Stories From The Eddie: 'The Ceremony'

Eddie Would Go.

Three words that show us what courage looks like, what responsibility demands, and what it means to put others first.

The waiting period for this year’s Rip Curl Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational is just days away, with the official Opening Ceremony taking place at Waimea Bay on Friday December 5.  

To honour the history and cultural significance of this event, we’re re-launching our ‘Stories From The Eddie’ series, starting with ‘The Ceremony’. This first instalment focusses on what The Eddie means, before the crowds arrive, before the swell awakens.

Waimea is where Eddie stood watch as one of the North Shore’s first lifeguards, where he made hundreds of rescues, and surfed waves that inspired generations of big-wave surfers to come.  

Eddie believed deeply in community and in the simple idea that there was always “good to be done.” He lived with courage, commitment, perseverance, and aloha, values that continue to guide the event and its invitees today. 

Whether the Bay calls the day in 2025/26 remains to be seen. But one thing is for certain: Eddie’s legacy lives on. The lives he saved, the courage he showed, and the spirit he carried will be remembered. May this video and this year’s Opening Ceremony serve as a reverent reminder of what this event is really all about.  

The 2025/26 Rip Curl Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational waiting period will run from December 7, 2025 – March 6, 2026. The event requires a gigantic swell producing consistent 40’ faces in order to be given the green light and as a result has only run 11 times in its 41-year history.  

Learn more about this iconic event here.