ESPN’s “30 for 30” documentary, “Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau” has been awarded an Emmy for Best Sports Documentary Series during the 35th Annual Emmy Awards.
As one of the few surf-related films to ever win an Emmy, the documentary brings mainstream exposure to an iconic surf figure and an important piece of Quiksilver’s heritage. The documentary stood alongside the legendary sporting stories of Bo Jackson, Sugar Ray Leonard, Nancy Kerrigan, and Dan Marino in ESPN Films “30 For 30” series, and was viewed in millions of homes around America.
The film chronicles the life and power of Eddie Aikau, the legendary Hawaiian big-wave surfer, pioneering lifeguard and, ultimately, doomed crew member of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokulea. It combines archival imagery, contemporary interviews and meticulously researched historical source material.
The film was directed by Sam George; produced by Stacy Peralta, Paul Taublieb, and Agi Orsi; and narrated by Josh Brolin.
“Quiksilver, and everyone in the surfing community, is overwhelmed by the success and excitement created by this film,” said Quiksilver, Inc.’s Executive Chairman, Bob McKnight. “We are very proud to have helped Eddie Aikau’s memory live on, and we celebrate the legacy of this legendary man, lifeguard and surfer.”
This film premiered at New York’s Tribeca Film Festival and has won several awards, including Best Picture and Best Director at the Malibu International Film Festival; Best Picture, Best Documentary and Audience Favorite at the Maui Film Festival, as well as Best Documentary at Surfer Poll. The Eddie Aikau documentary is also being featured at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of the American Indian in New York, NY, during the month of May, where it will retain a permanent home thereafter.