By Manuel “Gonzo” Gonzalez
Just after sunrise on January 17, 2019, at around 7:18am our friend from the ocean Marcus Biju lost his life in his favorite place: The Banzai Pipeline. “Ocean Safety officials say Biju was critically injured when he was discovered unresponsive Thursday morning,” reported Hawaii News Now. “Officials say other surfers and beachgoers immediately began performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Paramedics transported him to the Kahuku Medical Center in critical condition, where he later died.” The cause of his death hasn’t been officially reported, but that doesn’t matter as much as how Marcus lived his life and how many people he touched while alive on Earth.
You see, Marcus was well known and well-liked on this island. According the talk story he shared with me, he arrived to O`ahu around 1992 and stayed for good. He was the most dedicated bodyboarder on this island in my eyes, always the first guy out every day that the waves were firing, either at Pipe or Sandy Beach or Castle Rock. Plus, he was the one that spent the most time in the water, sometimes hours upon hours, with his face and bolo head full of white sunblock cause he knew sessions were going to be long.
He just loved riding the boogie in Hawaiian waters and it was never enough for him. He was the original “barrel-ahoolic” barrel hunter; he even had his own hashtag #BarrelahoolicsAnonymous, also tattooed! What made Marcus really special was his personality. He was always stoked, and loved to share and celebrate life with everyone else. His friendly vibe was his uniqueness. He loved to cruise and share life stories and knowledge.
Marcus always kept an eye on everyone in the water when waves were nuts. He even had his share of rescues, helping others in crazy situations while risking his own life along the way. Everyone loved Marcus! He was one of a kind and we are all going to miss him deeply forever on this island!
We will share more details on his paddle out memorial as info unfolds. Marcus: Thanks for everything and we will not forget you braddah! Aloha!