The Eddia Aikau Surf competition doesn’t happen too often. But when it does, the whole island knows about it.
BBC News captured thousands of spectators as they gathered in Hawaii to watch the world’s greatest surfers compete. The Eddie Aikau contest is only held in extreme conditions – and this was its eighth time to take place in 25 years.
Some people camped out all night to get the best vantage points. Monster waves of 12m (40ft) pounded Oahu’s famous North Shore, providing ideal conditions for the one-day event, which was left staged in 2004.
One commentator described the event as “unbelievably dangerous”. Safety teams were in the water on jet skis in case of accidents.
The winner of the day, 24 year old Greg Long (centre), took home a cheque for $55,000 US dollars.
Source: BBC News