On the beautiful island of Oahu, located in Hawaii, is a beach towards the North side where the sand glimmers and the ocean reflects the blue skies. It's known for the large waves crashing towards the shores and the big rock that lies on the sandy bay and the blue water. This beach holds a lot of history and its name is Waimea Bay.
Waimea is believed to mean reddish water or sacred water. The origin of this name couldn't be found but it could be related to certain stories involving Waimea Bay (Traditional History & Culture, 2017). Historians state that Hawaiians could have been living in Waimea since the 12th century and prospering by themselves. A lot of the history is derived from oral stories passed down from generations. In olden Hawaiian days, many of the lands were divided among chiefs and high ranking individuals (Mull, 2016). Historian Samuel Kamakau is one of the greatest Hawaiian historians and has written numerous amounts of books related to Hawaiian history. On many occasions, he has mentions Waimea Bay and the history it holds (Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii, 1992). Kamakau mentions that Kamehameha captured Oahu in 1795, and he gave Waimea Valley to Hewahewa, the high priest who had control over Waimea Bay as well.
Hewahewa’s power over Waimea allowed him to be buried there and the valley to be called "The valley of the priest" (Traditional History & Culture, 2017). This is one of the earlier records of Waimea and is interesting how deep and far oral history of Hawaiians can last.
Waimea Bay played a key role when it came to Oʻahu’s first contact with foreigners. When Captain Cook was killed, Charles Clerke took control of the ship and crew. Under his guidance, the crew managed to escape to Oahu and first landed on the beach in 1779 (Traditional History & Culture, 2017). This means Waimea Bay was important for the first foreigners to make contact with Oahu and caused many other events to occur. During 1800s, Waimea Bay would become an important location for trading, more specifically sandalwood trading, and many ships would use the beach as a place to load and resupply (Traditional History & Culture, 2017). Waimea Bay was an important location in the past for Hawaii's economy.
Gods were a huge factor in Hawaiian history and affected how locations were viewed and taken care of. Waimea Bay was no different and held an important temple. At the south point of the bay, lies an old temple that worshiped an ancestral god named Kane Aukai. He would be seen as the fishing god and many fishermen would make offerings in hopes to catch a good supply of fish (Traditional History & Culture, 2017). The story that followed this temple is quite important and how it becomes an important place for the Hawaiian people.
The story of Kane Aukai explains how two fishermen one day went to Waimea Bay to catch fishes and had no luck for most of the time. However, towards the end of the day, the fishermen would catch a small fish and a head size stone. Not realizing the importance of the stone, they released both catches. During the night, both fishermen would dream about the stone and how it was calling the fishermen to retrieve the stone again and find its body. The following day, the fishermen would catch the stone again and travel to Waialua to find the stone body, which happens to be a human-shaped driftwood. Using the stone and wood, they created a body and a temple to honor Kane Aukai. By doing so, the god rewarded Waimea with a diverse and
abundant amount of fish. To this day, fishermen would make an offering to the god before going out to fish (Traditional History & Culture, 2017). The story of Kane Aukai is one of the many Hawaiian stories that explain the spectacular features of Waimea Bay. This beach's diverse species of fish is one of its most magnificent features.
Despite the beauty Waimea Bay displays, there are also times disaster came upon it. In 1894, a flood destroyed a village in Waimea Valley and caused a small riverbank that allowed sand to develop and stiffen. In the mid-1950s, a large operation of sand mining occurred where sand was taken from Waimea to be used to create beaches in other locations like Ala Moana, Waikiki and Magic Island. The removal of sand caused the water of the beach to deepen and waves to become larger (Surfer, 2010). These events are most likely the reason Waimea Bay is the way it is today.
In more recent times, Waimea Bay isn't seen as a trade route or a place for the economy to prosper. This beach provides entertainment for many families and individuals looking to spend a day relaxing. Also lying on the beach is a large rock that extends to the deep waters of the beach. Although dangerous and warned against, many people would jump off the rock to the refreshing welcoming water. If it's not the high altitude that people love it could also be underwater where the fishes swim. Snorkeling is a popular activity at Waimea Bay, seeing fishes swim by or the turtles gliding majestically through the calm water is a sight to behold. However, the true stars of the beach are the massive waves.
Surfers for decades have seen Waimea as a place to go to for large waves and to really challenge oneself. Waimea Bay is a place people go to join the big wave club, meaning that they have successfully surfed a wave 20 feet or higher. Such a task is dangerous but a lot of surfers
pride themselves with this achievement and is a goal many wish to reach. Only surfers would know how difficult it is to ride larger waves and the number of failures and pain they suffer to gain the skills they need. Knowing the story of one of the first big wave riders is important as it influences generations to come.
There was a time when Waimea Bay has never been surfed. The first person to paddle in the water of the beach was Dickie Cross and it was on accident. In 1943, Cross got stuck in a swell and was forced to paddle down from Sunset Beach to Waimea Bay, it was here that he found out the waves of Waimea Bay were hard-hitting and dangerous to ride. Sadly, Cross could not battle the waves and lost his life at the beach. It isn't til a decade later that Waimea Bay will be attempted. Greg Noll is one the first surfers in the 1900’s to successfully ride the waves of Waimea. Noll was from California and moved to Hawaii in 1954 with a passion for surfing. For many years, Noll would always pass by Waimea Bay and slowly would build confidence to surf it. The stories of Dickie Cross death and from seeing how harsh the waves were intimidated Noll. He promised that one day he will battle and win against Waimea Bay waves (Alabone, 2016).
