Big Wave Day

Hawaii's North Shore sees 40ft monsters

Waves up to 40-feet high pounded the Hawaii's famous North Shore this week - prompting a famous but impromptu surf championship.

The Eddie Aikau Memorial event has only taken place eight times since its inauguration in 1984 as it's only held in the most extreme conditions.

WideWorld favourite Kelly Slater was the strongest starter, but was beaten overall in the competition by Greg Long.

The 24-year-old Californian, who won $55,000 (£34,000), said it was "a dream come true" to take part in the "biggest event of big waves in the world", and that the Eddie Aikau encapsulated everything that was great about surfing.

A total of 28 surfers were invited to take part in the event at Waimea Bay, chosen by a poll of the surfing community.

The huge waves closed parks on the island of Maui. Temperatures across Hawaii have been running from the mid 70s to low 80s - cooler than average.

Surfer Eddie Aikau died in 1978 at the age of 31, after capsizing a canoe en route to Tahiti from Hawaii.

Whilst 40 ft waves are phenomenally high, they're not the highest that surfers on the island have tackled. Two years ago surfer Brett Lickle wiped out in a wave estimated to have an 80ft face. Legendary big wave surfer Laird Hamilton had to strip naked to use his surf trunks as a tourniquet to stop Lickle bleeding to death from a severe gash on his leg.

"It was the most intense thing I've been through," Lickle said.