Duke Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890-January 22, 1968) |
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There is only one Duke. Only one surfer in history to make JFK and the queen mother of England giddy to meet him. Can you imagine any of today's Hawaiian superstars being so regaled as to one day assume the position of official Hawaiian greeter? Sunny Garcia, the Waianae Welcomer? Kalani Robb? "Huh-huh, hey, like, welcome to Hawaii and stuff." OK, maybe Gerry Lopez if he were a bit more outgoing, or Rell Sunn if she were still around. But no Hawaiian legend -- dead or alive -- will ever have the impact that a young Waikiki beach boy had throughout the first half of the 20th century.
It's been said a thousand times in a thousand places, but Duke Kahanamoku is the father of modern surfing. After centuries as a favored Hawaiian pastime, surfing was discouraged by European missionaries in 1821 and branded as immoral. The sport of kings faded into obscurity, even in its homeland, and by the turn of the century, very few Hawaiians surfed. Born at Haleakala, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku was one of nine children of a Honolulu policeman. Named for the Duke of Edinburgh, a visitor to Hawaii earlier in the century, young Duke was a private person who dropped out of McKinley High School. He earned his living as a beachboy and stevedore at the Honolulu Harbor docks. Growing up on the beach in Waikiki, Duke surfed with his brothers and entertained tourists with tandem rides. Legend has it that Duke even rode a 30-foot wave -- called a "bluebird" -- from Castle Surf to Publics. More important than his prowess in local waters was Duke's global appeal. Despite encountering racism throughout his extensive travels, his undying aloha spirit brought unprecedented attention to the Hawaiian Islands. In 1914 he showed up in Freshwater Beach, Australia, and shocked onlookers with his waveriding demonstrations. On a board he crafted from a local sugar pine, he easily navigated overhead surf to the crowd's amazement. He took a young woman, Isobel Latham, for a tandem ride and made her the country's first surfer. Kahanamoku's demonstrations continued through the 1910s, and he pioneered East Coast surfing in New Jersey and gave demonstrations at several West Coast breaks. While he wasn't the first surfer, no one did more in the way of popularizing the sport worldwide. Much of Kahanamoku's acclaim was derived from his swimming accomplishments, which elevated his status as an all-around waterman. In addition to breaking multiple world records for swimming, he won an Olympic gold medal in 1912 -- a feat he repeated eight years later at the age of 30. In 1924 he stepped down to silver. His swimming prowess drew the admiration of Tom Blake, who followed Duke to Hawaii and changed the sport with his design concepts such as the hollow board and the fin. Not only that, Blake also reinvigorated a middle-aged Duke by reintroducing him to 16-foot ancient olo boards. Kahanamoku's Olympic gold medals assured him a place of honor in Hawaii throughout his long life. In 1936, he served as the honorary sheriff of Honolulu for 25 years. Hollywood also caught on to his royal Hawaiian appeal, and he appeared in several films as a bit-part actor with such stars as John Wayne. The Duke Kahanamoku Invitational, held at Sunset Beach on Oahu's North Shore, became an international event in 1965 and was the premier big-wave event of its time. After leaving the sheriff's office, Duke became Hawaii's official greeter, welcoming dignitaries and celebrities as they arrived in Honolulu. He held that position until he died in 1968. However popular he was, it didn't help his financial situation, as he was penniless for much of his life. Kahanamoku's contributions to the sport, however dated, are more revered than ever. In 1999, Surfer magazine honored Duke as the century's most influential surfer and placed his portrait on the cover of its annual collector's edition. -- Jason Borte, October 2000
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