“Eddie Would Go” - The History of Hawaii's Most Famous Lifeguard
You may have heard the famous phrase “Eddie would go” or heard of the prestigious “Eddie” big wave contest. Eddie Aikau is a legend known for his heroic actions and selfless work as a lifeguard, surfer icon, and role model of respect. Here is a brief history of his life and how he became one of Hawaii’s most well-known watermen.
Early life
At the age of 13, his family moved to Oahu. He attended school until he was 16 when he dropped out to work at the Dole Plantation. Eventually, Eddie saved enough money to buy a board and started charging waves along the seven-mile miracle known as the North Shore. At breaks like Waimea Bay, he surfed along some of the best surfers in the world and earned a reputation as a young, fearless charger of big waves.
Rise to Fame
By the late 1960’s Eddie was known on the island for surfing giant Waimea better than anyone. In 1968 Honolulu asked him to be the first-ever lifeguard at Waimea Bay and oversee the beaches from Haleiwa to Sunset. In his ten years as a lifeguard at Waimea, he made over 500 rescues, and not a single person lost their life.
In 1971 he won lifeguard of the year for his incredible service, and in 1977 he won the Duke Kahanamoku Surfing Invitation. His humble, fair, and friendly nature made him a well-loved community member and brought respect to his family name. Eddie is famously responsible for bridging the relationship between the Australian “new wave” surfers and local Hawaiians when there were serious tensions in 1975.
Lost at Sea
In 1978 the Polynesian Voyaging Society was looking for volunteers to sail on a month-long trip from Hawaii to the island chains of Tahiti using only ancient Polynesian navigation techniques. Eddie joined the crew, and on March 16th they took off from Oahu on a double-hulled canoe named Hōkūle’a.
The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Contest
In honor of the heroic and fearless lifeguard, Quicksilver started the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational, nicknamed the “Eddie” in 1985. The first Eddie was held at Sunset, however every year since, it has taken place at Waimea Bay. The contest is notorious for its unique pre-requisite that there must be swells 20 ft or more, and for this reason, it has only run 9 times since its inception, with the last being in 2016.
On the day of the first contest, the waves were big and gnarly. The competitors were skeptical about paddling out, but Mark Foo, a well-known big wave surfer, stated, “Eddie would go,” coining the phrase and prompting the start to the first-ever competition held in Eddie's honor. Eddie’s brother, Clyde, won that year's event, and today the Aikau family is responsible for the organization of the event every year.
Each year the competition window is from December 1st to the end of February, and 28 surfers that meet Aikau standards of skill, respect, and service are invited to partake. This year our very own Jamie O’Brien is among those invited and will wait for the call to get the chance to charge huge Waimea Bay in honor of the Hawaiian Legend.
Here is a video of Jamie O’Brien charging a huge wave at the last Eddie in 2016
Here is another great video for a brief history on Eddie Aikau
Did reading about Eddie Aikau inspire you to hit the waves? Remember to check out the Jamie O’Brien Surf App here for anytime, anywhere surf coaching.
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