Dickie Cross lost his life at the Waimea Bay in 1943. Caught out by a large, rising swell at Sunset Beach, Cross and Woody Brown opted to paddle three miles down to Waimea. They hoped they might make it in through the channel, but arrived to find the place closing out, with waves in excess of 40 feet breaking across the bay. Brown barely made it ashore. Cross's body was never recovered.

Over the next decade, Waimea was bodysurfed by a handful - Noah Kalama, Fran Heath, and John Kelly, but North Shore boardriding largely occured at Sunset, Laniakea, and Haleiwa.

Seal Beach lifeguard Harry Schurch was driving around Waimea Bay on a day in 1957 when he noticed what appeared to be rideable waves on the point - nothing life-threatening, somewhere in the 10-15-foot range. He rode a few. Later that day, back from Makaha, Greg Noll, Mike Stang, Mickey Munoz, Del Cannon and Bing Copeland also took it on as the swell rose toward 20 feet. Their session, unlike Schurch's, was captured on film by Bud Brown for what became Waimea's introduction to the rest of the world.

In 1958 Peter Cole, Ricky Grigg and Pat Curren from California added a few more minds to the mix. They focused on taming the beast of a wave that Waimea represented at 20 feet and over.

Eddie Aikau hit the scene in 1966, kicking off a relationship with Waimea that would become legendary - saving countless lives as the Bay's first official lifeguard and surfing for up to eight hours at a time without breaks, riding beautifully.

More than the wave, the rider, or the equipment, it was the camera capturing the images that brought about international awareness and elevated Waimea to what was perceived as a recognition wave.

Television coverage, contests, and the pro surfing movement all started to gel around the time and surfing was becoming a legitimate lifestyle. Surfers who came for a season ended up staying, and pretty soon Waimea had a solid base of big wave chargers: Mike Diffenderfer, Owl Chapman, Reno Abellira, Sam Hawk, Downing, Cole, Grigg, Kimo Hollinger, Buzzy Trent, Jose Angel, Aikau, Kealoha Kaeo and Tiger Espere.

With the 1980s came the redefinition of the way Waimea was surfed. While the takeoff remained the crux of the ride, maneuvers offered a whole new challenge as surfers looked to transpose a new standard of carving turns onto the expansive canvas of Waimea.

In the winter of 1984/'85, the first Eddie Aikau Memorial was held at Sunset Beach. The next winter Quiksilver took this event to a new level, relocating it to Waimea Bay . They invited big wave specialists from around the world, and provided a platform for showcasing the sport's high-end, and performance levels went through the roof.

Along with the North Shore's general surfing population, there was a growing number sharing the lineup at Waimea; Booby Jones, Tommy Nellis, Richard Schmidt, Brock Little, Clyde Aikau, Ken Bradshaw, Roger Erickson, Mark Foo, Doerner, Tony Moniz, Charlie Walker, Aaron Napoleon, Marvin Foster, Mickey Nielson, Bobby Owens and Johnny Boy Gomes.

The 1990s brought changes unimaginable to the surfing world, and Waimea's esteemed rating of big-wave riding's zenith was challenged.

A booming global surf industry, fully-fledged international world tour, and mainstream acceptance of the sport were setting new heights. The birth of everything "extreme" was on the horizon and surfing was at the vanguard. The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau was soon keeping company with its California cousin - the Quiksilver Maverick's Men Who Ride Mountains event.

Greater notoriety ushered in more crowds and surfing's numbers continued to increase. Exposure of locations, along with the accessibility and affordability of travel added more again. In addition, the science of surf-forecasting was enabling surfers to pinpoint swells around the planet and make arrangements to coincide with them. Much of the mystery and exclusivity was gone.

What began as a tactic to outrun the crowd, soon turned into a new frontier in surfing: the tow-in. By the mid-1990s, the big-wave barrier of Waimea's 25-35 feet was completely shattered as guys like Doerner, Laird Hamilton, and Dave Kalama put a spot called "Jaws" on the map with this particular method of using jet skis to get into the wave. They had found a new mountain and a new game developed. It was the first time Waimea's size and intensity had been called into question, but out of respect, very few were willing to voice the opinion out loud.

