Local artist, surfers, and Tumua unite as Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi and Eddie Aikau Foundation launch surfboard sweepstakes

Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi is bringing together some of Hawaiʻi’s most beloved voices including Native Hawaiian artist JT Ojerio (Aloha de Mele), comedian and emcee Tumua, alongside professional surfers, and the local community to honor the legacy of Eddie Aikau through art, surf and celebration.

The centerpiece: “Catch a Big Wave with Your Longboard,” a statewide sweepstakes featuring one-of-a-kind custom surfboards hand-drawn by Ojerio. Running from Dec. 1, 2025, through Feb. 28, 2026, the campaign invites community members ages 21 and over to enter for a chance to win while celebrating Hawaiʻi’s surf culture and the values Eddie lived by: courage, service and aloha.

The sweepstakes is part of Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi’s season-long partnership with the Eddie Aikau Foundation, announced earlier this month.

“The Eddie Aikau Invitational and the Foundation does so much to honor tradition, creativity and community. 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, “ said Katie Lefsrud Feldman, VP of Marketing at Kona Brewing Hawai’i, “This custom surfboard prize, with art by Aloha de Mele, allows the winner to bring home a piece of art inspired by Eddie Aikau and what he means to the Hawaiʻi surf community.”

Ojerio, a self-taught Native Hawaiian artist from Oʻahu, designed each board as a tribute to Eddie’s artistry in the water.

Residents ages 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. Fans can also enter via the “Guess the Date” social media giveaway featuring Tumua, or by attending the “Catch a Big Wave” community surf event in Kona. For complete rules and entry details, visit sweepstakes.konabrewinghawaii.com and follow @konabrewinghawaii on Instagram.

In the New Year, the celebration continues with a community surf event in Kona hosted by Tumua. The Oʻahu-born comedian and social media star will emcee a day of surfing, live music, and good vibes—bringing together professional surfers, local wave riders, and community members. Additional details will be announced in January.

The sweepstakes supports 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.

Follow the campaign on social media using #EddieWouldGo and #KonaBrewingHawaii. Throughout the season, Kona Brewing Hawaiʻi invites people to share their own stories of courage, service, and aloha. For complete sweepstakes rules and entry details, visit https://sweepstakes.konabrewinghawaii.com/