"One of the North Shore’s most iconic surfing spots, crescent shaped Waimea Bay reached the pinnacle of its big wave fame in the mid-1980s with the inaugural Quicksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau, which has been held only nine times — conditions have to be perfect to create the enormous swells required to hold this invitational. Encircled by the lush Waimea Valley, Waimea Bay’s sparkling emerald-blue water comes into view as you round a bend on Kamehameha Highway. One of its highlights is “Jumping Rock,” an enormous, craggy boulder that punctuates the bay’s western edge, where daredevils leap from the cliff-like precipice into the sea during the calm summer season." - Travel + Leisure Editors