Patagonia NZ

Greg was still rehabbing his knee from an MCL surgery in October, just a few months prior, and almost didn’t show up for this year’s event. But the doctor told him he could go for it, that he’d only have an issue if he tweaked it in the exact same way, which he inevitably would on his second wave of the day.

After the first heat ended, while closeout sets feathered outside of the bay causing jet skis with photographers to turn back toward shore, Greg limped back up the beach, politely declining as folks asked to help him with his 10-foot gun.

He needed to do this walk on his own, blown-out knee and all. Just a few weeks prior at the Eddie opening ceremony, he’d announced this would be his last time in the event. He was giving up his guaranteed spot as one of the 10 Eddie winners so that someone else could have a chance. Considering the magnitude of the Eddie, and how few people relinquish their invitation, the gesture is quite powerful.

Greg was 26 years old when he came from behind to topple 11-time World Surf League champion Kelly Slater to win the Eddie in 2009. He’d been on a competitive big-wave streak winning events at Mavericks, Dungeons and in Peru, but the Eddie would be his ultimate crown jewel. It’s every big-wave surfer’s crown jewel, really.

In the 15 years since, Greg’s caught big waves all over the globe, become a talented speaker and advocate for the environment and helped pioneer modern-day paddle-surfing at Peʻahi (aka Jaws) with Shane Dorian.

I followed Greg through the competitor’s zone and behind the rows of lifted pickup trucks on the lawn at Waimea Bay Beach Park. We stopped to chat at his ride where fellow competitor and Californian Bianca Valenti was suiting up. It was a quiet moment between sets, but the competitor’s area was vibrant.

French surfer and new mother Justine Dupont was in the event, and after sending it in her heat, she came in to hold her newborn baby — a first here at the Eddie. Other competitors, like Nate Florence, Mason Ho and Billy Kemper would pull off impossible drops and ride them into the harrowing Waimea shorebreak to the cheers of the throngs lining the Bay.

“I would be sadder not surfing in my last Eddie than sitting here knowing [that one wave] probably got me a couple more months out of the water,” said Greg, sitting on the lawn of Waimea Bay, wincing just a little at his knee.

“I’ve been coming for this event every year. It’s such an honour,” he said. “I’ve done the math. It’s been almost 20 years since my name showed up on the alternate list. I remember what that meant to me as a kid, and then, a few years later, after putting in more time over here in Hawai‘i at the Bay, receiving an official invite. That was a dream come true; it literally brought me to tears. I think of how many young kids were me 20 years ago, just aspiring, and I see how long they wait on that alternate list, or even as an invitee to surf. Even some of my closest friends, who are so deserving, after 10 or 15 years are just now getting in. People wait portions of their life for that chance.”

Ben Wilkinson is one such surfer. An Aussie turned North Shore resident and father, “Big Ben” is one of the most respected underground big-wave surfers in the world — at 40 years old. Ben has been on the alternate list for what feels like an eternity but has only gotten to surf one round in the Eddie. Today, Greg would change that.

Ben didn’t hesitate to take advantage of the opportunity and subbed in for Greg’s second heat during the peak of the swell in the afternoon.

“I had a similar occurrence happen in 2016 when Noah Johnson got injured. I got to replace him in the second round. So, it’s safe to say I have officially surfed one full Eddie now,” Ben laughed. “As for replacing Greg, it’s not something I would wish upon anyone — to be injured in the event — but I’m there ready to surf, get the opportunity to realise my dream and go as hard as I can.”

In his heat, Ben rode a closeout set a bit too far west and was nearly washed into the Waimea “jump rock.” Instead of washing into the rock, Ben, being Ben, bodysurfed in with a Cheshire Cat grin and was zipped back up the beach by lifeguards to try and get one more before his heat ended. It was clear to anyone attending that nothing would keep Ben from maximising this gift. He knows there’s a hidden list beyond the one on the posters full of men and women chomping at the bit for the chance he was just given.

