Opening Ceremony: Thursday, December 4, 2008, 3 p.m., Waimea Bay

The holding
period for The Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau at Waimea Bay, on
the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, officially begins November 30,
2008. The official opening ceremony will be held this Thursday,
December 4, at 3:00 p.m. at Waimea Bay. This year's invited surfers,
along with the Aikau Family and special guests, will be on hand to
celebrate the 24th anniversary of this unique big-wave riding event.

Originally slated to open on December 1, the official start to the
holding period was moved forward one day as a precautionary measure as
reports of an extra-large swell forecast to hit the North Shore over
the weekend filtered in. While present expectations are for a
sub-Eddie swell in the range of 15-18 feet Hawaiian scale, at the very
least it will provide a valuable warm-up opportunity for big-wave
riders invited to this prestigious event.

The current long-range weather models for the first week of December
indicate above average wave heights in store for the North Shore of
Oahu – at least into the extra-large category (minimum 12 feet
Hawaiian scale). The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau is typically
held in "giant" wave episodes of 20-feet-plus Hawaiian scale, with
wave faces exceeding 40-feet.

Quiksilver team-rider and 2008 Invitee Mark Healey will be hosting
weekly swell updates from the Bay every Monday.  Viewers can tune-in
at Quiksilver.com/eddie. These video clips along with other videos
from The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau are available for
syndication through Splashcast; videos can be embedded to blogs,
social networking sites and more. Go to
http://web.splashcast.net/web_watch/?code=HXBN3705OC for The Eddie
Splashcast module.

Scheduled to take place at the hallowed grounds of Waimea Bay, on the
North Shore of Oahu, between November 30, 2008, and February 28, 2009,
the event, otherwise known as "The Eddie", requires one day with a
minimum of 20-foot surf (Hawaiian scale) in order to run. It is the
world's most prestigious big-wave surfing event and is the only
big-wave surf contest sanctioned by the Association of Surfing
Professionals (ASP), the governing body of professional surfing.

Held in honor of the legendary Hawaiian waterman, Eddie Aikau, The
Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau gathers 28 of the most skillful
and dynamic big-wave surfers from around the world as polled by a
comprehensive panel consisting of influential watermen, members of the
surf industry, and internationally recognized surfing Associations.

The first memorial event for Aikau was held in 1984 at Sunset Beach,
two miles north of Waimea Bay. It was won by local standout Denton
Miyamura. Following the inaugural event, The Quiksilver in Memory of
Eddie Aikau moved to Waimea Bay, where it has remained ever since.
2008 marks the event's 24th anniversary; in only seven of those years
have the waves been big enough and the conditions right to hold the
contest.

In the realm of big-wave riding, the name Eddie Aikau commands as much
respect as Waimea Bay itself. Aikau was the North Shore of Oahu's
first lifeguard, watching over the Bay when he wasn't charging the
biggest waves of the winter. Tragically, he lost his life in 1978, at
the age of 33, during a re-creation of the Polynesian voyage between
Hawaii and Tahiti. In huge seas, the voyaging canoe Hokule'a was
capsized. Eddie paddled off in an attempt to reach help for his fellow
crewmen. He was never seen again but his spirit and legacy live on.

The complete list of Invitees and Alternates for this year's event are
available online at Quiksilver.com/eddie. The website also includes
photos and video from previous year's events, Invitee profiles and
swell updates. Visitors can sign up to receive text updates for the
"Official Contest Call" and watch online when the Bay calls the day.

Collectible limited-edition The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau
merchandise, including boardshorts, t-shirts, hats, sandals and
backpacks, are also available online at www.quiksilver.com/eddie and
in Quiksilver stores.