As the North Pacific awakens in the fall and cold water storms begin their powerful charge off Alaska, so too does the summer time placid atmosphere that draws tourists to frolic in the crystal blue water of Waimea. The water turns treacherous as the November meets December and winter goes into full swing. This dramatic turn of events began drawing surfers as early as 1957 when early surf pioneers Greg Noll paddled out with Mickey Munoz, Harry Church, Mike Stange and a few others under the trained lens of filmmaker Bud Browne. The result was a media blitz that drove droves of surfers to begin challenging the massive ledge and suction of the famed Waimea drop. However, years earlier in 1943, a Dickie Cross drowned while trying to paddle in from Sunset during a quickly rising swell which had added to the unridable lore of this massive right-hander.
Performance levels at Waimea were pushed by early riders like Greg Noll, Buzzy Trent, and Pat Curren (father of world champion Tom Curren). But generally regarded as Waimea’s finest rider was Eddie Aikau who not only lived right at the Bay but was also its first lifeguard. From all accounts, no one dropped in as deep or as late or with as much accuracy as the Eddie Aikau. After several contests ran at Waimea including the Duke Kahanomoku Classic and the Smirnoff Pro, Quiksilver staked claim to the heavily funded event which honored Aikau who died trying to save his crew the traditional Hawaiian sailing vessel, the Hokulei’a. The Eddie has become synonymous with big wave surfing at the Bay and as if predestined, the inaugural event was won by Eddie’s younger brother Clyde.
Images of surfers dropping from the sky amidst dark blue walls that looked to be 20 to 30 feet were spectacular and drew tourists and spectators from all around Oahu. This is due in no small part to its perfect stadium like set up. Mere humans can marvel from the bleachers of the surrounding bay, rocks, and even from above on the mountain and witness daredevils throw themselves over the ledge and with a Hawaiian heiau, an ancient burial ground nearby, and the picturesque church tower ever present, the place is a coliseum of melodrama.
But the danger is real and as the years progressed so did the surfing performance with Reno Abellira and James Jones leading the charge. Ken Bradshaw, Darrick Doerner, and Mark Foo spearheaded the next generation. Impressively, Brock little made a huge splash as a teenager, incorporating a new, loose approach to the giant walls.
As the 90’s turned to 2000, Waimea had lost some of its luster as new discoveries of Mavericks and Teahupo drew attention from the hallow bay. New outer reefs like Jaws on Maui and Outside log cabins became surfable with new Personal Water Craft assisted tow-in surfing. But although the cameras have turned away, a tight group of surfers have been quietly charging the massive drop. The performances of this generation of surfers like Jamie O’brien, Jamie Sterling, and Mark Healy (not to forget the incredibly progressive approach of Kelly Slater and Shane Dorian) have drawn the spotlight back to the hallowed venue as the surfing world takes a step back towards the pure, leaving tow-in surfing from the truly unridable realm.
