Sharon and I watched Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau. This is the ninth installment of ESPN's 30 for 30 Vol II. An episode guide for Vol II is here.
This film chronicles the life of Eddi Aikau. This is another excellent 30 for 30 film on a subject--surfing--that I know nothing about; I had never heard of Eddie Aikau.
Eddie Aikau was a legendary Hawaiian big wave surfer, pioneering lifeguard and a crew member of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule'a. During a period when most of the surfers were American or Australian, he became famous for surfing the big Hawaiian surf. There is a lot of footage of Aikau surfing 30 to 50 foot waves, particularly at Waimea Bay on Oahu. He won several surfing contests including the 1977 Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championship.
Aikau's life is encapsulated in the phrase "Eddie Would Go."
Interwoven with the story of Aikau is the story of the decline and re-birth of the Hawaiian culture. The film explores both the recent past of the Hawaiian Islands and the roots of the Hawaiian culture.
This is definitely a documentary to look for. It is a little long. Unlike the first set of 30 for 30s, there seems to be more 90 minute films in the 30 for 30 Volume II series.
Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau is available on iTunes.
A trailer for the film is here.
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