EDDIE AIKAU 2020 FULL

Next, The Eddie surf contestants participated in an awa ceremony and received gifts of lei hulu before paddling out into a circle ceremony in the middle of the bay. Contestants participate in a traditional awa ceremony. Ho‘okupu (gifts) of oli, pule (prayers) and lei were then offered to Eddie Aikau’s memorial and to the Aikau family. The day started with Hawaiian immersion school students exchanging protocol, including oli (chant) and the blowing of pū (conch shells), with the crew of the Hōkūle‘a to welcome the beloved voyaging canoe into Waimea Bay.

EDDIE AIKAU 2020 FULL

The commitment to reconnecting surfing with its cultural roots was on full display during the opening ceremony for this year’s contest. In a written statement, OHA said that it “sees The Eddie as an opportunity to encourage more Native Hawaiians to participate in their national sport and to promote the history and traditional aspects of surfing to remind the world of its cultural heritage.” He was one of the best big wave surfers of his day, and his selfless commitment to rescuing others from treacherous ocean conditions eventually claimed his own life.īut the other goal is to use the event to reclaim surfing as a Hawaiian cultural practice. Of course, one goal is to celebrate the life and legacy of legendary Hawaiian waterman Eddie Aikau. But the Hawaiian groups are supporting the big wave surf contest for reasons that differ from that of past sponsors.

A coalition of Native Hawaiian organizations is joining the Aikau family to help bring The Eddie back. But sponsorship issues after the 2016 contest left the future of the event in question. And Native Hawaiians are helping to make it happen.įirst held at Waimea Bay in 1986, The Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational is the world’s preeminent and most-watched surf contest. Please take a look at his video below and become the next Aikau by learning surf.Cover photo: Makuaka Rothman at the 2016 Eddie contest. He was never found again, although the entire crew was rescued ! The search for respected and loved Eddie Aikau was the largest air-sea search in Hawaii in History. He allegedly removed his lifejacket while paddling because it was a nuisance. Aikau offered to get his surfboard and paddle in for Help, towards the island of Lana’i. In 1978, a 30 day journey to follow the ancient route of the Polynesian migration between Tahitian and Hawaiian island chains organized by the Polynesian Voyaging Society ended up in a disaster… Apparently, the canoe capsized 12 miles away from the island of Moloka’i. Born in Hawaii in 1946, Aikau was a well-known surfer and perhaps the best lifeguard in the whole history, as he got in the water to save surfers in harsh and dangerous conditions, saving the life of many people back in the 1960s and 70s.Įddie Aikau was the First Lifeguard at Waimea Bay, Oahu, and many authors coincide in the fact that he saved more than 500 people, but not only that, he was a Big Wave Surfer and competitor, winning several tournaments as the 1977 Duke Kahanamoku invitational Surfing Championship. The mysterious death of lifeguard and surfer Eddie Aikau 40 years ago is something that many surfers keep talking about today.

Eddie aikau 2020