What happened
The invite list for the 2026/27 Eddie Aikau contest at Waimea Bay is out: 32 surfers plus 25 reserves, chosen by Rip Curl. Tom Lowe is the one British name on it. Hawaiians and former winners dominate the field, and Keone Downing, the 1990 winner, is the new contest director.
- Tom Lowe, from St Ives, is the only UK name among the 32 invitees.
- The list includes five former Eddie winners and four women in the main field.
- Keone Downing, who won in 1990, takes over as contest director.
The Swell Otter take
An Eddie invite is about the biggest nod a big-wave surfer can get, and it lands on a Cornishman who grew up learning on the same west-facing beachbreaks most of us paddle out at. Lowe has earned it the hard way, coming back from a brutal Tahiti wipeout to win a big-wave award earlier this year.
The Eddie only runs when Waimea holds giant, clean swell, so plenty of winters pass with no contest at all. Keep an eye on the North Pacific charts through the Hawaiian season. The same deep lows that light up Waimea rarely reach us, but our own winter run is starting: when long-period Atlantic groundswell lines up with an easterly at Sennen or Porthleven, you'll see why St Ives breeds surfers like this.
Breaks in this story
How we write the news: we read the original story, sum it up in our own words and add our view. The facts are theirs, so please read the full piece at the source. Spotted a mistake? Email hello@swellotter.com.
Tom Otto
Tom Otto built Swell Otter, the free surf forecast for the UK, and writes its spot guides. Every guide is checked against years of wave, wind and sea temperature history for the break, so the advice matches the numbers and not just the postcards.
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