WAIMEA VALLEY, Hawaii (KHON2) — The 2025-2026 Rip Curl Eddie Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau is set to be held between Dec. 7, 2025, through March 6, 2026.
For the competition to “go,” wave heights must reach a 40-foot face and weather conditions must permit.
The competition has only been held 11 times throughout its 41-year history.
In 2024, The Eddie went on Dec. 22 and was won by Landon McNamara.
On Dec. 5, The Eddie Aikau Foundation and Rip Curl will hold the Opening Ceremony at Waimea Beach Park.
Everyone is invited to attend the event that marks the beginning of the three month-long wait period for when The Eddie will go.
This year will not only honor Eddie Aikau but also his brother, Clyde Aikau, who passed away in May.
Clyde won The Eddie in 1986 and has served as an advisor to the Eddie Aikau Foundation and participated in the surfer selection process.
Last year, Clyde got to watch his son, Haʻa Aikau, make his debut in The Eddie.
The Eddie Aikau Foundation has also announced the invitees and alternates selected to be a part of the prestigious competition.