On a day in November 1957, Greg Noll and a group of dedicated surfers traveled out to Waimea Bay. Noll sat and watched the waves crashing onto the shores and decided enough was enough. He grabbed his board and charge to the unpredictable waters of Waimea Bay and begin paddling out. This motivated the other surfers to follow and on that day history was made. After many tries, the surfers manage to conquer the big waves and a new path for surfing was opened (Alabone, 2016). This moment catalyzed the upcoming generations of surfers to challenge larger waves. The following years, Waimea Bay gained a lot of attraction due to these big wave riders and even allowed for Waimea Bay's first contest in 1974 called the Smirnoff Pro (Surfing A to Z,
2019). From one moment of big wave surfing allowed Waimea Bay to gain all the popularity it deserves and influence decades of surfing.
In the names of big wave surfing, Eddie Aikau deserves to be mention as he did a lot for Waimea Bay and why it has the reputation it does today. Aikau was born May 4, 1946, on the island of Maui. His siblings say as a child, he would always be willing to explore and be the first one to take on a challenge (Eddie Aikau Foundation Biography, 2006). It is clear that from a young age Eddie was a risk taker and adventurous, his traits will benefit him as he grows and takes a liking to surf and other activities. Many individuals describe Eddie as a family man, he loved and respect anyone who showed him the same esteem. No matter the color of the person skin or where they traveled from, he treated them as one family. Eddie first surfed Waimea in 1966 and this relationship he built would last for the rest of his life. His relationship was so strong with the beach that he and his brother became the first lifeguards of Waimea Bay. They would guard the beach without losing a single person. Eddie guarded not only Waimea Bay but all the beaches of North Shore. Throughout his life, Eddie conquered waves greater than 20 feet with ease. He has ridden 30 feet tall waves without any issues and is seen as one of the greatest big wave surfers (Who is Eddie?).
Eddie's adventure comes to an end when he was invited to travel on the Hokule'a, a canoe
created to resemble the one Polynesian once travel with, to reenact a voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti using nothing but old Polynesian navigation techniques. The task itself is difficult, but to battle the waves is another task the travelers have to face. During the voyage, the canoe capsized in the middle of the night and everyone was in danger. Eddie volunteered to use his surfboard that he brought with him to paddle out and find rescue. Despite the captain of the voyage
disagreeing, Eddie persuaded him to let him go. This was the last time Eddie Aikau was seen (Who is Eddie?). Eddie Aikau's death influenced many people and his impact on Waimea Bay will forever last.
Waimea Bay is now the home to the famous surfing competition "The Eddie". This competition was created in honor of Eddie Aikau. The competition is only held when the waves are above 20 feet and the list of the invited competitors are released beforehand. There are many times The Eddie could not be held due to weather conditions and other internal issues. The competition has only been hosted a few times since the first competition being in 1985 (WSL, 2018). The competition starts with the competitors paddling out to form a surfer circle. In the circle, speeches and prayers are said in remembrance of Eddie Aikau, the man who influence Waimea Bay and protected it for so long (Who is Eddie?). The Eddie is a high acclaimed competition and being invited is an honor to represent the surfing culture and to pay respect to a legendary big wave surfer.
In conclusion, Waimea Bay holds a lot of meaning. The history that location was involved in is important and has shaped history quite a bit. The people Waimea Bay has nurtured and allow them to grow up with and achieve is no small feat. Without Waimea Bay, Eddie Aikau may have not been the man he was and affected surfing in a huge way. This beach is still and always will be an amazing place for surfing and swimming. The waves of the beach are inconsistent as it could be low for a couple of weeks and then high for the next few. The experience of Waimea differs from person to person. Some individuals can fall in love with the waves and others come for the rock diving. Waimea Bay is not just sands or water to some people, it is a place they can call home and always count on being there.
Final:
Title: The Story of Waimea Bay
Citations: The citations I chose are personal interviews about various individuals or more in depth descriptions about Waimea Bay
Name: Waimea Bay
Work Cited
Abalone. “Unbounded Courage: the First Surfers to Ride Waimea Bay.” Dr Abalone, 1 Nov.2016,
briantissot.com/2016/10/30/unbounded-courage-the-first-surfers-to-ride-waimea-bay/. “Eddie Aikau Foundation Biography.” Eddie Aikau Foundation, 2006,
www.eddieaikaufoundation.org/eddie.htm.
Mull, Jeff. “An Abbreviated History of the North Shore.” Hawaii Resorts | Turtle Bay Resort | North Shore Oahu Resort, 16 Jan. 2016,
www.turtlebayresort.com/blog/abbreviated-history-north-shore. “Ruling Chiefs of Hawaii.” Ulukau, 1992,
www.ulukau.org/elib/cgi-bin/library?e=d-0chiefs-000Sec--11haw-50-20-frameset-book-- 1-010escapewin&a=d&d=D0.2&toc=0.
“Surfing A to Z.” Waimea Bay History | SURFLINE.COM, 2019, www.surfline.com/surfing-a-to-z/waimea-bay-history_941/.
Surfer. “WAIMEA BAY: A Century of Change.” SURFER Magazine, SURFER Magazine, 22 July 2010, www.surfer.com/features/waimeabaychanges/.
“Traditional History & Culture.” Waimea, 18 Jan. 2017, pupukeawaimea.org/pupukea-waimea-mcld/area-history/.
“Waimea Bay.” Best North Shore Beach, www.best-of-oahu.com/waimea-bay.html. “Who Is Eddie?” Quiksilver, quiksilver.com/surf/events/eddie-aikau/history.html.
WSL. “The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational Makes Return.” World Surf League, 3 Dec. 2018,
www.worldsurfleague.com/posts/364333/the-eddie-aikau-big-wave-invitational-makes-re
turn.