In terms of big-wave riding in its purest form, tow-in is no match for the sheer skill required of one man to paddle himself into giant waves. If 30 to 35-feet is the limit to self propultion then so be it. Despite the advent of towing in, Waimea's stature was in tact; it proves the ultimate challenge of man versus the sea. With its ancient roots and the energy of its forefathers, Waimea was still deemed to be the soul of big-wave riding.

Today Waimea still has its old-style crew surfing it just for the love; guys like Clarke Abbey, Eric Haas, and Chris Owens. They wouldn't miss a swell for the world and it doesn't matter on what day it might fall. Then when it's "Eddie" time, it will be guys like Slater, Bruce and Andy Irons, Keone Downing, Titus kinimaka, Brock Little, Ross WIlliiams, Ross Clarke-Jones, Darryl Virostko, Mark Healey, Paul Paterson, and Peter Mel who find the spotlight.

Quiksilver Eddie Aikau Timeline:

Winter of 1984/1985 - First memorial event in Aikau's honor held at Sunset Beach, won by Denton Miyamura.

1986/1987 - Eddie Aikau event moved to Waimea, won by Clyde Aikau in onshore 20-foot surf, Feb. 21, 1987

1989/1990 - Event runs in late January, wave heights 25-foot plus. Memorable waves were Brock Little's crazy tuberide, and the perfect score by Richard Schmidt for his magic carpet drop. Event was ultimately won by Keone Downing.

1995/1996 - Event runs on Dec. 29. Only one of two rounds was held, with no declared winner.

1997/1998 - A large swell came in January. The waves were over 30 feet, which was deemed too big, and ironically and the event didn't go.

1998/1999 - The event ran on New Year's day. Noah Johnson, the smallest surfer in the event at 5'3", was unstoppable on a day of cartoonish proportions.

2000/2001 - The event ran on January 12. Ross Clarke-Jones, an invitee since the beginning of the event at Waimea finally got his just reward in 20-foot plus.

2001/2002 - The event ran in January. Kelly Slater proved that his supreme status is not limited to the world tour.

2004/2005 - The event ran on December 15, just 9 days into the holding period. Booming 25-plus and a maximum capacity crowd for the 20th anniversary event. Bruce Irons won with his ride to the shore which culminated in a mind-blowing, crowd roaring closeout barrel.

Eddie Aikau

Eddie Aikau was bron on Maui in 1946. He began surfing at 11, and moved to Oahu in 1959. Eddie was a direct descendant of Kahuna Nui Hewahewa, the highest priest of Hawaii in the early 1800s. Hewahewa retired to Waimea Valley later that century, taking up the role of caretaker of Waimea Valley, from the mountains to the sea. 100 years later, Aikau picked up the family torch as caretaker of the Bay - its first official lifeguard.

His big debut at Waimea Bay came in 1966, when photos of him were published in Life Magazine that year. In 1969, Bank of America used Aikau in a nationwide billboard campaign.

In 1977 Eddie won the Duke Kahanamoku Classic, beating surfing greats Mark Richards, Rabbit Bartholomew, Dane Kealoha, Bobby Owens and Rory Russell. Eddie was also a 6-time finalist in the Duke event between 1966 and 1974. Eddie was ranked 12th in the world in 1977

Eddie's Legacy

By the mid-'70s, Eddie's passion for big wave riding was not his only driving force. The Hawaiian cultural renaissance was in full swing and Aikau was feeling the pull to dig deeper into the roots of his Hawaiian heritage. Following his win of the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational at Sunset Beach in the winter of 1977, his focus shifted to the Hokule'a.

A traditional double-hull voyaging canoe that was the symbol of Hawaiian pride, the Hokule'a represented the cultural connection that Hawaiians were seeking at the time. Eddie was selected to be part of the crew who would sail Hokule'a by traditional celestial navigation from Hawaii to Tahiti in March of 1978. It was to be a 30-day, 2,500 mile voyage across the Pacific, following the ancient route of Polynesian migration.

