Duke Kahanamoku: An Iconic Life Social Media Initiative

Words & Photos Provided/Approved By The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation

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A)  Duke Kahanamoku was the first person to be inducted into both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame, the Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame, and the Hawaii Sports Hall of Fame.

B)  Native Hawaiian Duke Kahanamoku was born on King Street in Honolulu at Haleʻākala, the home of Bernice Pauahi Bishop. He was named after his father and was the oldest of six brothers and three sisters. In 1893, his family moved to Kālia, Waikiki near the present site of Hilton Hawaiian Village, to be closer to his mother's family. He attended the Waikiki-kai School, Kaahumanu School, Kamehameha Schools, and McKinley High School. Though he was a diligent student, he left high school not long before graduation to help support the large family, a common practice at that time.
 

In 1908, Duke Kahanamoku and his friends formed Hawaiʻi’s very first surf club, Hui Nalu.
 

He joined the Outrigger Canoe Club in 1917.

C)  In the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden, Duke Kahanamoku won a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle, and a silver medal with the second-place U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay.
 

The 1916 Games were to be held in Berlin but were cancelled due to the outbreak of the First World War.
 

During the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Kahanamoku won gold medals in both the 100 meters and in the relay.
 

At the 1924 Olympics in Paris, at age 34, he finished the 100 meters with a silver medal with the bronze to his brother, Samuel.
 

He also served as an alternate for the U.S. water polo team at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

D)  Duke Kahanamoku shared the sport of surfing as he traveled the world, first as a swimming sensation, and later as an aspiring movie star, and then official Ambassador of Aloha. He is unofficially called the Godfather of Surfing for introducing the sport around the world.
 

Athletics were so important to Duke that he sought various ways to transmit those benefits to others. As Duke aged, he took the time to mentor, coach, organize competitions, referee, and officiate. One notable example was that he helped start the Walter MacFarlane Regatta in order to perpetuate the art of canoe racing. Duke coached extensively in his later years, not just surfing, but also outrigger canoe paddling, sailing, and beach volleyball.
 

The late Jimmy Pfleuger said, “He would speak to you in a very soft tone. In the boat, he never yelled at you. He never swore. He just talked to you. When he wanted the kids to paddle a little harder, he would say, ‘Come on, kids. Give me ten.’ It would send goosebumps, goosebumps through everybody. He was a great, great leader. Great leader.”
 

Another OCC member, the late Bob Bush, recalled Duke as his paddling coach, “Duke had put us on these training programs where they had buoys set up for the regular race, and we’d go paddle three laps, and he’d say, ‘OK, one more lap’ and we’d go out past the outside buoy, and he’d say, ‘OK, take it home.’ So we’d give it everything we had, get into the beach, and then, ‘OK, one more lap’ (Laugh), and it was over and over again. (Laughter) The second year, we had a crew in such good shape…”

E)  On June 14, 1925, at Corona Del Mar in Newport Beach, California, a vessel trying to enter the city’s harbor capsized in heavy surf. Kahanamoku and a few other surfers paddled out to try and help. Using his wooden surfboard in the rough waters, Kahanamoku made repeated trips from shore to the capsized ship, saving eight people from drowning. Two other surfers were able to save four more individuals. The Newport Beach police chief called Kahanamoku's efforts, “the most superhuman surfboard rescue act the world has ever seen.”
 

Formal lifeguarding and water safety training were just being developed during his young adult life. As Sheriff of Honolulu from 1932 to 1961, Duke was a strong proponent of public safety, and as a waterman, he was vigilant of others in the ocean. Though there is no evidence he was ever a paid lifeguard, Duke made other quieter water rescues and preventative actions, as well as helped recover bodies of drowning victims.

F)  Duke Kahanamoku lived in Southern California from 1922-1930 to act in movies, though typecasting and racism kept him out of the lead roles he desired. He performed in Hollywood as a background actor and a character actor in about 30 films.

G)  On August 2, 1940, at 50 years of age, Duke Kahanamoku married the love of his life, Nadine Alexander, shattering a barrier yet again, as interracial marriage was still unusual at that time. The couple remained together until his death in 1968. Duke never had any children.

 

The photo was taken at Duke and Nadine's wedding.

 

Duke dealt with racism and discrimination throughout his career. He broke through these barriers with quiet grace and elite athleticism. At Duke’s funeral service, award-winning radio broadcaster Arthur Godfrey delivered his eulogy stating, “[Kahanamoku] gave these islands a new dimension, winning the respect of the world for himself and his people. What Longfellow’s Hiawatha and later Jim Thorpe had done for the American Indian, [Kahanamoku] did for all Polynesians, especially Hawaiians.”

H)  In 1960 Duke was named Hawaiʻi’s official Ambassador of Aloha to welcome visitors and escort visiting VIPs. 

Duke shared his personal philosophy of life in his Creed of Aloha:

“In Hawaiʻi we greet friends, loved ones or strangers with aloha, which means with love. Aloha is the key word to the universal spirit of real hospitality, which makes Hawaiʻi renowned as the world's center of understanding and fellowship. Try meeting or leaving people with aloha. You'll be surprised by their reaction. I believe it and it is my creed. Aloha to you, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku.”