Headed to ‘the Eddie’? Here’s what you need to know

HONOLULU (HawaiiNewsNow) - “The Eddie” big-wave surf contest is a go for Sunday at Waimea Bay.

If you’re planning to go, city officials and organizers are urging you to plan ahead — and prepare for massive crowds. Some 30,000 to 40,000 people are expected to flock to Oahu’s North Shore for the event.

A huge swell is forecast to be rising Sunday morning, which means the competition could begin around 8 a.m.

Special Section: ‘The Eddie’

If you’re planning on attending, here’s what you need to know:

• Parking will be very limited.

There will be very little public parking available for the event.

Organizers say paid parking will be available at Waimea Valley’s mauka and makai parking lots.

Public parking will not be allowed on either side of Kamehameha Highway from Iliohu Place to the Saints Peter & Paul Mission beginning Saturday at 10 a.m. through the duration of the event.

Special duty officers will be joined by private security to conduct traffic control.

• Consider taking the city bus or ride-hailing.

Congestion on Oahu’s North Shore is expected to begin Saturday night.

Organizers are urging event goers to sit in three to fours of traffic.

To alleviate some congestion, the city is providing additional city buses to the even. There will be four extra, early-morning city buses on Route 52 to the North Shore from Honolulu.

You can pick them up on the mauka side of Ala Moana Center at 4:30 a.m. through 6 a.m.

TheBus will also operate shuttles marked “60 HONOLULU-ALA MOANA” to Waimea Bay and “60 HALEIWA” to Haleʻiwa between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. These services should provide trips every 30 minutes.

Regular fares and passes will apply. For more information, go to thebus.org.

Another option: Hail an Uber or Lyft. But expect those rides to be pricey.

• Respect the communities you’re visiting.

Event organizers are reminding residents that “The Eddie” is both a sporting event and a historical one, recognizing and honoring the legacy of one of Hawaii’s most revered watermen.

“That legacy is just so enormous and just so mind boggling,” organizer Clyde Aikau HNN in December.

The North Shore is the very place where Eddie Aikau saved hundreds of lives in the 1970s as Waimea Bay’s first lifeguard and a pioneer of big-wave surfing.

That all means that visitors to the North Shore are being asked to be respectful, including by properly disposing of their trashing and following park rules. Alcohol, smoking and large canopies are not allowed.

The city said additional restroom facilities and trash bins will be provided.

There are no authorized food concessions so bring necessary supplies if you plan to spend the day.

Also be aware that cell phone and internet services may be spotty at Waimea Bay because of the number of people who will be there and the area’s unique geography.

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