The 2023 Eddie Aikau Invitational is in the books – and it was one for the books. The waves at Waimea Bay, which need to be huge to run the event, were as big as they’ve ever been. Nate Florence called it “the biggest Eddie Aikau event in history.” Local lifeguard Luke Shepardson won the whole thing, an ending which couldn’t have been more fitting if it was written in a Hollywood script. All-in-all, it was about as successful as a big wave event could be, and there was no shortage of exciting rides. All of them were impressive, to say the least, but riding a Waimea bomb all the way to beach is a rarity, and it happened a handful of times.
“Only a few surfers from the day managed to achieve this,” wrote T&C Surf Designs. “We filmed The Eddie all day and highlighted the best full rides to the beach. The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational 2023 was absolutely NUTS!”