FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Kelly Slater, right, made the drop on a fat Waimea Bay wave yesterday during the first heat of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau surfing competition on the North Shore. At the top of the wave, left, is Braden Dias.

Big surf of up to 30 feet on the
North Shore and Maui translates
into big crowds of spectators at
a pair of events, but not all
businesses can benefit

---

By Rosemarie Bernardo and Gary Kubota
rbernardo@starbulletin.com gkubota@starbulletin.com

The waves roared in at 20 to 30 feet on the North Shore and Maui yesterday, drawing groups of spectators numbering in the thousands.

The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau surfing competition goes on at Waimea Bay only if surf hits 20 feet, so it has gone on only five times in the past 16 years. But Kamehameha Highway remained congested with vehicles parked along the edges of the road when news of the surf competition flashed across the island.

Nearly 5,000 people equipped with cameras, binoculars and bottles of water watched the surf competition honoring former Waimea Bay lifeguard and big-wave surf legend Eddie Aikau throughout the day from the sand and hillside.

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Crowds at "the Eddie" big-wave surf contest took up plenty of beach yesterday at Waimea Bay.

Meanwhile, on Maui, an estimated 2,000 people at Jaws yesterday watched the first Estudios Mega Tow-In World Cup.

Jodi Young, Eddie Aikau competition spokeswoman, said, "It was the biggest crowd I've ever seen for that event."

Despite the heavy draw to Waimea, some Haleiwa businesses suffered while others remained steady.

"It's bad for us," said Jamie Gosier, manager of Matahari, a clothing store along Kamehameha Highway that sells T-shirts, sarongs and slippers.

Two weeks ago, Gosier said hundreds of customers shopped at Matahari compared with 20 customers who entered the store yesterday.

"If there's a contest, it takes away from the businesses," said Gosier, adding business has dropped about 80 percent during the surf competition.

Like Gosier, Kevin "Top Hat" Senn, owner of Hawaii Surf & Sail, said it was "absolutely busy" in Haleiwa during the holiday season due to the large swells in the North Shore.

Because of the surf competition, "we didn't get any business because of it," Senn said. "But we're glad our friends got waves."

FL MORRIS / FMORRIS@STARBULLETIN.COM Traffic was a mess, backed up bumper to bumper for almost a mile toward Haleiwa.

People returning to work and school after the holiday season was another factor that contributed to the sluggish activity in Haleiwa, he added.

While clothing stores suffered due to the competition, business for some eateries and coffee shops remained steady.

Anthony Viszolay, a cook at the Kua Aina Sandwich Shop, said: "We were slammed from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. It affected us."

Nearly 20 people stood outside of M. Matsumoto Grocery Store eating shave ice. Though customers lined up for shave ice throughout the day, employee Tanya Fao said she expected it to be busier.

"During surf meets, the line is out the door," Fao said.

While sales for Haleiwa businesses varied, some isle residents decided to watch the surf competition instead of going to work.

Kalihi resident Richard Maldonado, who drove to Waimea Bay with his wife, Joy, and neighbor Buenaventura Campollo Jr., said, "We dropped everything and came out here."

Maldonado said he failed to show up for work at Fisher Hawaii yesterday to watch the Eddie Aikau surf competition for the first time.

"Work always going be there," he said.

Big waves at Jaws in Peahi, Maui, were filmed last week for a segment in a James Bond movie.

Organizer Rodney Kilborn said event officials invited riders from various countries, including Brazil, Australia and the United States.

Visitors said they had not heard about the contest until they were on Maui but were happy they set aside time to watch competitors ride huge waves.

Some tourists said they had attended the Mercedes golf tournament and enjoyed being at the surfing competition, where they saw more island people.

"It's pretty cool. It's not your typical thing," said Michigan resident Dan Jordan, who was honeymooning with his wife, Brandy. "I'm glad we made it down here."

New York resident Ellen Azzolini said she had never seen a surfing contest of this type.

"We don't have waves this big," she said.

Alvaro Otero, a partner of Estudios Mega of Brazil, estimated that sponsoring the contest cost close to $1 million, including $120,000 in prize money.

Otero said the investment was "cheap," considering the worldwide publicity it will bring his business and the pleasure and happiness it brings to surfing fans.

Otero said he has been to competitions at Mavericks in California and at Waimea, and he wanted to get involved in sponsoring an event involving big waves. Otero and organizer Rodney Kilborn said that next year's event will be bigger and better.

The event also was a big hit with Haiku residents Junior and Heidi Megalianes, who sold plate lunches to some 200 people.

Junior Megalianes said one pot of rice was not enough.

"We got to cook again. That's our fifth pot," he said.