The inaugural Women's Waimea Bay Championship (WWBC) will showcase the world's best female big wave surfers on the North Shore of Oahu, in Hawaii.
The invitational event will feature 24 water women at the infamous Waimea Bay, home of the Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau and the birthplace of big wave riding.
The competition is held in honor of Queen Kaahumanu, the Hawaiian monarch (ruling from 1819 to 1864) who defied the Kapu system that strictly separated men and women.
"Our mission is to honor the rich culture of strong women in Hawaiian history and showcase the strength and beauty of female big wave riders," the organization notes.
Betty Depolito and Wrenna Delgado are the two founding members of the newly-created Women's Waimea Bay Championship. They have been applying for permits for eight years.
"We aim to create positive role models to keep pushing the dreams of the next generation and send a message of caring for our environment. Mauka to Makai."
The Women's Waimea Bay Championship is the first-ever big wave surfing competition exclusively dedicated to female athletes. It will only get underway when the waves hit a minimum of 40 feet, in the Hawaiian wave height scale.
The tournament's waiting period kicks off October 1, and ends on November 21, 2017. The first woman to ever paddle out at Waimea Bay was Linda Benson, in 1959.
Women's Waimea Bay Championship 2017 | List of Invitees
Andrea Moller
Bianca Valenti
Blake Lefkoe
Brittany Gomulka
Carly Wilson
Easkey Britton
Emily Erickson
Felicity Palmateer
Jamilah Star
Justine Dupont
Keala Kennelly
Makani Adric
Michaela Fregonese
Momo Sakuma
Nicole Pacelli
Paige Alms
Polly Ralda
Raquel Heckert
Remi Nealon
Sarah Gerhardt
Savannah Shaughnessy
Silvia Nabuco
Tammy Lee Smith