Waimea Bay, Hawaii
Encyclopedia
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
in the Hawaiian Islands
Hawaiian Islands
The Hawaiian Islands are an archipelago of eight major islands, several atolls, numerous smaller islets, and undersea seamounts in the North Pacific Ocean, extending some 1,500 miles from the island of Hawaii in the south to northernmost Kure Atoll...
at the mouth of the Waimea River. Waimea Valley extends behind Waimea Bay. Waimea means "Red Water" in Hawaiian
Hawaiian language
The Hawaiian language is a Polynesian language that takes its name from Hawaii, the largest island in the tropical North Pacific archipelago where it developed. Hawaiian, along with English, is an official language of the state of Hawaii...
.
History
Captain Charles ClerkeCharles Clerke
Captain Charles Clerke RN was an officer in the Royal Navy who sailed on four voyages of exploration.Clerke started studying at the Royal Naval Academy in Portsmouth when he was 13. During the Seven Years' War he served aboard HMS Dorsetshire and HMS Bellona...
aboard HMS Resolution stopped at Waimea Bay on 28 February 1779. Clerke had shortly before taken command of the ship after Capt. James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
was killed at Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay
Kealakekua Bay is located on the Kona coast of the island of Hawaii about south of Kailua-Kona.Settled over a thousand years ago, the surrounding area contains many archeological and historical sites such as religious temples, and was listed in the National Register of Historic Places listings on...
on 14 February. Waimea Bay was the only O‘ahu anchorage visited by the expedition. Waimea Valley was densely populated at the time, and the remains of Pu‘u o Mahuka
Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau State Monument
Puu o Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site on the North Shore of Oahu is the largest heiau on the island, covering on a hilltop overlooking Waimea Bay and Waimea Valley. Puu o Mahuka means 'Hill of Escape'...
, an important heiau
Heiau
A heiau is a Hawaiian temple. Many types of heiau existed, including heiau to treat the sick , offer first fruits, offer first catch, start rain, stop rain, increase the population, ensure health of the nation, achieve success in distant voyaging, reach peace, and achieve success in war . Only the...
(Hawaiian temple) can still be seen above the bay.
Geography
Pu'u o Mahuka Heiau State MonumentPu'u o Mahuka Heiau State Monument
Puu o Mahuka Heiau State Historic Site on the North Shore of Oahu is the largest heiau on the island, covering on a hilltop overlooking Waimea Bay and Waimea Valley. Puu o Mahuka means 'Hill of Escape'...
is a Native Hawaiian historical site located just above the bay, off Pupukea Road. It is an historically important site on the North Shore, as well as providing a view Waimea Bay and the Waianae Mountain range
Waianae Range
Waianae Range is the eroded remains of an ancient shield volcano that comprises the western half of the Hawaiian Island of Oahu...
.
Waimea Bay is located along Kamehameha Highway
Kamehameha Highway
Kamehameha Highway is one of the main highways serving suburban and rural O‘ahu in the U.S. state of Hawaii. Starting from Nimitz Highway near Pearl Harbor and Hickam Air Force Base in Honolulu, it serves the island's older western suburbs, turning north across the O‘ahu Central Valley to the...
. The bay is on the north, west side of the highway (at the entrance point).
Surfing
North Shore (Oahu)
The North Shore, in the context of geography of the Island of Oahu, refers to the north-facing coastal area of Oahu between Kaena Point and Kahuku Point...
locations such as Pipeline and Sunset Beach host a number of surfing contests because of the large waves found here. These waves are created by winter storms in the North Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
, and their arrival on O‘ahu's North Shore are typically forecast accurately several days in advance. In summer, Waimea typically has clear and calm water.
The surf break at Waimea Bay was significant in the development of Big wave surfing
Big wave surfing
Big wave surfing is a discipline within surfing in which experienced surfers paddle into or are towed onto waves which are at least 20 feet high, on surf boards known as "guns" or "rhino chasers". Sizes of the board needed to successfully surf these waves vary by the size of the wave as well as...
