![]() ![]() ![]() And as lifeguard and cultural ambassador, he was able to do that. Rather than hide Hawaiʻi from the rest of the world, he wanted to share its natural beauty, and teach everyone why it was so necessary to appreciate the native roots that were often ignored and cast aside by non-natives, namely developers in Waikiki. And while he himself embodied all the values needed to be among the North Shore’s best, riding the biggest and heaviest waves around with a intense passion for the pursuit, he wanted to help others do the same. Surfing is a very individualized sport: it’s an exploration of one’s own limits - physical, mental, and spiritual. ![]() What made Eddie different was, without a doubt, his selflessness. During a nine-year tenure as protector of the hallowed coastline, he attempted over 500 rescues. With a recognized prowess as a waterman, he was appointed lifeguard of the beaches between Sunset and Haleiwa, an appropriate role for the big wave surfer as he often swam into 30 foot swells. Born in Maui, his family moved to Oahu when he was 16, and shortly thereafter he was a North Shore local surfing the gnarliest breaks, his favorite being Waimea Bay. And it was Eddie’s love for both that led him to paddle out of a maelstrom and into the open sea towards Lānaʻi for help.īut before he went on the courageous rescue mission, his legend was already growing on the islands. And Eddie loved his community: his people his Hawaiʻi. Makua Hanai literally means “feeding parent” in Hawaiian, usually in the description of a fostering parent who nurtures those around them - not only one’s kin, but the community they hold close. In honor of Aikau's memory the surf wear company Quicksilver has held the regular surfing tournament the Quicksilver Big Wave Invitational in Memory of Eddie Aikau in Aikau's beloved Waimea Bay.His full name, Edward Ryon Makuahanai Aikau, makes it seem as if he was born for his life’s journey. Coast Guard, Eddie's body was alas never found despite the efforts of an extensive manhunt. Although all the other crew members were eventually rescued by the U.S. After the canoe developed a leak in one of its hulls and subsequently capsized, Aikau decided to paddle back to shore on his surfboard in order to get help. In 1978 Eddie volunteered as a crew member for a canoe voyage from Hawaii to Tahiti. Eddie won first place in the prestigious Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship contest in 1977. Well known for his exceptional courage and selfless nature as well as for the fact that no one ever drowned at sea on his watch, Aikau was named Lifeguard of the Year in 1971. One of the first surfers to make a name for himself braving and besting the monster waves at the beach in Waimea Bay, Eddie in 1968 became the first lifeguard to be hired by the City & County of Honolulu to work on the North Shore. Aikau dropped out of high school at age sixteen and bought his first surfboard with the money he made working at a Dole pineapple cannery. Eddie began surfing at age eleven and moved with his family to the Hawaiian island of O'ahu in 1959. Aikau grew up in Lahaina and attended St. The son of Solomon and Henrietta Aikau, Eddie was the third in a family of six children. Champion surfer and lifeguard Edward Ryon Makuahanai Aikau was born on in Maui, Hawaii.
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