The Price Is Right: A Success In Negotiation Saves The Eddie

After a bout of drama, Quiksilver and the Aikaus have reached an agreement: The Eddie is on. And that’s fabulous; nobody, not Quik, the Aikaus, the WSL, or any fan of surf wants to see the most prestigious big wave event put on ice. 

There was also prior discussion between the WSL and Red Bull looking to set aside their long-winded differences to keep the Eddie alive with additional financial backing – this did not come to fruition, likely due to a standstill over media rights.

As of yesterday, the event is back on. “Quiksilver and the Aikaus reached an agreement,” Dave Prodan, VP of WSL Communications told Stab. “The event will remain WSL sanctioned. As far as I’m aware, Red Bull is not involved.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgZPhzSy-I4

“We are proud to see the tradition of The Eddie continue without interruption – a testament to our respect for Eddie Aikau, the Aikau family, the Hawaiian people, and the community at large,” said Pierre Agnes, Quiksilver’s CEO, in a news release.

The opening ceremony will kick off Thursday, December 1st, 2016 and this year will feature the first woman on the alternate list, Keala Kennelly.

“The WSL has tremendous respect for the legacy of Eddie Aikau and the prestige of this special event in his honour,” said WSL CEO Paul Speaker. “The League regards it as a privilege to support and participate in the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, and we look forward to the upcoming winter season.”  

The invitees:  
Aaron Gold
Bruce Irons
Billy Kemper
Dave Wassel
Ezekiel Lau
Garrett McNamara
Grant Baker
Greg Long
Ian Walsh
Jamie Mitchell
Jamie O’Brien
Jeremy Flores
John John Florence
Kala Alexander
Kelly Slater
Koa Rothman
Kohl Christensen
Landon McNamara
Makua Rothman
Mark Healey
Mason Ho
Michael Ho
Reef McIntosh
Ross Clarke-Jones
Shane Dorian
Sunny Garcia
Takayuki Wakita
Tom Carroll  

The alternates:
Luke Shepherd
Kai Lenny
Nathan Fletcher
Noah Johnson
Nathan Florence
Ramon Navarro
Keali Mamala
Pedro Calado
Jamie Sterling
Nic Lamb
Keala Kennelly
Danilo Couto
Mark Matthews
Kalani Chapman
Ben Wilkinson
Gabriel Villaran
Damien Hobgood
Kahea Hart
Ryan Hipwood
Carlos Burle
Kyle Shipman
Danny Fuller
Anthony Tashnick
Rusty Long