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Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Quicksilver Eddie Aikau Memorial



Eddie Aikau was born on Maui in 1946. He began surfing at 11, and moved to Oahu in 1959. Eddie was a direct descendant of Kahuna Nui Hewahewa, the highest priest of Hawaii in the early 1800s. Hewahewa retired to Waimea Valley later that century, taking up the role of caretaker of Waimea Valley, from the mountains to the sea. 100 years later, Aikau picked up the family torch as caretaker of the Bay - its first official lifeguard.

His big debut at Waimea Bay came in 1966, when photos of him were published in Life Magazine that year. In 1969, Bank of America used Aikau in a nationwide billboard campaign.

In 1977 Eddie won the Duke Kahanamoku Classic, beating surfing greats Mark Richards, Rabbit Bartholomew, Dane Kealoha, Bobby Owens and Rory Russell. Eddie was also a 6-time finalist in the Duke event between 1966 and 1974. Eddie was ranked 12th in the world in 1977

Quicksilver Eddie Aikau Memorial  By the mid-'70s, Eddie's passion for big wave riding was not his only driving force. The Hawaiian cultural renaissance was in full swing and Aikau was feeling the pull to dig deeper into the roots of his Hawaiian heritage. Following his win of the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational at Sunset Beach in the winter of 1977, his focus shifted to the Hokule'a.


A traditional double-hull voyaging canoe that was the symbol of Hawaiian pride, the Hokule'a represented the cultural connection that Hawaiians were seeking at the time. Eddie was selected to be part of the crew who would sail Hokule'a by traditional celestial navigation from Hawaii to Tahiti in March of 1978. It was to be a 30-day, 2,500 mile voyage across the Pacific, following the ancient route of Polynesian migration.

The Hokule'a set sail on the stormy afternoon of March 16, 1978, in strong winds that were whipping up heavy seas. Not far into the journey, Hokule'a developed a leak in one of her hulls, later capsizing during the night in the Moloka'i Channel. After weathering the night, and with the physical state of crewmembers deteriorating, Aikau insisted upon paddling for the Hawaiian island of Lana'i, estimated to be some 19 miles away. It would be the final rescue attempt of his life. While the crew aboard Hokule'a were later spotted by a passing plane and rescued, Aikau was never seen again. He was two months shy of his 32nd birthday.