Emergencies and the “Eddie Would Go” Response

Responding in emergencies requires a conscious balance of boldness and purpose.

In Hawaiian culture, courage has always carried a sacred weight — the courage to act when others hesitate, to risk everything for the sake of others. Few people embodied that spirit more completely than Eddie Aikau.

Eddie was more than a world-class big-wave surfer. As the first official lifeguard at Waimea Bay on Oʻahu’s North Shore, he saved hundreds of lives in some of the most dangerous surf on Earth — often paddling into conditions no one else would attempt. The phrase “Eddie Would Go” was born from that reputation. It wasn’t just about fearlessness; it was about selfless judgment — knowing when to go, and going because someone’s life depended on it.

In March 1978, Eddie joined the crew of the Hokule'a, a traditional Polynesian voyaging canoe that set sail to retrace the ancient migration routes between Hawaiʻi and Tahiti. When the canoe capsized in heavy seas off Molokaʻi, the crew was left stranded, miles from shore, with little hope of rescue. Eddie volunteered to paddle his surfboard toward land to get help. He never returned — but his act of courage, born of duty and aloha for his crew, became legend.

Years later, when the first Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational was held at Waimea Bay, the waves were so massive that many wondered if it should be canceled. Someone famously said, “Eddie would go.” The phrase stuck — not as a slogan for recklessness, but as a reminder of the rare balance between boldness and purpose.

Emergencies & First Responder Mindset

Today, “Eddie Would Go” has become more than a saying in surfing circles. It represents a mindset shared by lifeguards, first responders, and anyone who must make life-or-death decisions under pressure. It’s not a formal protocol — there are no steps, checklists, or standard operating procedures. It’s a moral compass, a cultural standard that challenges us to rise when the moment demands it.

To “go,” in Eddie’s sense, means to act when the call comes — to trust skill, judgment, and courage while respecting the line between bravery and recklessness. It’s knowing that courage without wisdom can endanger, but that hesitation in the face of duty can cost lives.

In emergency response, as in life, we honor Eddie’s legacy every time we act with both heart and reason — when we find that quiet conviction that says, the risk is real, but someone has to go.

That’s the essence of the “Eddie Would Go” response. It isn’t about heroics for their own sake — it’s about the kind of courage that serves others.