The ultimate act of sacrifice.
Today, March 17th, marks the 32nd anniversary of the disappearance of legendary Hawaiian surfer and waterman Eddie Aikau. It was on this fateful day that he and his crew set sail from Hawaii to Tahiti on their way to reenact the 2,400 mile Polynesian migration. Eddie was only 31-years-old and he had just won one of the biggest surfing competitions in Hawaii. But more important to him than any surf competition was this voyage across the great Pacific Ocean.
Immediately after they left port, Eddie and his crew encountered terrible weather with strong winds and high seas. Only five hours into their journey, their boat capsized and the entire crew was left clinging to the side of the ship for their lives. After almost an entire day of shooting off flares and trying to signal planes overhead, the cold was starting to set in and the crew was gradually drifting farther and farther from land.
Eddie realized that the longer they waited, the higher the chance would be that they would never be found. So Eddie begged the captain to let him take out the surfboard he had brought with him and try to paddle to the island of Lanai, which was only 12 miles away. At first the captain resisted, but as the situation became more dire he allowed Eddie to go.
That morning of March 17th was the last time Eddie was ever seen again.
Late that evening, a plane overhead spotted a flare the remaining crew had sent off and soon rescue ships were on their way. Once they reached port safely, a massive search party was sent to find Eddie, but the returned empty handed.
Today, Eddie's sacrifice and heroism are remembered by Quiksilver's big-wave tournament "The Eddie" held in his name at Waimea Bay. In addition, the popular catchphrase "Eddie Would Go" is displayed proudly on the shirts and bumper stickers of thousands of people all across the world.
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