Jeremy Flores Keeps Company With Eddie Aikau
The invitees to the 27th Eddie Aikau Invitational - the most prestigious big wave event in the world - will be announced early next week. 24 surfers will be on the invite list, plus 24 on an alternates list, but no-one knows for sure whose names will be on them.
Except for one name: Jeremy Flores.
It was announced last month that Flores had been given an invite and would be competing in the Eddie. The news was met with surprise amongst the big wave elite as Flores isn't a known big wave surfer. He had a good performance at Teahupoo this year but that's about all. In Eddie-size waves Flores is completely untested.
Last January, as a large swell bore down on Hawaii putting the Eddie Aikau competitors on alert, Flores wrote on his blog that he was hoping to paddle out the Bay 'just to get a feeling of what monster waves are like'. Judging by that blog entry Flores is keen and curious about big Hawaiian waves, a point that should be noted, but so too should the fact he needed to borrow a 9'0 board from Sunny Garcia – it appears he didn't own a big board himself.
Contrast this against someone like Ken 'Skindog' Collins who has an armoury of big wave guns and has spent twenty years putting them to use. "Watching Jeremy Flores fast track into the event really bums me out," said Skinny when I spoke to him about Flores' invite.
Skindog is torn on the issue, he's trying to draw attention while not wanting to look like a hater. "I've got nothing against him, he is a great person and a great surfer. He is just not proven in the big wave arena." Skindog is also torn on the company motives, "The big wave arena is a very prestigious place to be honoured, and it seems with surf companies running events with their own agenda that this arena is being corrupted."
Jeremy Flores, as you may or may not know, is sponsored by Quiksilver, who run the Eddie Aikau Invitational.
Sponsor wildcards are an accepted feature of ASP World Tour contests – a bonus for the company that ponies up the prizemoney - but spots in the Eddie are more prized than the money itself. Handing out the equivalent of a sponsor wildcard to a greenhorn may be Quiksilver's prerogative but they run the risk of jeopardising the competition's accumulated prestige.
And it's not just Quiksilver says Skinny, "At the Billabong XXL awards last year, four out of the five awards were given to Billabong team riders."
If he's troubled by some issues surrounding big wave riding, on others he's perfectly clear, "The real deal cannot be faked. Once the line in the sand is drawn only a handful of men will step up and paddle in. Authentic and genuine men like Eddie Aikau."
In one last proclamation Skindog passionately tells me, "I really, really want to surf in the Eddie." On November 1st we'll find out if he, like Jeremy Flores, will get that honour.
STOP PRESS: Quiksilver has just released the invite list: Brock Little - HAW Bruce Irons - HAW Clyde Aikau - HAW Dave Wassel - HAW Greg Long - USA Jamie O'Brien – HAW Jamie Sterling – HAW Kala Alexander – HAW Kelly Slater – USA Keone Downing – HAW Kohl Christensen – HAW Makua Rothman – HAW Mark Healey – HAW Michael Ho – HAW Nathan Fletcher – USA Noah Johnson – HAW Peter Mel – USA Ramon Navarro – CHL Reef McIntosh – HAW Ross Clarke – Jones – AUS Rusty Keaulana – HAW Shane Dorian – HAW Sunny Garcia – HAW Tom Carroll – HAW INT'L INVITEES: Carlos Burle - BRZ Grant Baker - ZAF Jeremy Flores - EUR Takayuki Wakita - JPN
Comments
To remove all doubt I think that the way forward is to have a kind of qualifying period for which big wave surfers must test their mettle. In theory it would be a set of criteria which need to be achieved during the year to gain mention on the short list for such a highly regarded event. I guess this issue dabbles on the motives of corporate sponsorship, for which we all know the ends.
Jeremy read and Tweeted this article last night. One of his followers asked him 'Honest question: Do you think you deserve the invite?' to which Jeremy replied, 'I dont know, we'll see if i deserve it or not when the day comes..i didnt ask for it but i'll take as an honor to be part of it :)'
Which is a good answer, I thought.
