The world’s first big-wave international stand-up paddle surfing competition — the one-day QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge — will tackle Makaha Point surf today with forecasts for the West Side coming in at 12 feet, with set waves as high as
The world’s first big-wave international stand-up paddle surfing competition — the one-day QuiksilverEdition Ku Ikaika Challenge — will tackle Makaha Point surf today with forecasts for the West Side coming in at 12 feet, with set waves as high as 15 feet. Competition will get underway at 7 a.m.
“The storm system that generated this swell was absolutely enormous,” explains National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration forecaster Pat Caldwell in a release. “If it had just slowed down a touch we would be eyeing a possible ‘Eddie’ swell for the North Shore, but conditions look pretty amazing for Makaha.
“There’s a broad range of direction to the swell, but the bulk of it will be in the 305-320 degree range which is great for Makaha — not too much shadowing from Kaua‘i.
“Because of the relative proximity of the system, there’ll be a broad range of wave heights too, but the majority of waves for Makaha will be around 12 feet Hawaiian scale.”
The format for the event will be four heats of trials competition with eight surfers advancing to the main round. The main round will feature eight four-man heats with two surfers from each heat advancing through subsequent rounds to a four-man final in the afternoon.
The event is primarily a fundraiser for the West Side Junior Lifeguard Foundation. Total prize money stands at $15,200, with the winner’s purse of $4,000 being won on behalf of the junior guards. All surfers in the main event will receive equal prize money of $350 each.
Competitors include riders from California, Australia, Tahiti, and the Hawaiian Islands.
