The Tribute

Remembering Eddie Aikau

Garrett McNamara, one of only 28 Surfers in the world are invited to participate in the 25th edition Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau

After having spent the entire month of November in Nazare, Portugal, explore one of the eight wonders of the world, Garrett McNamara returned home to Hawaii.

"9 months of my life invested each year to travel around the world in search of giant waves and new places, but nothing gives me more joy than to return home to Hawaii, the birthplace of big waves, especially this time of year. The waves here are so deeply rooted in my life like the simple act of eating, without them I could not survive!"

This winter season is even more special to Garrett, is one of only 28 surfers in the world are invited to participate in the 25th edition Quiksilver Eddie Aikau. "My love of big waves at Waimea started so there is no greater honor then browse to the memory of one of the greatest sailor to ever live, and who embodied the aloha spirit."

In addition to intensive training, Garrett will also look at surf wear and the giant swells to me so that he can compete in the jaws cases Haleiwa Tow Surfing Championships and SUP World Tour. As always, he will be ready to fly to Maverick's and no hiding place when the sea calls.

Follow any extreme Waterman explorations through his Facebook

"You know, this place a lot of waves Taj Burrow grew up surfing in Western Australia, said Tom Curren, industry Bro beside him. "It's like my local at Ho'okipa, only better," says Mauian wonder-Grom Ian Gentil, Dane Reynolds. "It's like Kelly Slater favorite wave, soup bowls, in Barbados, said all their friends, suddenly all the experts in the art of wave comparison.

"It" is middle, the jewel in the crown of Puerto Rican surfing, home to this year's Rip Curl Pro Search, and most importantly for the present, almost certainly the place where Kelly Slater will claim their monumental tenth title. You think it's not in your bag? CS has been flying in friends and family from Florida. Many more have come by themselves, the short hop from Miami to make this a virtual home game for the king, and that's all anyone talks at the event. You get the feeling from many of its competitors that they just want it to be over and done with, so the tour can return to normal. Taj Burrow fanned, but did not do enough to get past Tiago Pires and have booked a place in round two.

Back in the water, is the wave a bit. Seems like every bay on the north shore of Puerto Rico have some form of rock or monolith in the eastern head, off which breaks up a little, sectioning, trade winds blown right, and middle is the pick of the seats. It is three feet, really racy with occasional drums, and photograher Andrew Shield compare the first episode to the snapper. Dane received after smashing heat two and simply say that the wave is ill.

Couple heats later, driving Mick Fanning out to surf his heat with one of Steph Gilmore boards and other stand less DHD. It turned out that Mick boards have gone to Japan and he does do. The DHD is an old he sold to a guy a year ago, and in time of need had to buy back. He wins his heat easily and says Steph, who is swinging around the race wearing a Suicidal Tendencies styled "Steph" Trucker Hat, that her sheets are too thin.

Puerto Rico Pride

The next two heats is where the interest is, with one and two in the world goes up against two middle markers and two wild cards. Jordy Smith goes first against Brett Simpson and local trials winner Dylan Graves. The local is given a hero's reception in the huge crowds lining the sand. He wears a Puero Rican flag to the water and cheered rapturously on each instrument. Blair Marlin Reynold bet $ 20 on the ground to beat Jordy. Dane takes the bet and laughs when Jordy are dancing an air reverse on his first wave. Brett Simpson goes well, but the heat is all Smith. For Graves, the Dane said, "you have to get the tail out at every turn or the judges give you something," and although Dylan surfing well and link together a pair of long waves, making the judges do not like his brand safe cutting and he quit the heat in the single digits. Luke Munro was also suppressed by the Portuguese Tiago tiger.

Next heat is the great, and Slater, the showman loves it. Rocking with his girlfriend Kalani and Hawaiian body surfing legend Mark Cunningham, with Travis Lee of Channel Island and Steven "stomach" Bell bears his CDs - "God, he makes them work hard, laugh Marlin - Slater step competitor field, shirtless, stretching, looking at sea, before you go out and lock in the highest heat score of the day.

When we hear ad-nauseum by the seemingly regulation over-the-top beach comment, is close to Slater as a local as you can get here, regularly skips from Florida with his brothers to surf these waves. Dan Ross throws buckets, and at the point, the leadership, and Rip Curl wildcard Dillon Perrillo stamped himself as one to watch down the line, with some beautiful, surf-powerful who would have had Curren approval in the stands, but Slater, as always, is next level.

Mick Fanning won the heat but lost his Rip Curl stickers. At one point Rossy catches the wave behind Slater's, and I find myself wondering the sense in everything it does, because the immediacy will always be just like Kelly's strengths and weaknesses of its competitors. After watching Dane, Jordy, Taj - who lost in a massive pipe Tiago Pires - and Mick get the tail free all morning, less than Kelly to the young man challenge and gouges the hell out wave to lock in an 8-something, and ice the cake. Beyond this point the day goes as planned. Andy Irons is a no-show for their warmth, bedridden with the flu and happy to sweat it out until round two, and CJ Hobgood is Owen Wright as today's only silly winner.

In a big day for the event staff, the first two generations of women are also running, and they more or less follow the script as well. Paige Hareb beats Sofia Mulanovich, who I assume is an upset, and Claire Bevilacqua trump Sally Fitzgibbons who can be considered another. But considering Tom Curren comments about the Taj, and Claire come from the same hood, maybe not so much.

Jordy Smith, Head and Shoulders Above the Rest.

So, 20 heats, 10 hours and only two surfers eliminated so far, Bethany Hamilton and Sage Erickson. Day one was a long *, but good. Forecast is for a few days to more of the same, then a big hole in the waiting time. Organizers are umming and ahhing about to drive straight through over the next few days, or see what comes from the half dozen or so different weather system that could affect this very vulnerable island in the next week.

Dan Ross displace some Caribbean H2O. * How long was today? Well, if you're wondering why this report is late, I just fell asleep for eight hours, down at my laptop, trying to punch it. After 24 hours of travel, including four flights and going through LAX and JFK, Shieldsy and I ended up in Aguadilla at 3:00 this morning to find we had no hotel room booked. We hung in the lobby for a couple hours sleep on couches, then around 5:00 the crew began to slide through on the way to the event. As, thought I was supposed to begin tomorrow.

Shieldsy and I bailed out to the race and watched 10 hours of surfing, in the stifling, sticky heat and staggered back to our new room from him, painfully tired. Lasted about two minutes before we crashed. There is a huge Halloween party tonight, a two hour bus ride away in San Juan, at the national football stadium, sponsored by the National rum company, and there is no way in hell you will find me there. As given, I traveled more than halfway around the world with a skeleton costume in my bag, says something.