Organizers of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau big-wave competition issued a green alert, anticipating the contest could be held Thursday.
But as always, “the bay calls the day.”
Contest organizers will get buoy readings late Wednesday night to better gauge Thursday’s conditions.
“We have set up in Waimea, we have our scaffolding, we’re ready to go, and hopefully everything will come out right,” said contest director Glen Moncata. “This storm has kind of tracked a little bit closer to us, so we know we’re going to get waves. Hopefully, with all the predictions, we’ll be able to start in the morning.”
The official call to determine whether The Eddie is a go will likely be made at around 6 or 6:30 a.m. Thursday.
If it’s a go, the contest will start at around 8 or 8:30 a.m.
Traffic and parking
For those braving the drive to Haleiwa to watch the contest in person, be prepared for heavy traffic and limited parking.
The Waimea Bay Beach Park parking lot will be closed to the public. There are other parking options, but they’re limited:
Waimea Valley:
- $10 for the parking lot,
- $20 for outside parking around the park.
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church:
- Parking lot will open at 10 p.m. Wednesday and can fit a maximum of 100 vehicles. Payments are donation-based.
Laniakea Beach and Sunset Beach Park:
- No charge, first-come, first-served.
The state announced new parking restrictions on Kamehameha Highway along Oahu’s North Shore.
No parking will be allowed on either side of the highway from Iliohu Place to the Saints Peter and Paul church beginning 10 p.m. Wednesday through the duration of the tournament.
Temporary barriers will be placed in the shoulders to prevent parking and allow safe pedestrian access. Honolulu police officers will be patrolling the area enforcing the parking restriction. Vehicles parked within the restricted area will be cited and/or towed at the owner’s expense.
Electronic message boards will be strategically placed at key decision-making points including Wahiawa, Kahaluu and Kahuku to alert motorists of parking restrictions and heavy traffic on the North Shore. Additional signs will be placed on both ends of the designated area near Waimea Bay to notify drivers of the parking restriction.
Should the event be canceled, the barriers will be removed as quickly as possible and the parking restriction will be lifted.
TheBus adds North Shore service
TheBus officials say they plan to run extra service to the North Shore to accommodate anyone planning to watch in person. View the full schedule changes here.
Route 52 (Honolulu-Mililani-Haleiwa) and Route 55 (Honolulu-Kaneohe-Haleiwa) will accommodate increased early morning ridership with four additional departure times from Ala Moana Center and Alapai Transit Center.
Online and social media coverage
The contest can be seen on CBS Sports Network, Oceanic Time Warner Cable channels 250 and 1250HD, and online at www.quiksilver.com andwww.worldsurfleague.com.