Source: Hawaiian Airlines
Photo credit: SALT + AIR Studios
Officials reviewed the swell forecast. The conditions, they agreed, checked all the boxes. The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, widely considered the world’s most prestigious surf event, was a go.
On Dec. 22, 2024, Hawaiian Airlines proudly sponsored the elite big wave surfing competition named after legendary waterman and lifeguard Eddie Aikau. The carrier, which has served as the Eddie’s official airline sponsor since 2019, helps ensure event organizers have what they need to host some of the sport’s finest competitors at the iconic Waimea Bay surf break on Oʻahu’s North Shore.
Despite the short notice, Hawaiian Airlines was ready to activate and support.
“When we’re given the green light, it’s crunch time,” said Jennifer Gee, senior partnership and experiential marketing manager at Hawaiian Airlines. “A lot of prep work goes on behind the scenes.”
It was a collective effort, Gee explained. Hawaiian Airlines extended flight discounts and baggage waivers to help surfers get to Oʻahu in time for the event. The carrier’s airport teams, some of whom were among the first faces competitors saw on their journey, ensured a smooth trip by taking care of their luggage and prized surfboards (a perk now included under Hawaiian’s standard baggage allowance). Hawaiian’s in-flight teams kept traveling competitors at ease with a relaxing cabin experience, calming underlying nerves. Meanwhile, at the carrier’s Honolulu headquarters, employees loaded up their cars with banners, awards and more to get to Waimea Bay as early as possible and take their posts in time for the spectacle.
The 2024-2025 winner, Landon McNamara from the North Shore of Oʻahu, took home both top Hawaiian Airlines awards: 250,000 HawaiianMiles for the Best Wave of the Day and the winner’s prize of 350,000 miles.
When the swells aren’t pumping and Waimea Bay returns to its serene, summertime calm (the Eddie event has only run 11 times since its founding in 1984), Hawaiian continues its longstanding support with the Eddie Aikau Foundation’s annual essay contest. The contest offers Hawaiʻi’s public and private school students in grades 7-10 opportunities to reflect on Eddie’s legacy.
Debbie Nakanelua-Richards, Hawaiian Airlines’ director of community and cultural relations who helps review submissions, shared, “There’s much intention behind our support of the Eddie Aikau Foundation’s essay contest. The contest has been an incredible platform for keiki (youth) to share thoughts, in both English and ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi (Hawaiian language), on the values of Eddie Aikau, a waterman whose monumental legacy remains significant both in and out of the ocean.”