday morning.
