ESPN Films announces the return of the Peabody award-winning film series 30 For 30 with Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau, a 2013 Tribeca Film Festival selection, which will premiere on ESPN/ESPN HD on Tuesday, October 1, at 8 p.m. ET/5pm PT.  Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau is directed by Sam George (Riding Giants) and produced by Stacy Peralta (Dogtown and Z-Boys) and Paul Taublieb (The Vow).

“Eddie Would Go” is a phrase that has long carried deep meaning with countless Hawaiians and surfers worldwide.  Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau goes beyond those famous three words and chronicles the remarkable life and power of Eddie Aikau, the legendary Hawaiian big wave surfer, pioneering lifeguard and ultimately doomed crew member of the Polynesian voyaging canoe Hokule’a.  With a rich combination of archival imagery, contemporary interviews and meticulously researched historical source material, this film is a compelling exploration of the tragic decline and extraordinary re-birth of the Hawaiian culture as personified by a native son whose dynamic life and heroic death served as inspiration to an entire spiritual movement.

“Our goal with the 30 for 30 series is to always entertain and inform fans by offering a rich, detailed look at various sports and athletes,” said Connor Schell, vice president of ESPN Films.  “Eddie Aikau’s story explores both the spirit of the Hawaiian people and that of the surfing culture while also providing an examination of one man’s life and what it has meant to so many.”

Hawaiian will be available on iTunes and Amazon Instant Video the day after its broadcast premiere. A six-disc collectible DVD Gift Set, featuring the first fifteen films from 30 for 30 Volume II, will be available at major retailers in-store and online on November 26, 2013.