Eddie Would Go

Who’s Eddie and Why Would He Go?!

Those are two great questions and ones you’ll have an answer to shortly!

Seems you can’t go anywhere in Hawaii without seeing a bumper sticker, hat, T-shirt or anything else with that famous phrase…Eddie Would Go!  Eddie Would Go means so many things, to so many people!  You can’t help to think of courage, strength, adventure, endurance and most of all selflessness.  

Let’s start at the beginning on May 4, 1946 when Edward Ryon Makuahanai Aikau was born in Kahului, on the island of Maui in Hawaii.  Eddie grew up on the water, learning to surf in the shorebreak off Kahului harbor.  When Eddie was becoming a teenager his family moved to Oahu. That was when the star got to shine!  Eddie was getting recognition in the big wave surfing industry and was winning competitions like the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational.  So it only made sense that Eddie became the first lifeguard located at Waimea Bay on the North Shore.  He was on record for over 500 water rescues during his lifeguard career!  Eddie always said nobody would ever lose their life in the water on his watch and he was proud because nobody ever did!  Because giving back to the community was what it was all about for Eddie!  

During this time in Hawaii a new voyaging canoe called the Hokule’a was starting.  There seemed to be issues between the local Hawaiians and others who thought their way was the best way.  So Eddie decided to get involved for the Hokule’a’s second voyage to Tahiti.  The day came on March 16, 1978 for the Hokule’a to depart Oahu.  The weather was poor and the conditions weren’t good for the canoe to depart but nobody wanted to disappoint all the spectators that came to watch the Hokule’a, so the canoe left the harbor with hopes of ending up in Tahiti.  But Mother Nature had another plan. A few hours into things and about 12 miles off Molokai the canoe capsized.  Thankfully everyone had survived but they knew that something had to be done fast.  With failed attempts to attract passing airplanes and drifting farther from land the captain and the other navigators decided that allowing Eddie to paddle to land to get help was the best hope they had of being rescued.  So Eddie paddled off, hoping to get help to rescue everyone.  But nobody ever saw Eddie again.  When the crew set off the last flare, it miraculously attracted the attention of the US Coast Guard who spotted the canoe and everyone was rescued!  

In remembrance of Eddie in 1985, the Eddie Aikau Big Wave was started at Waimea Bay to honor him.  This competition has only happened nine times since 1985 because the surf conditions have to be at least 20 feet or higher on the Hawaiian surf scale for the competition to run!  So if you’re lucky enough to be on the North Shore sometime during the winter swells and the competition is a GO…make sure you get to Waimea Bay!  Ironically, there is a statue of Eddie located there so he is always still keeping an eye on things!

So when I hear the phrase Eddie Would Go I think of digging deep and pushing your fears aside and going for it!!!  I think we all have a little bit of what Eddie was in us!  So embrace your inner Eddie!  ALOHA!