The "Duke"  as Kahanamoku would be called, had been named not for Hawaiian royalty, but after his father who had been christened "Duke" following the visit of the Duke of Edinburgh to Hawaii in 1869.  He was born on August 24, 1890 in Honolulu, in the same home (at King & Bishop Streets) where Duke senior had first made his appearance in 1869.   The junior Duke had chosen an interesting time to enter the world .... King David Kalakaua was not viewed favorably by many of his people, and certain segments, such as the Hawaiian sugar interests, sought drastic changes.  The Hawaiian king's sudden death in January of 1891 proved to be the catalyst to change.  Lili'uokalani, his sister, fell heir to the throne, but her reign was brief.  By 1893 she had been forced to abdicate because of powerful commercial factions supported by the U.S. Navy.

Sanford Dole,  the pineapple king, became president of the islands' provisional government.  On July 4, 1894 Hawaii became a Republic, presided over by President Dole.  By July 7, 1898, when Duke was 8 years old, the American flag flew over the Hawaiian Islands.  Two years later, on April 30, 1900, the Organic Act made young Duke an American citizen.  Throughout his youth, Duke strove to refine his water skills. Swimming, surfing and canoeing were his passion.  When top Australian swimmers visited the islands in 1910, Duke inspected their every move.  He would use what he had learned from them to perfect his swimming. Duke's aquatic skills improved to such an extent that those who saw him were astonished.  Bill Rawlins, an island attorney from Yale tried to help Duke get the recognition he deserved.   However, to obtain official sanction for any aquatic records, swimmers had to belong to a recognized club.  So Duke and his friends organized their own club in 1911 and named it Hui Nalu (Club of the Waves).

Duke's Astonishing   swim times were sent to the Mainland, but they were so startling that officials refused to believe them.  His supporters decided that the only thing they could do was raise money for Duke and another Hawaiian swimmer, Vincent Genoves, to travel to the Mainland to compete.  In March of 1912 Duke Kahanamoku and fellow Hawaiian Vincent Genoves were in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania to compete for places on the American Olympic team.  The Olympic swim trials were being held at various athletic clubs throughout the United States.  On March 13th Duke had been in Chicago where he had won the 100-yard race.  Now, in Pittsburgh two days later, Kahanamoku would compete in the 220-yard indoor race and Genoves in the 500-yard indoor swimming event.  Unfortunately, Duke's leg would cramp when he hit the water, and he lost the race.  Neither Hawaiian would win in Pittsburgh and only Kahanamoku would make the Olympic team and travel to Stockholm.  Duke, who almost slept through the 100-meter dash, and who had to convince officials to delay the race long enough for him to put on a swim suit, broke the Olympic record in July of 1912.  He had been clocked at sixty-three and two-fifths seconds.  Pandemonium reigned and the Hawaiian swimmer became a hero.  He was now the most famous Hawaiian alive, and he had done much to publicize the islands.

In 1920  Duke Kahanamoku again won Olympic fame in the swimming events.  Through his public demonstrations, surfing was now a popular past time of local boys who were frequently bothered by bathers who refused to get out of their way.  Southern California surfing was also taking on a persona of its own in the development of new surfboards, different than those used in Hawaii.  Not all beaches responded well to the large, heavy, Hawaiian model boards.  Beach breaks were different and affected by weather changes far out to sea, lighter and smaller boards were being developed to help meet the challenges of these varying wave shapes and sizes.  Duke Kahanamoku, sponsored by the Outrigger Club of Honolulu, arrived on the mainland in 1922 to give public exhibitions of his swimming skills.  Having held every swimming honor in the world in his class, he was a hero to be emulated, not only in swimming but in his native Hawaiian sport of surfing as well. 

Text courtesy  www.surfsidesports.com

This Statue  of Duke can be found on Waikiki Beach next to the Waikiki Police Station on Kalakaua Avenue.  It is across the street from the Hyatt Regency and King's Village Hotels.  Each time I visit Waikiki, I gain renewed appreciation for this great man and what he ment to his homeland of Hawaii.  When you visit the restaraunt honoring his name, walk around and get a feel for Duke Paoa Kahanamoku!  We will be watching the Waikiki sunset there in September 2003.   Come join us!!

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