Saturday 3pm

Alec Cooke aka “Ace Cool”
Celebration of Life Paddle Out
Waimea Bay, Saturday, January 30th, 3pm

At 59 years of age, Alec Cooke is an incredible, larger than life personality. He grew up on Kauai where his father took him out swimming with the dolphins and dubbed him, “dolphin boy”. This was probably the start of his life adventures. He moved to Oahu when he was nine and later went to Punahou and college gaining a business degree. Onward to surfing and riding the biggest waves he could find. “Ace Cool, the Evel Knievel” of big wave surfing pulled off some heroic stunts. He was the first to ride giant waves on the outer reefs before jet skis and blow up vests.
He was dropped off by helicopter outside Pipeline, January 1985, into some of the biggest surf ever seen. It was documented and it became known as the “Biggest Wave.” A documentary was also completed in 1986, “In Search of the Biggest Wave.”

“Ace Cool” self named to do radio surf reports organized the first North Shore Tow-In Surfing competition that later developed into the start of the first ever world tour. Cooke also appeared in many TV shows in-cluding Jake and the Fat Man, recurring roles in Hawaii Five-0 and the Sea Will Tell. He also once jumped out of a helicopter with a white suit on and a briefcase for a Japanese commercial.
Above all, Alec was an environmentalist when it was not so cool. He always found time to do good deeds. He was one of the first to protect the turtles at Laniakea, he swam around Oahu for ten days to raise awareness about dirty ocean water. The campaign was named “Keep the Ocean Blue”. Cooke had a generous heart, he is a true legend and will be missed. Please join his life partner for 16 years Gail Howell in honoring him. Alec disappeared surfing Waimea Bay on October 27th 2015. He has not been found. There will be a paddle out at Waimea Bay on Saturday, January 30th at 3pm.