Seventeen Hawai'i surfers are on the list of 28 invited competitors for the prestigious Quiksilver In Memory of Eddie Aikau big-wave contest.

The 28 invited surfers and 24 alternates were announced this week.

"The Eddie" is considered the premier big-wave surfing contest in the world. It can run only on a day when wave-face heights reach at least 40 feet (or 20 feet by traditional Hawaiian measurement) at Waimea Bay.

Because of its strict standard, the contest has been completed just seven times since it was created in 1984.

The holding period for this season's event starts on Dec. 1 and ends on Feb. 28.

The last time the contest ran was in December 2004, when Kaua'i's Bruce Irons won it.

The Irons brothers — Bruce and Andy — are among the Hawai'i surfers invited to participate this season.

Other former champions invited include Clyde Aikau (who won in 1986), Keone Downing (1990), Noah Johnson (1999), Ross Clarke-Jones (2001), and Kelly Slater (2002).

The contest was created in honor of Eddie Aikau, a former lifeguard at Waimea Bay who was lost at sea during a rescue attempt for the voyaging canoe Hokule'a.

For more information on the contest, visit www.quiksilver.com/eddie.

INVITED SURFERS

Andy Irons (Hawai'i), Brian Keaulana (Hawai'i), Brock Little (Hawai'i), Bruce Irons (Hawai'i), Carlos Burle (Brazil), Clyde Aikau (Hawai'i), Darryl Virostko (California), Grant "Twiggy" Baker (South Africa), Greg Long (California), Ian Walsh (Hawai'i), Ibon Amatriain (Spain), Jamie O'Brien (Hawai'i), Jamie Sterling (Hawai'i), Kelly Slater (Florida), Keone Downing (Hawai'i), Makuakai Rothman (Hawai'i), Mark Healey (Hawai'i), Michael Ho (Hawai'i), Noah Johnson (Hawai'i), Peter Mel (California), Ramon Navarro (Chile), Ross Clarke-Jones (Australia), Rusty Keaulana (Hawai'i), Shane Dorian (Hawai'i), Sunny Garcia (Hawai'i), Takayuki Wakita (Japan), Tom Carroll (Hawai'i), Titus Kinimaka (Hawai'i).

ALTERNATES

Kala Alexander (Hawai'i), Garrett McNamara (Hawai'i), Darrick Doerner (Hawai'i), Reef McIntosh (Hawai'i), Tony Ray (Australia), Anthony Tashnick (California), Paul Patterson (Australia), Nathan Fletcher (California), Kalani Chapman (Hawai'i), Dave Wassel (Hawai'i), Taylor Knox (California), Evan Slater (California), Pancho Sullivan (Hawai'i), Derek Ho (Hawai'i), Danny Fuller (Hawai'i), Chava Greenlee (Hawai'i), Keoni Watson (Hawai'i), Manoa Drollet (Tahiti), Myles Padaca (Hawai'i), Tony Moniz (Hawai'i), Ross Williams (Hawai'i), Ken "Skindog" Collins (California), Koby Abberton (Australia), Laurie Towner (Australia).