Eddie Aikau: Who was the brave surfer and what happened to him?

The fearless life of Eddie Aikau is being remembered with a Google Doodle on what would have been his 73rd birthday.

Aikau, a lifeguard and surfing champion, was born on the island of Maui on 4 May 1946, before moving with his family to Oahu in 1959.

In Oahu, Aikau proved he was just as comfortable in the water as he was on land, as the first lifeguard hired by Honolulu officials to work on the North Shore.

During his years protecting Waimea Bay, Aikau managed to safely rescue more than 500 people without the assistance of a jet ski or other modern equipment, according to the Google Doodle.

In 1971, Aikau’s dedication and perseverance to rescuing people, even in the face of surf that reached 30 feet high, was rewarded with the honour Lifeguard of the Year.

Apart from his skills as a lifeguard, Aikau was also an accomplished surfer, who, in 1977, became one of the first native Hawaiians to win the Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship – four years after his older brother won.

Just a year later, at the age of 31, Aikau would lose his life while volunteering as a member of the Polynesian Voyaging Society, which was following the ancient 2,500 route of the Polynesian migration in a historically accurate double-hulled canoe.

While making the 30-day trip, the volunteers developed a leak and capsized miles from Molokai island – prompting Aikau to take his surfboard and swim for help.

The rest of the crew was rescued by the US Coast Guard but Aikau was never seen again.

Aikau’s bravery and name live on through the Eddie Aikau Foundation, and the The Eddie Quiksilver Big Wave Invitational, a surfing competition sponsored by Quiksilver that requires the precondition of ocean swells of a minimum of 20 feet.

The competition in honour of the Hawaii native was most-recently held in February 2016, and won by John John Florence.

Aikau was also remembered in the slogan “Eddie Would Go”, which appeared on bumper stickers and T-shirts in Hawaii.

The Google Doodle was made in partnership with the Eddie Aikau Foundation, which said: “A legendary surfer and lifeguard for the city and county county of Honolulu, Eddie Aikau was one of the greatest big wave riders in the world.

“As the first lifeguard ever stationed at Waimea Bay on the North Shore of Oahu, Eddie is credited with saving the lives of hundreds of swimmers and surfers, often in conditions no one else would dare enter.

“His legacy lives on with a memorial Big Wave Surfing Invitational, also known as “The Eddie”, held annually at Waimea Bay—but only when the waves are over 20 feet high. We hope people enjoy this Google Doodle and take a moment to remember and celebrate Eddie, a true symbol of the ‘Aloha Spirit’.”