![]() I had won the World Title a few months before on my single fin and looked down at it – I knew it was instantly obsolete in small waves. There was barely enough clearance between his twin fins and the rocks as he leapt to his feet and started to pump down the line – faster and faster like there was a turbo beneath his feet – I had never seen anyone generate that type of speed on such a small wave – in fact, on any wave. After trying to resuscitate him, Clyde went into the house and found. He was a truly gifted tube-rider, attacking the spinning tunnels with machismo, commitment and an attacking rhythm like a Hawaiian warrior going into battle.Īt the dawn of pro surfing and the start of the twin fin era at the Stubbies event in Australia, I watched Dane catch a wave at high tide 2 foot Burleigh Heads. According to reports, Gerald Aikau, the 42-year-old nephew of Eddie Aikau, was found hanging from a tree by Clyde Aikau. No close together ballerina feet softness, but a powerful and beautiful classically pure Hawaiian style, charting back to the great Eddie Aikau.ĭane was on the cutting edge of progression – inventing the backside pig dog technique at Pipe and winning the Masters in 1983, and carving up Backdoor and Sunset with creativity and ferocity. When I first met Dane back in 1976, he immediately became one of my favourite surfers – absolute raw power and foot to the floor attitude. And as a lifeguard and cultural ambassador, he was able to do that.Sending positive thoughts to all those who knew him, shortly before the sad passing of Dane Kealoha, the 1977 World Champ Shaun Tomson shared these touching words and memories of his friend. Rather than hide Hawaiʻi from the rest of the world, he wanted to share its natural beauty, and teach everyone why it was so necessary to appreciate the native roots that were often ignored and cast aside by non-natives, namely developers in Waikiki. ![]() And while he himself embodied all the values needed to be among the North Shore’s best, riding the biggest and heaviest waves around with an intense passion for the pursuit, he wanted to help others do the same. Surfing is a very individualized sport: it’s an exploration of one’s own limits - physical, mental, and spiritual. What made Eddie different was, without a doubt, his selflessness. During a nine-year tenure as protector of the hallowed coastline, he attempted over 500 rescues. With a recognized prowess as a waterman, he was appointed lifeguard of the beaches between Sunset and Haleiwa, an appropriate role for the big wave surfer as he often swam into 30-foot swells. Born in Maui, his family moved to Oahu when he was 16, and shortly thereafter he was a North Shore local surfing the gnarliest breaks, his favorite being Waimea Bay. “Before he went on the courageous rescue mission, his legend was already growing on the islands. Let’s have a look back at a few excerpts from an older piece by Michael Woodsmall that tells the story of Eddie’s life and tragic passing: Thank you for your contributions to all of us who came after you, Eddie.” If you haven’t seen Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau, go watch it. Few people have made such profound effects on others in their lifetimes and Eddie Would Go will always be the big wave surfers’ mantra. He saved countless lives and inspired infinitely more. I think the proudest moment of my life was winning the event which carries Eddie’s namesake in 2002. Tags: american birth day 4 birth month may birth year 1946 death day 17 death month march death year 1978 surfer. “The Hokuleia was at Waimea today to mark the occasion. Eddie Aikau biography, ethnicity, religion, interesting facts, favorites, family, updates, childhood facts, information and more. “Eddie Aikau passed away 40 years ago today,” he wrote on Instagram. March 17th marked the date of his passing, and Kelly Slater took to Instagram to pay his respects. Coast Guard Cutter Cape Corwin rescued the rest of the crew, but Eddie was never seen again. Aikau then did something heroic: in an attempt to get help, he began paddling towards Lanai on a surfboard. Twelve miles off the coast of Molokai, the vessel developed a leak and eventually capsized. It was the route once taken by then-Polynesian migrants. On March 16th, 1978, a 31-year-old Edward Ryon Makuahanai Aikau boarded the Hokule’a for the Polynesian Voyaging Society’s month-long, 2,500-mile journey from Hawaii through Tahitian island chains.
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