To this very day, November 19, 1967, remains the biggest day ever surfed at Waimea Bay.ĭuring the early to mid-1970s, Eddie traveled to South Africa, South America, and Australia to participate in a few early-era pro surfing events.
EDDIE AIKAU 2020 CRACKED
In 1967, Eddie cracked a giant swell at Waimea Bay and made his mark in the world of big wave riding. Greg Noll, Mike Stang, George Downing, John Kelly, and Sammy Lee were huge inspirations. He dreamed of reaching the height of his heroes. As a competitor, his best contest result was a win in the 1977 Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship.Įddie Aikau saw big wave surfing not as a competition but as a personal goal. At the time, there were no jet skis or zodiacs - just two youngsters with a board and swim fins.ĭuring his career as a lifeguard at Waimea Bay, Eddie Aikau managed to rescue and save the lives of over 500 people.Įddie took on every major swell to come through the North Shore from 1967 to 1978. The two brothers worked together for ten years until 1978 and never lost one person.
He was high risk at an early age," says younger brother Clyde Aikau.Įddie was the first official lifeguard hired by the City & County of Honolulu to work at Waimea Bay, on Oahu's North Shore, back in 1967.Īt the same time, he challenged the biggest waves on offer in the Hawaiian Islands. "Eddie was a pretty quiet guy, but when there was a challenge, or some risk to be taken, or a game to be played that everybody wanted to win, Eddie seemed to rise to the top. He was the second-oldest of the five Aikau kids and the leader of their pack from their earliest days on Maui to their surfing days on the South and North Shore of Oahu. The surfer, lifeguard, family man, friend, traveler, musician, and hero inspired future generations of wave riders worldwide.Įdward Ryon Makuahanai Aikau was born in Kahului, Hawaii, on May 4, 1946. But Aikau disappeared and his body was never found.The life of Eddie Aikau is the incredible story of the ultimate Hawaiian waterman. Aikau paddled away on his surfboard to raise the alarm and the rest of the crew were later rescued. The winner evoked memories of the man the event is named after The Eddie is held in honour of the late Eddie Aikau, like Shepardson a Hawaiian surfer and lifeguard – the first one on Oahu’s North Shore.Īikau saved more than 500 people during his career but during a journey in 1978 re-enacting an ancient route of Polynesian migration between Hawaii and Tahiti, the voyaging canoe he was aboard capsized. As he joined Florence and other previous winners including Kelly Slater, Bruce Irons and Ross Clarke Jones, he was hoisted up in celebration on the beach – still clad in distinctive yellow and red life-savers attire. Shepardson, 27, scored 89.1 points out of a possible 90 to claim the title and $10,000 prize money. I’ve got to get back to the tower to make sure everyone’s OK until the end of the day.” The waves were huge, and it was a dream come true just to be part of The Eddie, just to be on the alternate list. “I told myself, ‘I’m in it because I can win it,” Shepardson said.
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