The Hokule'a set sail on the stormy afternoon of March 16, 1978, in strong winds that were whipping up heavy seas. Not far into the journey, Hokule'a developed a leak in one of her hulls, later capsizing during the night in the Moloka'i Channel. After weathering the night, and with the physical state of crewmembers deteriorating, Aikau insisted upon paddling for the Hawaiian island of Lana'i, estimated to be some 19 miles away. It would be the final rescue attempt of his life. While the crew aboard Hokule'a were later spotted by a passing plane and rescued, Aikau was never seen again. He was two months shy of his 32nd birthday.

North Shore history.

Modern-day surfing on the North Shore began in the early 40s, but Hawaiian legend tells of surfers centuries earlier.

Hawaiians settled in the Waialua and Ko'olauloa Districts along the North Shore around 1100 AD and established villages along valleys, streams, and bays. Drawn to the area by the rich ocean waters and fertile lands dotted with natural springs, they grew taro and sweet potato. Oahu and the North Shore region became home to ancient Hawaiian communities that thrived at ocean/land/river junctures such as the Anahulu River and Waimea Valley. In ancient times, the Hawaiians divided land into ahupua'a - natural divisions from the mountains, through river valleys, to the sea that contained everything necessary for sustaining life.

In 1832, Christian missionaries came to Waialua District and built a mission and girls seminary in Hale'iwa. The town was expanded by wealthy businessman Benjamin J. Dillingham at the end of the 19th century when he built the Hale'iwa Hotel.

Prior to the close of the 11th century, the ahupua'a of Waimea was given to the kahuna (priest) of O'ahu by Kamapua'a, O'ahu's ruling chief of the time. Waimea Valley remained home to the High Priest of O'ahu for over 600 years. The last was Hewahewa - the Kahuna nui under the reign of Kamehameha I. After the death of Kamehameha I, leadership of the Islands fell into the hands of Ka'ahumanu, the third of Kamehameha's wives. Together, Ka'ahumanu and Hewahewa brought an end to the ancient kapu system of Hawaii (system of laws based upon taboos, particular prohibitions, sacred ways and multiple gods). Hewahewa retired to Waimea Valley.

The first Westerners to land on O'ahu came ashore at Waimea Bay in 1779, aboard Captain Cook's ship and briefly anchored to replenish fresh water supplies after Cook's death on the Big Island. The crew recorded that the area around Waimea River was "well cultivated and full of villages and the face of the country is uncommonly beautiful and picturesque".

The first Western settlement came in 1832, when Protestant missionaries Reverend John and Ursula Emerson, arrived in the Waialua District. Aboard the Thaddeus, the Emersons put in at Waialua Bay at the mouth of the Anahulu River, where the Anahulu (or Hale'iwa) Bridge is found today. They went on to establish Emerson House and a Protestant church in the heart of the village and Hewahewa became a regular visitor to the church. Today, that church is known as the Queen Liliu'okalani Protestant Church, named after Hawaii's last queen who vacationed in Hale'iwa at the royal summer home and worshiped at the church. It is located on Main Street in Haleiwa.

In 1837 with the death of Hewahewa, whose bones remain at Waimea Valley, the rule of the kahuna nui (most high priest) came to a close. In the mid-1800s, the ancient kahuna land system was overthrown in a great land division known as the 'Great Mahele'.

The western system of land titles and deeds signaled the start of private land ownership, but not before Hewahewa's granddaughter, Paalua, successfully claimed one-half of Waimea Valley lands. With private ownership came the sugar cane and pineapple plantations, which dominated the economy for 100 years. Pineapple and diversified agriculture continue along the North Shore today.

In 1898, visionary businessman Benjamin Dillingham - a promoter of real estate and railways, opened Hawai'i's finest hotel. It was a grand Victorian hotel he name the "Hale'iwa", which means "house of the 'iwa", or frigate bird, and was situated where 'Hale'iwa Joe's' restaurant stands today. Dillingham felt the frigate bird best exemplified the ambience he wanted to create for the hotel. Seemingly in the middle of nowhere, the Haleiwa hotel was part of a bigger plan for Dillingham. It rested at the end of the line of his railroad that serviced the sugar plantations and enabled him to further capitalize on his investment. Dillingham was also the director of Waialua Sugar Co.