Back on the lawn, Greg continued, “I’ve had an incredible run. I got to compete in four Eddies and had the honour and privilege of winning that one in 2009. I’ve experienced it, and it’s one of the greatest experiences in the surfing world. This event and just being part of this celebration of Eddie’s life and knowing that there’s somebody else who will get to step into that is really cool.”

I asked Greg what it is about this event, about Eddie Aikau himself, that makes the Eddie so perennially revered by surfers. Besides being a past winner here, Greg’s won countless XXL Big Wave awards over the years, and even a WSL Big Wave World Title. But what was it about this event that unanimously makes any surfer in the world drop everything, no matter where they live, to be here if invited?

“Eddie Aikau … well, he was just an exceptional human being,” said Greg, thoughtfully. “Dedicating his life to being of service to others, giving his life to protect others. As a surfer, the stories of him out at Waimea are just extraordinary, and as a lifeguard, are even more exceptional. Eddie embodies what it means to be an absolute legend in and out of the water, and that carries on and in the spirit of this event.”

Greg glanced toward the valley as a trade wind gusted through our silence. “Life moves pretty damn fast, now more than ever, and to me, Waimea is just the most grounding place. The beauty of Waimea Valley, Eddie’s spirit, his legacy … there’s no other surfing event in the world and, questionably, any other sporting event in the world like this. It’s just so much love and aloha and obviously some incredible big waves to complement it all,” he said, grinning.

Later in the day, North Shore local and musician Landon McNamara, one of those kids who dreamed about this very day, found his moment and caught the wave that’d put him at the top of the leaderboard. Landon would make an impossible drop and somehow sneak out of the whitewater for a perfect score. He’d become the only goofy-footer to ever win the event.

I asked Greg what he’d tell the young kid who finally sees their name on the invitee list, having known what he’s learned in the last 20 years.

“Patience,” Greg said, nodding. “If I could give anybody a piece of advice as they’re exploring the world of big-wave surfing, it’s patience. Both in the time that it takes to get to wherever you are hoping to go — those goals or those waves that you’re looking to go and surf — and then understanding that life’s a journey. You look at some of the best big-wave surfers in the world and they’re in their late 40s, 50s. You gain more wisdom over the years, and it’s something that I think a lot of younger kids diving into this should realise.”

He carries on. “There’s no rush to the finish line here because there’s never going to be a finish line. There’s always another swell. There’s always going to be a bigger swell, a bigger wave ridden, a better wave ridden, and that’s part of the fun, because you’re putting yourself out there and playing that game. But patience will help you from making too many reckless decisions or getting injured or even worse. Without patience, it just sets you back from where you want to be.”

He paused between cheers as the commentator on the loudspeaker narrated Jake Maki’s ride from the outside into the shorebreak, quite ironically, one of those “reckless decisions” he was just talking about. Maki, another North Shore local and the youngest competitor in the event, had been sending it all day, and his shorebreak antics ignited the crowd.

Greg smiled and shrugged, like, ah, what do I know?

“Also, something as trivial as surfing and swells dictating your happiness and overall joy — you can’t let that rule your life,” he added. “It took me a long time to learn that one. I’m grateful for the life that it’s given me, and I’m still going to get my couple of waves in between it all, but yeah, I’d tell that young kid: Joy and happiness isn’t dictated by swells. Nor is winning and losing competitions.”

Before parting ways, I watched Greg wish Bianca good luck before her next heat, giving her a couple tips about the lineup before she marched off to the shoreline.

“If you can’t appreciate moments for just being there, knowing how privileged we are to just be able to walk out into the sand and go catch a wave — whether it’s a one-foot wave or it’s a 50-foot wave — then you need to readjust.”

Like the Eddie, in the end, it’s never really about winning. It’s about being patient enough to know when it’s your turn to go — and when to give someone else theirs.

Of course, Greg couldn’t escape some kind of win and was honoured with the event’s very first “Aloha Award,” given to him to celebrate his selflessness.