Wednesday 12/15/04

Eddie did go on the big Wednesday !!
 

A 25 feet (50 feet faces) swell hit the North Shore today with excellent surfing and weather conditions for the
20th Anniversary Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay.
.
Bruce Irons (Kauai) finish first in a field of 24 world class big wave riders.
His victory, with a perfect performance and the top two scores of the event: a perfect 100 and a near perfect 99,
gave rise to the most satisfying and meaningful of his career to date, also earning him US$55,000.
.
" Today, I rode the biggest waves of my life", Bruce behind Michael Ho

2000 former event champion Ross Clarke Jones of Australia placed second (338 points, US$12,000)

Big Island's Shane Dorian was third (331 points, US$7,000),

Andy Irons(Kauai) was fourth (329 points, US$5,000),
.

Northern California's Peter Mel was fifth (327 points, US$4,000),

and 2002 defending event champion Kelly Slater (Florida) was sixth (291 points, US$3,000).
.

All surfers placed seventh through 24th received US$2,000 each.
A record crowd in excess of 20,000 overflowed the famous sands of Waimea Bay, lining roadsides,
hillsides and bringing traffic on the North Shore of Oahu to a standstill for most of the day.

Eddie Aikau was the North Shore of Oahu's first lifeguard, watching over the Bay when he wasn't charging the biggest waves of the winter. Tragically, he lost his life in 1978, at the age of 33, during a re-creation of the Polynesian voyage between Hawaii and Tahiti. In huge seas, the voyaging canoe Hokule'a was capsized. Eddie paddled off in an attempt to reach help for his fellow crewmen. While he was never physically seen again, his spirit has lived on to touch the lives of many - surfers, big wave riders, and those who simply appreciate the ocean.

Complete Results:
1. Bruce Irons (Haw) 370; 2. Ross Clarke-Jones (Aus) 338; 3. Shane Dorian (Haw) 331; 4. Andy Irons (Haw) 329; 5. Peter Mel (USA) 327; 6. Kelly Slater (USA) 291; 7. Michael Ho (Haw) 264; 8. Titus Kinimaka (Haw) 262; 9. Noah Johnson (Haw) 258; 10. Paul Paterson (Aus) 255; 11. Rusty Keaulana (Haw) 252; 12. Jamie Sterling (Haw) 250; 13. Clyde Aikau (Haw) 249; 14. Myles Padaca (Haw) 236; 15. Tony Moniz (Haw) 234; 16. Pancho Sullivan (Haw) 227; 17. Ross Williams (Haw) 217; 18. Makua Rothman (Haw) 214; 19. Mark Healey (Haw) 214; 20. Tony Ray (Aus) 207; 21. Daryl "Flea" Virostko (USA) 194; 22. Brian Keaulana (Haw) 176; 23. Zane Aikau (Haw) 149; 24. John Gomes (Haw) 142.
 

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