After a few weeks of speculation, this morning it has been officially announced that Quiksilver will no longer be sponsoring the Eddie Aikau, the prestigious, invite only big wave comp held at Waimea Bay on the North Shore.
The Aikau family, Quiksilver and the World Surf League have reportedly been in talks for several months, however last week negotiations finally broke down and on Saturday at an awards lunch, the announcement was officially made.
Seth Reiss, family friend and attorney to the Aikaus read a statement form them at the lunch, saying “the contest reminds us of Eddie, of (Waimea) bay, of surfing, and of Hawaiian culture.”
“The family is proud of the event and appreciated the role Quiksilver played. That relationship ended earlier this year. There were substantial discussions between the family and Quiksilver about how the relationship could be continued, but in the end, no agreement was reached.”
Due to Quiksilver’s recent money troubles, many speculated that the break down was due to cash issues, however Reiss and the family claimed this was not the case and are reported to have said that ‘money was not a major issue’.
The kind of carnage that makes the Eddie such a popular event around the world. Photo WSL
Whilst the future of the comp is unclear, what is certain is that it will not to run this year, as the deadline for acquiring the required permits has now passed:
“We certainly understand how important ‘the Eddie’ is to the people of Honolulu, and the state and the world, because it is such an iconic event.” said City deputy managing director Georgette Deemer. “We have met with Clyde (Eddie’s brother), we have looked at it from every angle, and for the 2016-2017 season, the permit process has closed. It was closed in 2015.”
It is not yet clear if another sponsor will swoop in and look to pair up with the Aikua family for a new event, or if the permit will be opened up to all applicants, allowing other organisations to plan an event in a different format all together. Whatever happens we think we speak for the whole surf world when we say we hope something is resolved and the ever entertaining Eddie returns to our screens shortly!
