A Last Ride for Clyde Aikau, Surfing Royalty

New York Times

7 hours ago

Visuals by Gabriela Bhaskar
Text by Talya Minsberg Under the sparkling morning sun and in the warm waters of Oahu's South Shore, Clyde Aikau took his last ride last week. The legendary Hawaiian surfer, lifeguard, community leader and man known to most as Uncle Clyde died on May 3 at age 75.
He is perhaps best known for being the younger brother of Eddie Aikau, a title he wore with pride.
Clyde Aikau at the opening ceremony of the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational in 2018.
Brian Bielmann/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images Eddie was a surfer and the first lifeguard on the North Shore of Oahu, where he saved more than 500 people.His final act was one of service. He was part of a voyage in 1978 retracing the Polynesian migration route between Hawaii and Tahiti. The canoe capsized, and Eddie paddled for help. The rest of the crew was rescued, and Eddie was never seen again.
Clyde, who was 28 at the time, spent the rest of his life immortalizing Eddie's legacy.
In 1984, the Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational at Waimea Bay was founded to help honor his memory. It has become one of the world's most prestigious and elusive surfing contests.
The Eddie Aikau Big Wave contest in 2018.
Brian Bielmann/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The contest, a labor of love for Clyde, is held only when conditions are just right. But the paddle-out – a floating memorial service – is held annually.
Paddle-outs, while not a Polynesian tradition per se, incorporate many traditional Polynesian elements. The Eddie contest helped popularize them. 'We know Eddie because of Clyde,' said Isaiah Walker, a history professor at Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Eddie is one of two real legends in Hawaii, he added. Duke Kahanamoku, a legendary swimmer and surfer, and Eddie were both 'elevated to the status of Godlike characters.'
Fittingly, the paddle-out for Clyde began in the shadow of the Duke Kahanamoku statue in Waikiki. Being recognized by Clyde — through an invite to the Eddie or a nod in the surfing lineup — was akin to being given a nod by royalty. 'My dad always said that he always followed his brother's footsteps because that was his idol,' said Ha'a Aikau, Clyde's son. 'And my idol was my dad.'
'If you can help someone in any way, that's a good thing, it's a good day,' Ha'a recalled his father saying. More than 600 people showed up to honor Clyde's mana, the Hawaiian word for spirit. It's a word used often to describe his relentless yet humble life force. Always giving, Ha'a said, his father would have wanted to feed everyone at the paddle-out, but the city permit didn't allow it.
If Clyde had his way, he would 'give everyone a nice little bento and a nice strawberry soda — his favorite Diamond Head brand,' Ha'a said. Eleni Aikau, Clyde's wife, thanked everyone for celebrating her husband's life well lived, for 'having one more ride with Uncle Clyde.''He wasn't able to surf the last couple of years, so this is the closest we can get to getting him back in the water,' she said, getting choked up.
Waikiki beach boys, many of whom Clyde hired decades ago to help teach tourists how to surf, shared the honor of holding Clyde's ashes. But the Aikau family decided not to spread the ashes in the waters of Waikiki. His final resting place would be Waimea Bay, a spiritual valley for the Aikau family dating back to the Kingdom of Hawaii.
It's where Clyde honored Eddie every year. And where the Aikau family and Hawaiian community would continue to honor Clyde, too. Explore the countless ways race, ethnicity and identity affect our lives, with thoughtful reporting and discussion. Sign up for Race/Related.