If you were a big wave surfer and received an invitation to compete in "The Eddie," how would you feel "Three Hours Before The Buzzer"?
The Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau is one of the most prestigious big wave surfing events in the world. What happens in Waimea Bay crosses the planet. The multiple camera angles and the instant replays tell us everything. Or maybe not.
In the last 40 years, the competition only got green light nine times because it's the Bay that calls the day. So, when the surf forecast announces 20-foot wave faces, the organizers sound the buzzer.
What the majority of the world doesn't know is that there are hundreds of people - surfers and their families, fans, judges, sponsors, and media professionals - that stay up all night waiting for the morning light to unveil the power of the Pacific Ocean, in all its glory.
Vincent Kardasik is a passionate surf videographer. He was hired to cover the event for a client but, this time, he also decided to shoot The Eddie from a different and darker perspective.
"I shot pretty much everything which happened in front of my lens, wandering around the Waimea Bay car park. I decided to go with the flow and let people act as they wanted in front of my lens," explains Kardasik.
The footage is pretty self-explanatory. If you pay close attention to the actors and actresses of this play, you'll notice the emotions behind their facial expressions - the fear, the anxiety, the focus, the tension, and the inquietude.
"The Eddie" is intense. Because of the waves and because it is one of the few contests that mixes homage, life-threatening events, fear, and prestige. And you need to feel them all before paddling out and delivering yourself to higher powers.
On January 25th, 2016, the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau lived one of its most memorable moments, and John John Florence was its main protagonist.