Ask any of the big-wave surfers who put their lives at risk in the 2024-25 Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, and they’d tell you it was honor just to compete in the 40 to 50-foot waves that crashed through Waimea Bay and pay tribute to the late surfing legend on Sunday.

Tens of thousands of surf fans gathered on Oahu’s North Shore to witness the historic event, considered the Super Bowl of big-wave surfing. It marked just the 11th time in the last 40 years that “The Eddie” has run.

So imagine what it felt like to not only compete, but win it. It was an emotional accomplishment for 28-year-old Hawaiian Landon McNamara.

“This is a childhood dream of mine, something I’ve been working at since being a little kid on the beach here, watching these events go down,” said McNamara, during the awards presentation. “I don’t know what to feel right now. I’ve already cried 10 times.”McNamara earned 135.8 points in his title win. He won $50,000 for his feat and was also awarded 350,000 Hawaiian Air miles.

He also posted the highest-scoring wave, a perfect score of 50, the only one in the event, which earned him the Best Wave Award and earned him another 250,000 Hawaiian Air miles.

“The thing was a bomb,” he said. “I was a little late. I gave it two paddles. I felt like I stopped, I was about to eat crap, and somehow pulled it off. It hard to tell out there how big or how gnarly waves are. I just knew it felt like the gnarliest drop I had in some years out here. Really stoked to make it.”

During the awards ceremony, McNamara, whose father, Liam, is the contest director, thanked Aikau, a heralded lifeguard and big-wave surfer in Hawaii who disappeared after his double-hulled voyaging canoe capsized 12 miles south of the island of Moloka?i on March 17, 1978.

“Both my heats, I had a turtle I was following,” he said, “for real. … To me that was Eddie. They say Eddie picks the winner, and I’m so grateful he picked me.”

McNamara hoisted the massive winner’s trident and the crowd roared with support.

Hawaiian Mason Ho, Hawaii scored 120.90 points and took second place.

Hawaiian’s Billy Kemper and Jamie O’Brien took third and fourth, respectively. Former Santa Cruzan Nic Lamb, who now lives in Los Angeles, took fifth and earned $4,000 for his placing.

Hawaiian’s Luke Shepardson, the event’s ’23 winner, Nathan Florence, Kai Lenny, and Koa Rothman rounded out the top nine.

Santa Cruz’s Peter Mel also competed in the event.

San Clemente’s Greg Long, 40, the ’09 winner, retired from the event after the competition. He received the Aloha Spirit Award, which included a $2,500 prize.