Josie Rozell
Staff Writer
The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational has been held annually for 34 years. Held—but not run, as the contest only green lights when an XXL swell forecasting 20-foot+ waves is on the horizon for Waimea Bay. The last time the competition ran was in 2016 when hometown hero John John Florence clinched the title.
The Eddie is the oldest big-wave surfing contest in the world, yet a female surfer has never participated.
Most big-wave surfing contests only started opening for female participants in 2019 when California legislation passed that required all public land-based competitions to include males and females. Soon, all World Surfing League (WSL) events opened to female athletes. Given a chance to prove themselves, prove themselves they did.
The first female surfer to be invited to The Eddie was Keala Kennelly in 2017 as an alternate, a surfer who had proven herself in massive breaks like Pe’ahi, Teahupo’o, and Mavericks countless times. Safe, strong, and ruthless, Keala Kennelly was a premier addition.
Each year following 2017, more and more female athletes have made the invitational list. In 2021 there were a record six females invited to participate, with five additional female invitees as alternates.
