The Legend that is Eddie Aikau

To surpass the legend that is Eddie Aikau would be hard for any man. A native Hawaiian waterman Aikau’s legend stretches the world of surfing and lifeguarding. A brave lifeguard on the North Shore, Aikau is responsible for countless life saving rescues.

Edward Ryon Makuahanai Aikau was born May 4, 1946 in Kahului, Maui, Hawaii. While lifeguarding on the North Shore not a single life was lost on Eddie’s watch between Sunset and Haleiwa. Talk about a stretch to cover for one man. In 1971, Eddie was crowned the Lifeguard of the Year in appreciation.

Big Wave Surfing is what it is today because of people like Aikau and Laird Hamilton. Eddie Aikau began charging into bigger and bigger waves that paved the way for the likes of Hamilton to innovate tow-in surfing and big wave surfing. As a prominent charger on the big waves Eddie is most famous. His most famous win came in the 1977 Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship. I Unfortunately, one fateful day his life came to a tragic end as he was lost at sea trying to make the rescue of his life.

Unfortunately for Aikau and the surfing community he was lost at sea when he went to find help paddling on his surfboard from his wrecked Polynesian boat. While everyone else was saved, Aikau lost his life in his brave act of attempting to help save the others.

Aikau was on a Polynesian voyage for a 30 day, 2500 mile trip following the ancient Polynesian migration route from Hawaii to Tahiti. He left Hawaii with his crew onboard the Hokule’a on March 16, 1978.

Quiksilver still holds an annual Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau at Waimea Bay in the North Shore of Oahu when the waves are large enough to give justice to Aikau’s legend. In 1987, Eddie’s younger brother Clyde won the first one held at Waimea. The iconic photo of Aikau charging down the face of a pumping Waimea Bay can still be seen sported every year at the Memorial Surfing Contest.

Two common phrases still lingering on Aikau’s image are “Eddie Would Go” and “Eddie Wouldn’t Tow”. Take a trip around the North Shore and you are sure to see loads of these stickers and t-shirts on fans honoring the legend.

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