Eddie Aikau was born on the island of Maui and became the first lifeguard to work the rough North Shore of Wimea Bay on the island of Oahu, tackling thirty foot swells and saving dozens of lives. Aikau was also a well regarded surfer and a rising star in big wave competitions winning several awards including the 1977 Duke Classic. In 1978 the Polynesian Voyaging Society was seeking volunteers for a 30-day, 2500 mile journey to follow the ancient route of the Polynesian migration between the Hawaii and Tahiti. Aikau at loose ends after the break up of a brief marriage decided to join the voyage.

On March 16th, the double-hulled voyaging canoe sailed out of the dock and straight into some swift tradewinds. After developing a leak the boat capsized around midnight about twelve miles south of the island of Molokai. The crew hung on until morning, but after being smashed by huge waves and dragged by the current Aikau in an attempt to get help decided to paddle his surfboard toward Lanai. Although the rest of the crew was rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard, Aikau was never seen again. The ensuing search for the young surfer was the largest air-sea search in Hawaii history.

In the 1980’s, bumper stickers with the phrase Eddie Would Go began to spread around the Hawaiian Islands. Today the phrase “Eddie Would Go” has come to have a dual meaning– going where no one else dares to go or doing the right thing to save lives. In 1987 surfwear giant Quicksilver launched a Big Wave Invitational in memory of Aikau. His family also established the Eddie Aikau Foundation, a charitable organization to provide education about Hawaiian culture. The whole story of Eddie Aikau can be found in the book Eddie Would Go by Stuart Coleman.