“Eddie Would Go” Quiksilver Invitational T shirt

Eddie Aikau was a Hawaiian big wave surfer and North Shore of Oahu lifeguard. On March 17, 1978, the boat capsized 20 miles west of Lanai, and the crew lost all provisions and telecommunications. Aikau decided to paddle his board toward Lanai to get help. But he was never seen again. Aikau was Waimea Bay's first lifeguard, and while on duty, he made over 500 and lost zero souls to drowning in the high surf. Before his death, Eddie Aikau was the anti-star. He was just a low-key native Hawaiian, living in a secluded house next to a Chinese graveyard, having fun in monstrous waves, and saving the lives of beachgoers. Somehow, he was inferior in his homeland. However, after his passing, Aikau slowly became one of the greatest references in Hawaiian culture, alongside Duke Kahanamoku. The surf industry felt they needed to honor the life of Hawaii's surfing hero. The first Quiksilver Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational was held in the winter of 1985/1986 at Waimea Bay. The contest requirement was that waves had to be 20 feet or bigger. When the organizers were deciding whether to raise the green flag or not, Mark Foo exclaimed: "Eddie Would Go." The expression stuck, and the contest got underway.