But I was just a haole from the mainland and a relatively unknown writer, and it didn’t seem my place to pen such a biography. She and Eddie were crewmembers on a Polynesian voyaging canoe called Hokule’a that capsized while sailing from Hawaii to Tahiti, and she told me about how he had tried to save the rest of the crew and was never seen again.Īfter hearing her story, I wanted to write an article and maybe even a book about Eddie Aikau’s remarkable life. While teaching literature and creative writing at Punahou School, I met a colleague named Marion Lyman-Mercereau, who had known Eddie and been one of the last people to see him alive. Intrigued, I wanted to know more about this man, how he had become an almost mythic Hawaiian icon and why the saying “Eddie Would Go” was such a popular mantra. Local friends explained that Eddie Aikau had been a proud Native Hawaiian, a respected lifeguard and a fearless big-wave rider who disappeared at sea. Like many malihini, I wondered, Who was Eddie and where did he go? When I moved to Hawaii many moons ago, I saw the phrase “Eddie Would Go” on so many bumper stickers and t-shirts that I thought it might be the state motto. He mentions the phrase “Eddie Would Go” and I can recall how my life was transformed by those fateful three words. The competitors stand shoulder to shoulder with their long, spear-like boards behind them like some modern tribe of wave warriors about to go into battle.Īs the Aikau’s family kahu blesses each of the surfers, he tells them about Eddie’s fierce love of the ocean and how his spirit still watches over all those who surf, swim and play in the Bay’s powerful waters. We watch as Eddie’s sister Myra and his brothers Clyde and Sol greet each of the big-wave riders who are invited to compete in the prestigious event. The last one was held in 2009, and thousands of people lined the beaches and cliffs to watch the epic rides and wipeouts.įor more than 10 years, I have been driving to the North Shore to join the gathering of family, friends, surfers and spectators at the beach park near Eddie’s memorial. The ceremony marks the beginning of the three-month waiting period when the waves must reach heights of at least 20 feet before they can hold the contest. Each year, on the first Thursday after Thanksgiving, hundreds of people gather at Waimea Bay for the opening ceremony of the Quiksilver in Memory of Eddie Aikau Contest.
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