5 Life Lessons From Iconic Hawaiian Big Wave Surfer Eddie Aikau

When Stuart Coleman moved to Hawai’i almost 30 years ago, he came to surf and teach creative writing. Being a curious and socially conscious individual, he also made an effort to learn about the rich history and culture of his new home. As a “Mainland haole” – as Caucasian Americans who visit the islands are known – Coleman was shocked to discover there weren’t more books written about modern Hawaiian history or local icons to whom his students could relate. So he vowed to write stories about such heroes and spread the indigenous wisdom of the people.

Shortly thereafter, Coleman was introduced to the family of Eddie Aikau. Aikau was one of the most legendary Hawaiian surfers of all time. He died selflessly in a heroic effort to rescue other sailors aboard the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule’a. Coleman felt it was fate to meet Aikau’s family. This was the inspiring local icon whose story he was destined to record and share with the world.

Coleman wrote and published the hardcover edition of the definitive Eddie Aikau biography soon after that. This winter, the world is celebrating the 20-year anniversary of the publication of the hard cover edition of Eddie Would Go: The Story of Eddie Aikau, Hawaiian Hero (MindRaising Press).

Originally released in November 2002, Eddie Would Go has won several awards, including the Excellence in Non-Fiction Award and the Cades Award for Literature. Surprising many locals, it became a bestseller not only in Hawaii but also across the country. There even have been three international editions, in Japanese, Portuguese and German. To celebrate the 20^th anniversary, St. Martin’s Press has released a new national paperback edition in time for several events honoring the life of Eddie Aikau.

In addition, as of December 14, 2022, we are now officially in the waiting period for the world-famous Eddie Aikau Big-Wave Invitational, hosted by the Aikau family at Waimea Bay on Oahu’s North Shore. As the oldest and most prestigious big wave contest on earth, “the Eddie” is not just a surf competition; it is a global event drawing millions of viewers. The contest is unique in that it runs only when surf reaches above 20 feet in height within the three-month waiting period. The “Eddie” turns 35 this year.

In early November, Coleman gave a keynote address at the Kauai Writers Conference about Eddie Aikau’s extraordinary life and enduring legacy. He talked about how Aikau’s selfless actions as a lifeguard, big wave surfer, and sailor transformed the humble, Native Hawaiian man into a mythic icon. His final and most heroic action was trying to rescue his fellow sailors aboard the Hokule’a, which capsized in a storm on March 16, 1978. Though lost at sea, Eddie Aikau has come to embody the spirit of the Hawaiian Renaissance and the Hokule’a’s ongoing voyages.

Here, Coleman shares five of the most valuable lessons he has learned from studying and writing about the life of Eddie Aikau and getting to know his extended family:

1. Find your element. As a young boy, Aikau discovered a love of the ocean that would guide his life as a surfer, lifeguard, and sailor. Though shy and quiet on land, Aikau found a sense of joy and confidence when in the ocean. As a Hawaiian waterman, he felt calm in his element — even in huge waves that still scare the best big wave surfers today.

2. Look out for others. As the first lifeguard on Oahu’s North Shore, Aikau knew how dangerous the ocean could be and anticipated accidents before they happened. During his career as a lifeguard, he saved hundreds of lives. Each rescue gave him a sense of meaning and purpose.

3. Learn the language of your soul. Though known as a fearless waterman, Aikau was also a talented musician. He learned to play the slack-key guitar and would sing soulful Hawaiian songs with family members at parties and events. He sometimes would go into nature and record his own songs and stories to share with friends.

4. Feel pride in your history. As a dark-skinned Native Hawaiian, Aikau experienced many incidents of racial prejudice. Yet he never lost pride in himself, his culture or his people. Though he didn’t finish high school, he became an avid student of Hawaiian history. He later joined the crew of the voyaging canoe Hokule’a to sail from Hawaii to Tahiti, retracing the ancient sea-roads that his ancestors had traveled centuries before navigating only by the sea and the stars.

5. Live each day as if it were your last. The Native Hawaiian surfer Rell Sunn once said that the spirit of aloha is “to give and give until there is nothing left to give.” During a voyage to Tahiti in March 1978, Aikau gave his all. Ultimately, he sacrificed his own life in order to save his fellow crew members aboard the Hokule’a. His selfless courage embodies the spirit of aloha.

Starting in January 2023, the Eddie Aikau Foundation will hold its annual Eddie Would Go student essay contest. This contest engages hundreds of children in seventh through tenth grades to write essays about Aikau’s legacy and the Hawaiian values he embodied. This year’s contest will also honor Eddie’s brother Sol Aikau, who passed away on October 2, 2022, after serving as the president of the Foundation for many years.

A writer, surfer, environmental advocate, and public speaker, Coleman has gone on to cofound an environmental nonprofit called WAI: Wastewater Alternatives & Innovations. “As a surfer and ocean lover, I have always been concerned about water quality issues,” says Coleman, WAI’s Executive Director. “When I learned that Hawaii has over 80,000 cesspools releasing 52 million gallons per day of untreated sewage into our groundwater, I knew we needed a nonprofit dedicated to this issue.”