Stuart H.Coleman
Eddie Would Go
Eddie Would Go is the only biography of one of Hawaii’s greatest heroes. Eddie Aikau was a humble man who was larger than life. As a surfer, he rode the biggest waves in the world; as a lifeguard, he saved hundreds of lives from the North Shore’s treacherous waters; and as a proud Hawaiian, he sacrificed his life to save his fellow sailors aboard the voyaging canoe Hokule’a.
But more than a biography of a courageous waterman, Stuart Coleman’s Eddie Would Go also tells the story of modern Hawai’i and Eddie’s role in the Hawaiian Renaissance during the 1970′s. The book is based on numerous interviews with family and friends, along with Hawai’i’s leading watermen and scholars, and Coleman weaves together their memories in an exciting and informative story. By exploring his legendary life and legacy, this book will show why Eddie has become such an enduring icon in Hawai’i and the surfing world.
•Winner of the Hawaii Book Publishers Association “Excellence in Writing Nonfiction” award
•Winner of the 2004 Elliot Cades Award for Literature
“Every surfer worth his salt will appreciate Eddie Would Go.” --Surfer Magazine
Praise for Eddie Would Go
Fierce Heart
In the Hawaiian language, "mākaha" means fierce and Oahu's westside community of Makaha truly represents the powerful heart of the Hawaiian culture. Surrounded on one side by jagged green mountains and a powerful blue sea on the other, the small town of Makaha has produced some of the most talented watermen and biggest surfing icons in the world. Fierce Heart is the biography of an often overlooked community and a portrait of these strong, steadfast people. Beginning in tandem with Hawai'i's statehood in 1959 and the rise of the Makaha International Surf Classic, Fierce Heart focuses on two generations of surfing's most famous family, the Keaulana clan. One of the most famous members of the clan, Buffalo Keaulana, rose to fame after winning the Makaha International in 1960. Buffalo became a legendary surfer, lifeguard and community leader, and in 1976 sailed on the maiden voyage of the Hokule'a. His legacy has only grown larger with his sons and extended family in Makaha.
Another prominent family member, Brian Keaulana, took his lifeguarding and big-wave surfing career out of the ocean and into Hollywood as a stuntman. He pioneered the use of jet skis to perform rescues and revolutionized ocean safety in the process. His brother Rusty won three world longboarding championships in a row. Rell Sunn and Israel Kamakawiwo’ole were like older siblings, and they became the stars of Makaha during their short, but brilliant lives. Sistah Rell was Hawai’i’s first female lifeguard, a pioneer in women’s professional surfing and a community activist. Starting out with the Makaha Sons and later setting out on his own, Bruddah Iz eventually became the most well-known artist in Hawai’i and the voice of the Hawaiian Sovereignty movement. Like shooting stars, Rell and Iz blazed a bright trail in the Hawaiian sky. And, as is the tendency with comet flames, their lives burned out all too soon. On the 50th anniversary of statehood (and Israel’s birth), Fierce Heart chronicles the history of Hawai’i’s wild Westside and the enduring legacy of its leaders.