North Shore lifeguard Luke Shepardson's win at the 2023 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational catapulted him into the limelight and showcased the high level of skill required to patrol Hawai'i’s shorelines.
The Eddie is a one-day contest held only when the surf is consistently large enough during the winter big-wave surfing season. The wind, the tides and the direction of the swell also have to be just right.
Since winning the event in January, Shepardson’s life has been a whirlwind of local and national interviews, car commercials, and celebratory parties — which is not normal for the humble and low-key family man.
"The Eddie is kind of my only plan for surf contests. I am not a good competitive surfer. It really throws me off. I get the jitters and the butterflies and all that. And I don't feel myself when I'm surfing in contests. So I don't really plan on chasing contests anywhere. But I do plan on going and chasing perfect waves when I can," Shepardson said.
So how did he pick and surf the perfect wave in front of thousands of people at Waimea Bay, not to mention against pros like John John Florence?
By doing what he always does.
"I wasn't too focused on like, oh, this person did that or this person has this score or whatnot. I just was focused on the beach and doing my job. And then when it was my time to surf, I had a break from working. And I went out to catch a few waves like I would on any other day at work," he told The Conversation.
Honolulu Ocean Safety Chief John Titchen said Shepardson's win was a win for lifeguards everywhere.
"On the best day at the world's most famous big wave spot in the world, the most proficient person in the water was the guy who sits in the lifeguard tower," Titchen said. "I see that as a testament to all of our 288 men and women."
Oʻahu lifeguards include watermen and women who surf, stand-up paddle, foil, kayak, swim, canoe paddle, and do anything else you can think of in the ocean, Titchen said.
"Luke's win helps demonstrate the caliber of talent and proficiency in the water that we feature at Honolulu Ocean Safety," Titchen told The Conversation.
As for what wave comes next for local waterman Shepardson?
"Everybody that I've heard talk about Nazaré says it's a death pit. Everyone that has been there has said they've gotten the worst beatings of their life. It does sound very, very, very scary to go there but I think it'd be cool to go at least one time in my life and try it out. I don't want to surf it as big as it gets. But just to surf it on a pretty good-sized day, it'd be cool to experience it," Shepardson said.
This interview aired on The Conversation on March 2, 2023. The Conversation airs weekdays at 11 a.m. on HPR-1. This interview was adapted for the web by Sophia McCullough.
