Photos: 2024 Eddie Aikau Invitational

For his first trip to Hawaii, Gold Coast photographer Josh Bystrom - who's the son of legendary filmmaker Chris Bystrom - has jagged it.

Every season there's one period where the swells just doesn't stop. Could be early November, could be late January. This year it was mid-to-late December, which perfectly overlapped with Josh's trip.

With so much swell he's been busy. Not one to rest on a sole angle, Josh has been climbing hillsides in Pupukea, clearing thickets for a fresh view of Pipe, he's been swimming - which is his specialty - nailing watershots as North Pac fusillades explode just inches from his Churchills, the reverberations felt throughout his body, and when he found out the Eddie would run, he organised a photographic pentathalon of sorts: beach view, headland view, drone view, his roaming camera cocked and ready to fire.

Here's Josh's shots from the eleventh running of the Eddie Aikau Invitational. Another epic instalment of the surfing world's greatest contest.

Before a hooter sounds or the much-hyped swell fills in, the crowds descend and seek out real estate on the beach or a flat plot of land on Waimea rocky ramparts

In Steve Shearer's recap, we ran the shot previous to this where Mark Healey's fate was sealed but Ian Walsh - who's at left - still looked like he might pull the drop. This image shows the outcome, though the story continues as Healey broke his eardrum on this wipeout and had to be helped to the beach - his day over.

Morning butter with old mate Russ angling the drop as if it's a South Coast slab and getting barrelled is the goal. The wave stood up and offered a brief moment of hope before collapsing in a heap and taking Russ with it.

RCJ, at centre, surfing in his 105th Eddie Aikau, with Chumbo looking composed inside of him and an unknown interloper looking a little less than composed.

Nic Lamb surfed well but somehow didn't make an impression at the top of the leaderboard. Still, he was rewarded with big blue beautiful waves such as this.

Like Nic Lamb, Eli Olson was another surfer who caught great waves and was an early contender yet remained oddly absent at the end. Olson deep on this one, with Zeke Lau outisde him.

Olson again, pushing it a bit too hard this time.

Olson, one more time, prepares to disconnect as Emi Erckson glides in on her single fin and Greg Long splits them down the middle.

Aaron Gold, head down, straight down.

Mark Healey, taking off deepest of course, with the first of his two wipeouts.

Bianca Valenti with a timeless slide into the Bay.

Reverse Thundercloud

Even the Alligators side of the Bay was putting on a show.

The first legit closeout hits sending surfers scratching for the horizon...

...and skis for the sand

Kauli Vaast spinning as Jake Maki sticks it.

Low and poised, Greg Long glides into his last Eddie heat.

Laura Enever over the double up with ease. Enever stuck the drop but was quickly engulfed with whitewater, the ensuing wipeout serving up a day-ending thigh gash. An unfortunate end to a promising showing.

Flick Palmateer at the base of a beast in Heat 4.

In another time you might assume the wide stance and colourful board is James Jones shot by Warren Bolster, except it's 2024 and this is Bianca Valenti shots by Josh Bystrom's drone.

Last shot: Eli Olson on an unblemished mass of North Pac power.