A good answer sure but it kinds of highlights that there is no way in Hell that he deserves the invite.
If you don't even know yourself if you're ready to surf in the Eddie then you shouldn't be there. With all the corpo bashing and hating that seems to be going on at the moment you'd think Quik would be more careful.
Nothing against Jeremy personally as like he said - it had nothing to do with him but what has he possibly done to deserve an invite? Skindog is on the money. Its disgraceful...
Does he deserve it?Based on his performance in Tahiti this year...YES.Technique,style and balls of steel,ticks all the boxes required for the Eddie.Good luck to Jeremy,hope he wins it.
I think giving someone a berth into the most prestigious big wave event in the world based on a performance at an isolated CT event is fraught with disaster.
Bit of a joke really, using a good performance in Tahiti to justify entry to The Eddie. Different waves, surfers and surfing completely. Typical industry politics, if you look at the invitee list over the last few years it has been dominated by Quicksilver riders, some who were quite a surprise to see in the event whilst overlooking many other more deserving big wave surfers. I guess jeremy now will have "to go" or he may find himself the joke of the surfing community like the guys who refused to paddle out in the Billabong Pro at the bay in the 80,s and thus pretty much ending their careers at the time. It is a shame that by favouring their own team so heavily Quicksilver risk the integrity and prestige of The Eddie. Will Jeremy Go?
Flores is in but Paul Morgan isn't. Morgz is a Quik rider too!
We should take this to the streets PUT MORGZ IN THE EDDIE!!!
PUT MORGZ IN THE EDDIE!!!
PUT MORGZ IN THE EDDIE!!!
PUT MORGZ IN THE EDDIE!!!
PUT MORGZ IN THE EDDIE!!!
NOW!!!
Camel mate,put Camel in. The Eddie aint the place to see if you deserve a place in it on the day. You should know in your heart that you WANT to be in it. So many guys put there whole life into large waves & everything that it takes to ride them. No hate is directed toward Jeremy at all its not his fault who he is sponsored by & he rips & charges no doubt but i think this event is loosing what it began as.
I reckon he'll go, give the kid a shot he's got balls... Prob surprise a few big wave legends....
JUGHEAD WOULD GO>>>>>>>>
I do think it is slightly disappointing that Quicksilver sponsored riders or any other rider would gain entry into an event like the Eddy based on anything but big wave skills. I understand the corporate blah blah, but surely there is aloud to be one platform left in surfing where the companies don't feel the urge to line their pockets with spirit that we all love in surfing.
And as far as Jeremy is concerned, good luck to him. However, if like the article hinted at, he was chosen for his performance in tahiti at the Billabong event, gee whiz, it was one wave, thicker than big, and he didn't make it.
I think that the general consensus on this issue is he has jumped a fairly established queue, with some heavy weights maybe getting shoved out for the trouble.
hmmmmmmmmmm its a bit smelly to me.....
Yep, agreed, it's a LOT smelly - comme un fromage puant.
Well, JFlo, as the Chinese say, be careful what you wish for. Let's hope you haven't bitten off more of the proverbial baguette than you can chew, especially if it turns out to be bigger than 20'.
Courroie sur vos testicules et espoir pour le meilleur!!!!
