Australian big-wave surfer Laura Enever was hospitalised by an injury that left her with “a massive hole in my leg” as a singer/songwriter with a No.1 reggae album took out one of surfing’s most iconic and intimidating events.
Enever, who holds the Guinness world record for the largest wave ever paddled into by a woman, was one of several casualties in heaving 40-foot plus Waimea Bay that saw Hawaii’s Landon McNamara triumph in the Eddie Aikau Invitational.
Laura Enever poses at Long Reef after being named female Surfer of the Year at the 2024 SURFER Big Wave Challenge Awards in Nazaré.Credit: James Brickwood
McNamara, who counted Jack Johnson as a neighbour growing up and is the son of Pipeline legend Liam McNamara, boasts a CV that includes No.1 iTunes billing for his debut reggae album, professional modelling and big-wave surfing, and now ‘The Eddie’ as well.
An estimated 25,000 fans turned out as Oahu’s Waimea Bay delivered 40-foot plus peaks, stomach-churning wipeouts and eye-watering rides from the world’s best big wave surfers.
Laura Enever posts about her accident at the Eddie Aikau Invitational.
The Invitational, which was created in 1985 to honour Hawaiian surfer and lifeguard Eddie Aikau after he was lost at sea, is only held when the surf has a minimum swell of 40 feet (6.1 metres). This year was only the 12th time it had been held.
Narrabeen native Enever was taken to nearby Queen’s North Hawaii Community Hospital after surfing her first heat of the event on Monday morning (AEDT).
“Unfortunately the Waimea shore break and my fin had other plans,” Enever posted on Instagram as she prepared to undergo surgery.
“In knee deep water my board hit the back of my leg. I touched my leg and my fingers went in deep. A massive hole in my leg and what’s looking like a vascular injury… Crushed it ended this way but I had the most incredible morning ever beforehand. Thank you for all the love and thank you to spectators and Joey who helped me up the beach and lifeguards and emergency crew for looking after me.”
Enever has been contacted for further comment.
The 33-year-old travelled to Hawaii for the Eddie Invitational alongside good friend and fellow Australian Felicity Palmateer.
The pair were among the second female cohort invited to take part in one of surfing’s most intimidating events, joining the likes of Emily Erickson, Paige Alms and Justine Dupont, who is back in the water after giving birth to her son Elio in January.
While Enever’s first Eddie Invitational came to an abrupt end and Hawaiian Mark Healy suffered a ruptured eardrum from a wipeout, Australian Ben Wilkinson also found himself caught in arguably the riskiest moment of the day when a series of bomb waves swept him towards the bay’s rocky outcrop, though he was able to scramble out of the situation between monster peaks.
As always, an all-star cast turned out for the “Super Bowl of surfing” 11th running in 40 years, led by reigning WSL champion John John Florence and Tahitian Olympic gold medallist Kauai Vaast.
Reigning 2023 Eddie champion and local lifeguard Luke Shepardson began the day with one of the biggest waves of the contest, and was joined by fellow lifeguard and former University of Hawaii running back Joey Cadiz in the line-up.
McNamara nailed the only perfect ride of the day to hold off fellow locals Mason Ho, Billy Kemper, Jamie O’Brien and Nathan Florence.
“This is a childhood dream of mine, something I’ve been dreaming of since being a little kid on the beach watching these events go down,” McNamara said after claiming the event held in honour of iconic waterman Eddie Aikau when waves hit 40 feet or larger.
“I’ve already cried 10 times. I’m just soaking up this moment… I’m grateful to Eddie, in both my heats I had a turtle I was following [in the water], to me that was Eddie. They say Eddie picks the winner and I’m just so grateful he picked me.”
McNamara was awarded $50,000 and 350,000 Hawaiian Airline miles for his first place finish.
