THE EDDIE IS ON
Today has been a pretty nice day for me. I slept in after taking some Nyquil last night for my developing cold. Around noon I headed to the post office to drop off my cleats that I sold on eBay. I headed to lunch and then to study. When I sat down at my desk in the study area in an academic hall I went to, I got a text from Quiksilver saying, “The Eddie is on!” I was so stoked!
The Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in memory of Eddie Aikau is a big wave surfing competition that is hosted on the North Shore in Hawaii every year. However, what makes this surfing event so unique is not only it’s “invitation only” status, but also it’s three month holding period from the beginning of December until the end of February. In order for the “Eddie” to take place, the waves on the North Shore must reach twenty feet in height. This is the 25th year of The Eddie, and since it’s conception, it has only ran eight times, including today. (That is a pretty lame description of The Eddie, and doesn’t give it justice at all. I suggest clicking on either one of those links above to read what The Eddie is all about. Eddie Aikau is nothing less than a legend.)
I quickly logged on quiksilver.com and clicked to watch the event LIVE. It was so sweet. I watched the entire event while I studied, from the beginning heats in round one until the ending after round two finished. It gave me great little study breaks when I would hear the commentators go crazy after a great wave or sick wipe out. Now.. I’m no “real” surfer, but if you know me, you know that I consider myself “professional surfer” status and claim to be sponsored by Quiksilver.. just because I like reading surfing magazines, like trying to dress like the world’s top surfers, and want to live in California and surf every morning of every day. However, I’ve only “surfed” one time in my life. And I put surfed in quotes because the “one” time I “surfed” was in Hilton Head Island, on around 4-5 foot waves, and only really got up on my board once. But I have a picture to prove it! I swear! … Hmm where did it go? But anyways.. I find something so unique in the sport of surfing, I’m so attracted to surfers’ competitions with waves and the ocean. Hence the same stellar and stoked, two surfing terms, I just like surfing!
The Eddie was really awesome to watch, and I had a pretty great afternoon and evening studying and watching the best surfers in the world. I even got Sheida hooked, and she was correcting me on the rules of the event!
I don’t think I was distracted too much today though, and definitely got important studying done for my finals tomorrow. Chemistry at 8 and gerontology at 11:30. I’m stoked, I’m ready! Bring it on final exams.
I’ll shall catch you later, I’m going to watch the closing ceremonies of The Eddie and then calling it a night!
