Honolulu Mayor Rick Blangiardi, city and state officials, and the organizers of The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational contest are expecting massive crowds to descend on the North Shore in hopes that the “Super Bowl of surfing” will go off as planned Sunday at Waimea Bay.

They are encouraging fans to watch the Eddie on television or online, but for those who are determined to see the spectacle in person, city officials offered the following information and advice:

Live Event Coverage:

With tens of thousands of spectators from around the globe anticipated for this iconic surf event, we strongly encourage everyone to avoid traveling to the North Shore and instead enjoy the live coverage from the comfort of their homes. The event will be broadcast live on KHII and it can be streamed on Rogue.TV and Rip Curl’s YouTube channel. TV coverage begins from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday.

Public Safety:

First responders, including police, fire, ocean safety, medical services, and emergency management personnel, will be stationed or on alert to ensure public safety during this popular big-surf event.

First and foremost, if you are not an experienced ocean-goer, you are strongly urged to stay away from the ocean and shorelines along the north and west-facing shores during this high surf period. The North Shore is expected to see waves exceeding 30 feet in face height, while the Leeward Coast could experience waves reaching 25 feet or more thru the weekend.

In preparation for The Eddie, Honolulu Ocean Safety and Emergency Medical Services are ramping up resources to ensure public safety during this period of extremely elevated surf. Ocean Safety will deploy three rescue watercrafts (jet skis), including an additional jet ski rescue unit specifically patrolling the North Shore, and will staff Waimea Bay with extra lifeguards beginning at 6 a.m. Honolulu EMS will mobilize three EMS crews with ambulances, one EMS SUV with a paramedic, and one EMS command vehicle to provide comprehensive medical coverage throughout the event.

Special Duty Honolulu Police Department officers will be joined by private security to provide traffic control and event management starting Saturday evening. It is extremely important for access along Kamehameha Highway to be maintained for emergency vehicles, so please pay attention to barriers restricting parking along the highway to ensure passage for these vehicles.

To ensure public safety, event organizers are urging no personal drones operate in the Waimea Bay area during this event.

Additional emergency personnel from the City will be on stand-by should the high surf present other hazardous conditions either in Waimea Bay, the North Shore, or Leeward Oahu.

Parking Restrictions:

The parking lot at Waimea Bay Beach Park will be closed to the public beginning at 10 p.m. Saturday. The lot will be reserved for authorized event participants (staff and contestants) and official City vehicles only. Pick-up and drop-offs will be allowed for those who require ADA-access.

Starting Saturday at 10 p.m., public parking will be prohibited on both sides of Kamehameha Highway from ‘Ili‘ohu Place to the Mission of Saints Peter & Paul Church for the duration of the event. Temporary barriers will be installed along the shoulders to prevent parking and ensure safe pedestrian access. Honolulu Police officers will patrol the area to enforce the parking restrictions. Vehicles parked in the restricted zone will be subject to citation and/or towing at the owner’s expense. If the event is canceled, the barriers will be removed promptly, and parking restrictions will be lifted.

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During The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, Waimea Valley (on the mauka-side of Kamehameha Highway) will open its parking lots, and services, to those attending the competition. Limited parking at Waimea Valley for beach-goers will be $50 in the front lots and $30 in the rear lots beginning Sunday at 4 a.m. until the lots are full. Cars may not enter before that time, and no lines are permitted outside of the gates. The valley’s visitor operations will remain open during its regular hours from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. with limited parking for valley visitors. As a proud sponsor of the Eddie, Waimea Valley is glad to remain open on Sunday and to provide on-site parking for the contest. Restrooms are also open at Waimea Valley’s visitor center along with their food and drink concessions beginning 4 a.m. on Sunday.

TheBus

Traffic around Waimea Bay will be significantly impacted during The Eddie Big Wave Invitational, including parking in and near the beach park. To help alleviate congestion, the City will provide four additional early-morning buses on Route 52 from Honolulu to the North Shore.

Additional Bus Service Details:

These special Route 52 trips will operate directly to Waimea Bay, departing from the mauka (mountain) side of Ala Moana Center at Kona Street and Kona Iki Street at the following times: 4:30 a.m.; 5 a.m.; 5:30 a.m.; 6 a.m.

The buses will display signs reading: “52 HALEIWA-WAIMEA BAY.”

Regular Route 52 Service:

Regularly scheduled Route 52 buses will operate every 30 minutes starting at 6:20 a.m.

Passengers on regular Route 52 trips must transfer at Weed Circle to Route 60 to reach Waimea Bay.

Travel time to Waimea Bay may exceed two hours due to expected heavy traffic. Please plan accordingly.

Park and Ride Options:

Passengers may consider parking along Route 52 at these locations:

Kalihi Transit Center

Mililani Park and Ride

Wahiawa Armory

Wahiawa Park and Ride

Shuttle Services:

TheBus will operate special shuttles between Haleiwa and Waimea Bay:

Shuttles marked “60 WAIMEA BAY” will travel from Haleiwa to Waimea Bay.

Shuttles marked “60 HALEIWA” will travel from Waimea Bay to Haleiwa.

Shuttle service will run every 30 minutes between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., but traffic conditions may cause delays.

Return Travel Options:

Passengers returning after the event may:

Ride Route 60 to Honolulu and Ala Moana Center via Kaneohe.

Ride Route 60 back to Haleiwa and transfer to Route 52 at Weed Circle.

We encourage all attendees to use public transportation and plan their trips carefully to ensure a smooth and enjoyable experience.

Regular fares and passes will apply. Transfers and day passes allowed with valid HOLO cards. For more information, please visit www.thebus.org or call (808) 848-5555.

Trash pickup

There is no scheduled trash pickup Sunday on Kamehameha Highway on the North Shore, therefor refuse operations will not impact traffic. The City’s Kawailoa Transfer Station (62-180 Kawailoa Dr., Haleiwa, HI 96712) will be open during normal business hours (7 a.m.-6 p.m.)

Park Facilities

We urge those attending this memorial surf event in-person to please malama ‘aina (respect the land) by disposing of waste properly and complying with park rules. While additional restroom facilities and rubbish bins will be provided, we urge beach-goers to please pack out what you pack in. Also, please be sure to secure your belongings if you are located on the beach, as the high wash of waves can sweep away loose items at any given moment.

Other rules will be enforced, including no alcohol, no smoking, no large canopies (unless permitted with the event), no drones, and no fully enclosed tents in the beach park.

There are no authorized food concessions scheduled at the beach park for this event, so please bring the necessary supplies should you intend to spend the day in the bay. This includes food, sun protection, and plenty of water. Park showers and drinking fountains will also be available for fresh water needs.

Along with providing unique natural conditions for surfable big waves, Waimea Bay’s geography can often interfere with telecommunications. Particularly with tens of thousands of spectators utilizing cell phone and internet services simultaneously. When in the bay during this event, please plan on having limited to no telecommunication abilities.

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Source City & County of Honolulu