Week 5: The Legend of Eddie Aikau

I just realized, I forgot bloggen for the last week, so I might do that right now. I think the most impressive material from last week was actually the screening of The Legend of Eddie Aikau at the Rio Theatre. The film contained so much more about the relation of Hawaiian culture and surfing. And its suspenseful narrative showed a really interesting personal perspective behind the sport. Eddie Aikau was not only an extraordinary surfer, he was also seen as a real Hawaiian hero, as he saved numerous lives in the dangerous waters around the island. He really believed in the Hawaiian culture and its relationship to surfing, and he finally died in an attempt to demonstrate an important aspect of his ancestors sailing methods, crucially relevant for experiencing his own cultural background. The movie was really moving and painted a picture of Hawaiian experience long before capitalism reached the island and tourism exploited an ancient culture. I would really like to learn more on Eddie Aikau, who seemed to be really dedicated to his roots and explaining them to a modern society.