This is such a great story. Local lifeguard, super sweet non-professional surfer beats out world champs. January 22,2023 was the 10th annual Eddie Aikau Invitational at Waimea Bay on the island of Oahu. There are many great YouTube clips of the big wave surf competition ranging from a couple of minutes to 8 hours. I’m still watching the full day and loving it. The late Eddie Aikau was Waimea Bay’s first lifeguard so it is magical to see current lifeguard Luke Shepardson take the win.

I was fortunate to live on Oahu as a child, then a high school senior and for a year or two before going to college. I never surfed but one of my older brothers (Michael) did. We lived on the beach in Ewa then and I remember him waxing his homemade longboard in the backyard. Lots of love and aloha for these big wave riders but especially Luke Shepardson. Way to go Luke, all the way from Texas.