. Larger surf at the bay went unridden for years until November 7, 1957 when a handful of surfers finally paddled out and rode the giant waves that break off the northern point of the bay. While the surf only breaks big several times a year, Waimea was the most prestigious big wave surf break in the world for decades. With the advent of tow-in surfing
Tow-in surfing
Tow-in surfing is a surfing technique which uses artificial assistance to allow the surfer to catch faster moving waves than was traditionally possible when paddling by hand.-History:...
, more and more big wave breaks have been discovered that are far superior in quality to Waimea. However, the bay still holds a significant place even in today's world of big wave surfing.
Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational
The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau—known as The Eddie— is a surfing tournament held at Waimea Bay on the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. Created in 1984 at Sunset, then changed to the infamous Waimea Bay where Aikau was a lifeguard and where he and his family were caretakers of the valley...
takes place in this point to honour the legendary surfer and the first lifeguard of the North Shore of Oahu. Since its inception in 1984, the tournament has only been held seven times, due to a precondition that there be waves at least 20 feet high at Waimea Bay. The most recent tournament was in December 2009, when waves in the bay reached 30 to 50 feet high.
On January 28, 1998, Hawaii issued its first ever "condition black" legally closing all North Shore beaches including Waimea bay. The Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau was canceled due to above average behemoth surf.
Recreation
In Summer, Waimea Bay is a playground of fun for freedivers, S.C.U.B.A. divers, and those who desire to jump off "da Big Rock" or "Jump Rock" - a rock that is perfectly positioned in the bay (for use at your own risk!). You can also find rock climbers practicing their skills on the cliff and in the dry cave on the beach.Conservation
The Bay- as well as Three Tables, Pupukea, & Shark's Cove- are protected waters. The diversity of life in these waters is astounding.In popular culture
Waimea Bay was made famous to the general public in the 1964 film Ride the Wild SurfRide the Wild Surf
Ride the Wild Surf is romantic drama in the beach party style. It was filmed in 1963 and distributed in 1964. Unlike most films in the genre, it is known for its exceptional big wave surf footage – a common sight in surf movies of the time, but a rarity in beach party films...
and in the Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean were a rock and roll duo, popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence...
song which played at the end of the film and became a Top 20 National hit
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
Waimea Bay is a song on Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean were a rock and roll duo, popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence...
's Ride The Wild Surf album.
Waimea Bay is also mentioned in The Beach Boys classic song, "Surfin' USA
Surfin' USA
-Singles:* "Surfin' USA" b/w "Shut Down" , 4 March 1963, US #3; #34 UK-Personnel:*Brian Wilson - Vocals, bass, keyboards*Mike Love - Vocals, saxophone*Dennis Wilson - Vocals, drums...
", as well as Jimmy Buffett
Jimmy Buffett
James William "Jimmy" Buffett is a singer-songwriter, author, entrepreneur, and film producer. He is best known for his music, which often portrays an "island escapism" lifestyle. Together with his Coral Reefer Band, Buffett's musical hits include "Margaritaville" , and "Come Monday"...
's song, "Beautiful Swimmers."
Waimea Bay is one of the filming locations used for the television series Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
, which is an American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
drama
Drama
Drama is the specific mode of fiction represented in performance. The term comes from a Greek word meaning "action" , which is derived from "to do","to act" . The enactment of drama in theatre, performed by actors on a stage before an audience, presupposes collaborative modes of production and a...
-adventure
Adventure
An adventure is defined as an exciting or unusual experience; it may also be a bold, usually risky undertaking, with an uncertain outcome. The term is often used to refer to activities with some potential for physical danger, such as skydiving, mountain climbing and or participating in extreme sports...
television series
Television program
A television program , also called television show, is a segment of content which is intended to be broadcast on television. It may be a one-time production or part of a periodically recurring series...
surrounding the survivors of a plane crash on a mysterious tropical island
Desert island
A desert island or uninhabited island is an island that has yet to be populated by humans. Uninhabited islands are often used in movies or stories about shipwrecked people, and are also used as stereotypes for the idea of "paradise". Some uninhabited islands are protected as nature reserves and...
. (The location of the downed plane - not there anymore - is Mokuleia at the end of Dillingham airstrip almost to road's end at Ka Ena Point.)