Eddie Aikau: Legendary Lifeguard and Surfer

WAYFINDERS is a new series of biographies celebrating Hawai‘i’s leaders—women and men who have helped shape the islands as we know them today. These books shine a light on those well-known and lesser-known educators, scientists, athletes, artists, activists, and political leaders who have transformed Hawai‘i and paved the way for future generations.

This third WAYFINDERS book is about larger-than-life Hawaiian legend, Eddie Aikau. Although many kids in Hawai‘i grow up hearing the phrase “Eddie Would Go,” many may not know about his extraordinary life. A devoted, talented North Shore surfer, Eddie was the first lifeguard at Waimea Bay on O‘ahu and saved over 500 people. He competed in surfing events and won the famous Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Contest. Eddie is most known for paddling for help on his surfboard after the Hōkūle‘a capsized in 1978 during their voyage to Tahiti—sacrificing himself for his friends.