hmmmm... without quik (started by aussies) the comp wouldnt even exist. does anyone know if there are any aussies most likely to go in it? RCJ seems to fit the picture (quik rider too), laurie towner, i dunno
Here's the invitee list from last year:
Clyde Aikau (HAW)
Kala Alexander (HAW)
Tom Carroll (AUS)
Kohl Christenson (HAW)
Ross Clarke-Jones (AUS)
Shane Dorian (HAW)
Keone Downing (HAW)
Sunny Garcia (HAW)
Mark Healy (HAW)
Michael Ho (HAW)
Bruce Irons (HAW)
Noah Johnson (HAW)
Rusty Keaulana (HAW)
Brock Little (HAW)
Greg Long (USA)
Reef McIntosh (HAW)
Garrett McNamara (HAW)
Peter Mel (USA)
Ramon Navarro (CHL)
Jamie O’Brien (HAW)
Makuakai Rothman (HAW)
Kelly Slater (USA)
Jamie Sterling (HAW)
Dave Wassell (HAW)
Grant Baker (ZAF)
Chris Bertish (EUR)
Carlos Burle (BRA)
Takayuki Wakita (JPN)
hey jordan-evans gday im camel and i dont think i should be in the eddie.thanks for the compliment but. there are much more prepared surfers than i. i cant even go in the asl oakley big wave awards let alone the eddie.i cant be botherd doing the entry form im that lazy. thanks caml
Hey Cam, well you have been missed at the G last few years.Had some good times and great waves back then hey mate. The camp has changed a bit but the wave and great characters still make the boat trip worth it.
Bang still charging over there along with all us older guys.
Cheers. Team Ridor.
'big wave' surfers seem to be turning into attention seeking carnival clowns squabbling over the right to work in the main tent.
damn, its embarrassing.
dice the self-promoting web sites, leave the cameras at home and just get back to surfing for the love of it. please.
Quik just released this years Eddie invite list and Skindog unfortunately didn't make the cut. He's on the alternate list. The invite list is:
INVITEES:
Brock Little - HAW
Bruce Irons - HAW
Clyde Aikau - HAW
Dave Wassel - HAW
Greg Long - USA
Jamie O'Brien – HAW
Jamie Sterling – HAW
Kala Alexander – HAW
Kelly Slater – USA
Keone Downing – HAW
Kohl Christensen – HAW
Makua Rothman – HAW
Mark Healey – HAW
Michael Ho – HAW
Nathan Fletcher – USA
Noah Johnson – HAW
Peter Mel – USA
Ramon Navarro – CHL
Reef McIntosh – HAW
Ross Clarke – Jones – AUS
Rusty Keaulana – HAW
Shane Dorian – HAW
Sunny Garcia – HAW
Tom Carroll – HAW
INT'L INVITEES:
Carlos Burle - BRZ
Grant Baker - ZAF
Jeremy Flores - EUR
Takayuki Wakita - JPN
Tom Carroll is from Hawaii?
Maybe "HAW" actually means "LOL" in big wave talk.
So Jeremy gets in as the sole Euro invitee?
Surely there's got to be ONE Euro big wave specialist ahead of him worthy of an invite?
ONE?
NO PAUL MORGAN???
No Ben Wilkinson, Aaron Gold or Andrew Marr?
Visser??
Oops, sorry, forgot - he's a skydiver now.
REBEL TOUR!
Flores gets a gig before guys like Ian Walsh, Chris Bertish and Danilo Couto ????
Does any one get the feeling that Jeremy maybe receiving a
" thankyou " for protecting/standing up for Sunny's son back in Feb .?
And I know this will ruffle feathers .... But surely there is a point when some guys need to take part in the ceremony and rituals then pass the batten to young and upcoming talent . ?
I also believe that if we were to put someone forward " in the spirit of Eddie " it would have to be undoubtedly Jamie Mitchell , surely his Hawaiin Rep should stand for itself and would have far more of a meaning than just throwing CT ' and ex- CT surfers a Singlet . (RCJ & Dorian excluded from these comments for obvious reasons ) .....
Anyhow what would i know .
If it's for sheer Bravado , then give guys like Rohann Annesly , Morgs' & co. a GO , ( to be fair to TC , he'd only go if someone was inside him , heheheh ) those blokes will take off on anything ......
well if i had a mega surf conglomerate to run (I dont at this point) i'd sure as shit not want some unrelated parties stealing the media attention from my own surfers at one of my premier promotional events.
This isn't a promotional event though. It's a prestigious, invitational-only big wave surfing contest, of which most of the invitees are not sponsored by Quiksilver.