Eddie Would Go: The Story of Eddie Aikau, Hawaiian Hero and Pioneer of Big Wave Surfing Paperback - 2004

First line

With the sun setting over the Wai'anae Mountains, Waimea Bay looks like a blue jewel carved into the jagged coastline of O'ahu's North Shore.

From the rear cover

In the 1970s, a decade before bumper stickers and T-shirts bearing the phrase Eddie Would Go began popping up all over the Hawaiian islands and throughout the surfing world, Eddie Aikau was proving what it meant to be a "waterman." As a fearless and gifted surfer, he rode the biggest waves in the world; as the first and most famous Waimea Bay lifeguard on the North Shore, he saved hundreds of lives from its treacherous waters; and as a proud Hawaiian, he sacrificed his life to save the crew aboard the voyaging canoe Hokule'a.

Eddie Would Go is the compelling story of Eddie Aikau's legendary life and legacy, a pipeline into the exhilarating world of surfing, and an important chronicle of the Hawaiian Renaissance and the emergence of modern Hawaii.

"Splendid...clear and fascinating."--Greg Ambrose, San Francisco Chronicle

"Enlightening...an impressive history...of surfing...of Hawaiian culture both at home and across the world."--Matt Walker, Surfing Magazine

"Eddie Aikau's life is a story waiting to be told, and it could not have been told any better than in Stuart Coleman's Eddie Would Go. This is a bestseller in the same way as the The Perfect Storm."--Peter Cole, Big-Wave Surfing Pioneer

"It's amazing the impact Eddie had on the surfing world and Hawaii. It touches the community at a real grass-roots level."--Kelly Slater, World Champion Surfer

"A meaningful biography of a surfing hero...extraordinary."
-Terry Rogers, The San Diego Union-Tribune

"Coleman, a surfer himself, does an admirable job of de-mystifying this remarkable man."
-Terry Tomalin, The St. Petersburg Times

"Fantastic...a treat to read."-Mark Cunningham, Honolulu Weekly

From the jacket flap

In the 1970s, a decade before bumper stickers and T-shirts bearing the phrase Eddie Would Go began popping up all over the Hawaiian islands and throughout the surfing world, Eddie Aikau was proving what it meant to be a "waterman." As a fearless and gifted surfer, he rode the biggest waves in the world; as the first and most famous Waimea Bay lifeguard on the North Shore, he saved hundreds of lives from its treacherous waters; and as a proud Hawaiian, he sacrificed his life to save the crew aboard the voyaging canoe Hokule'a.

Eddie Would Go is the compelling story of Eddie Aikau's legendary life and legacy, a pipeline into the exhilarating world of surfing, and an important chronicle of the Hawaiian Renaissance and the emergence of modern Hawaii.

"Splendid...clear and fascinating."--Greg Ambrose, San Francisco Chronicle

"Enlightening...an impressive history...of surfing...of Hawaiian culture both at home and across the world."--Matt Walker, Surfing Magazine

"Eddie Aikau's life is a story waiting to be told, and it could not have been told any better than in Stuart Coleman's Eddie Would Go. This is a bestseller in the same way as the The Perfect Storm."--Peter Cole, Big-Wave Surfing Pioneer

"It's amazing the impact Eddie had on the surfing world and Hawaii. It touches the community at a real grass-roots level."--Kelly Slater, World Champion Surfer

"A meaningful biography of a surfing hero...extraordinary."
-Terry Rogers, The San Diego Union-Tribune

"Coleman, a surfer himself, does an admirable job of de-mystifying this remarkable man."
-Terry Tomalin, The St. Petersburg Times

"Fantastic...a treat to read."-Mark Cunningham, Honolulu Weekly

Media reviews

Citations

• Library Journal, 01/05/2004, Page 0
• Outside, 01/01/2004, Page 28
• Publishers Weekly, 12/22/2003, Page 0