Stuart Holmes Coleman has had two lifelong passions, writing and surfing. The son of a minister, he was baptized as a surfer in the small waves of Charleston, S.C. Surfing helped him overcome his childhood fears of tidal waves and drowning. While taking a unique course called “Cultures of the Pacific” in school, he began dreaming about living in Hawaii some day. After graduating from the University of South Carolina’s Honors College, Coleman moved to Los Angeles for bigger surf and better career opportunities. In L.A., he worked as an arts editor for an entertainment magazine. Returning to the East Coast in 1991, he studied at American University’s Creative Writing Program and received an MFA degree. In 1993, Coleman finally realized his dream of moving to Hawaii. In the Islands, he soon learned about the legendary Eddie Aikau, the man who rode swells the size of tidal waves and saved hundreds of lives from the deadly surf. Working on EDDIE WOULD GO allowed Coleman to pursue his passions for surfing and writing.
As a writer, Coleman has been published in numerous publications, including The Associated Press, The Washington Post, USA Today, Charleston Magazine, Honolulu Magazine, Hemispheres and Longboard Magazine. His articles on Eddie have appeared in The Honolulu Advertiser, Destinations and Surfer’s Path. Coleman has won a number of writing honors, including U.S.C.’s Waring Award for Creative Writing and the Writer-in-Residence position at St. Albans School. His poems have been published in journals like The Atlanta Review, The Formalist and The Hawaii Review.
While finishing EDDIE WOULD GO, Coleman taught creative writing and literature at Iolani School. Previously, he was an English teacher at Honolulu’s Punahou School, where he met former faculty members and big-wave riders Peter Cole and Fred Van Dyke. Through them, he was introduced to the Aikaus, one of Hawaii’s most well-known families. Although many writers and film companies like Disney have contacted the family about books and movies on Eddie’s life, the Aikaus have not endorsed any of them – until now. They have generously given Coleman in-depth interviews and shared painful memories about their brother. During his three years of research, he discovered rare and intriguing stories about Eddie and the tumultuous period of the Hawaiian Renaissance. Coleman has conducted over forty interviews with respected figures in Hawaii and the surfing world, and he is honored to have been entrusted with Eddie Aikau’s amazing life and legacy.
