Eddie Aikau – The Hero

Following his win of the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational at Sunset Beach in the winter of 1977, Eddie’s focus shifted. The Hawaiian cultural renaissance was in full swing and Aikau was feeling the pull to go deeper into the roots of his Hawaiian heritage. The cultural connection Eddie was seeking came in the form of the Hokule’a, a traditional double-hull voyaging canoe that was the symbol of Hawaiian pride.

The Polynesian Voyaging Society was seeking volunteers for a 30-day, 2,500-mile journey to follow the ancient route of the Polynesian migration between the Hawaiian and Tahitian island chains. Eddie leapt at the chance to be part of the crew who would sail Hokule’a by traditional celestial navigation. The Hokule’a set sail on a stormy afternoon in March of 1978, in strong winds that were whipping up heavy seas.

Not far into the journey, Hokule’a developed a leak in one of her hulls and eventually capsized during the night in the Moloka’i Channel. The crew hung on and hoped for a quick rescue, but after weathering the night, and with the physical state of crewmembers deteriorating, Eddie volunteered to paddle for help on a surfboard to the Hawaiian island of Lana’i, estimated to be 19 miles away. It would be the final rescue attempt of his life. While the crew aboard Hokule’a were later spotted by a passing plane and rescued, Aikau was never seen again.

“There was a lot of blame going on that the captain was responsible and so forth,” Clyde Aikau said. “I want to make sure that the captain knows that no matter what he did that day, no matter what anybody in that group did that day, Eddie would have found a way to leave the Hokule’a and go get help. That’s just the kind of guy he was.”