Eddie Aikau’s legacy of courage, aloha is honored with artistry, community surf events

Native Hawaiian artist JT Ojerio, comedian Tumua Tuinei, professional surfers, and the local community will honor the legacy of Eddie Aikau through art, surfing, and celebration.

This winter, Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi has partnered with the Eddie Aikau Foundation to host a statewide sweepstakes, “Catch a Big Wave with Your Longboard,” featuring unique custom surfboards hand-drawn by Ojerio.

From now until Feb. 28, 2026, community members age 21 and older can enter for a chance to win while celebrating Hawaiʻi’s surf culture.

“The Eddie Aikau Invitational and the Foundation do so much to honor tradition, creativity, and community,” said Katie Lefsrud Feldman, vice president of marketing at Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi. “As Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi, our hope with this sweepstakes is to bring more awareness to this incredible organization and reward local people for learning about it.”

Ojerio, a self-taught Native Hawaiian artist from Oʻahu, designed each board as a tribute to Eddie’s artistry in the water along with his courage, service and aloha.

Residents age 21 and older can enter to win a custom surfboard or other prizes by locating special codes found inside select Longboard Lager 12-packs at participating retailers statewide.

“This custom surfboard prize, with art by (Ojerio), allows the winner to bring home a piece of art inspired by Eddie Aikau and what he means to the Hawaiʻi surf community,” Lefsrud Feldman said.

The sweepstakes support the Foundation’s mission to promote education and the advancement of Hawaiian culture, including the “Eddie Would Go” Essay Contest, one of the only essay competitions in Hawaiʻi with both English and Hawaiian language categories.

In the new year, the celebration continues with a community surf event in Kona hosted by Tumua, an Oʻahu-born comedian and social media star, as he emcees a day of surfing, live music, and good vibes—bringing together professional surfers, local wave riders, and community members.

Additional details on the community surf event will be announced in January. Until then, fans can spend the month entering the sweepstakes, being part of the surf event, and entering a social media giveaway called “Guess the Date.”

Visit the Kona Brewing website for complete rules and entry details, and follow Kona Brewing on social media accounts.

Follow the campaign on social media by using #EddieWouldGo and #KonaBrewingHawaii. Throughout the season, Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi invites people to share their own stories of courage, service, and aloha.