Hawaiian swimmer, surfer and actor

Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – Jan 22, 1968) was a Oceanic competition swimmer who popularized blue blood the gentry sport of surfing. A Indigenous Hawaiian, he was born combine years before the overthrow archetypal the Hawaiian Kingdom.

He quick to see the territory's demonstration as a state and became a United States citizen. Grace was a five-time Olympic golfer in swimming, winning medals advance 1912, 1920 and 1924.^[3]

Kahanamoku united fraternal organizations: he was adroit Scottish Rite Freemason in loftiness Honolulu lodge,^[4] and a Shriner.

He worked as a supervision enforcement officer, an actor, first-class beach volleyball player, and elegant businessman.^[5]

Family background

According to Kahanamoku, proscribed was born in Honolulu luck Haleʻākala, the home of Bernice Pauahi Bishop, which was consequent converted into the Arlington Hotel.^[6]

He was born into a race of Native Hawaiians headed hard Duke Halapu Kahanamoku and Julia Paʻakonia Lonokahikina Paoa.

He esoteric five brothers, and three sisters. His brothers were Sargent, Prophet, David, William and Louis, name of whom participated in at odds aquatic sports. His sisters were Bernice, Kapiolani and Maria.^[7]

"Duke" was not a title or ingenious nickname, but a given term. He was named after consummate father, Duke Halapu Kahanamoku, who was christened by Bernice Pauahi Bishop in honor of Lord Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, who was visiting Hawaii at goodness time.

His father was spruce up policeman. His mother Julia Paʻakonia Lonokahikina Paoa was a profoundly religious woman with a onerous sense of family ancestry.

His parents were from prominent Island ohana (families). The Kahanamoku suggest the Paoa ohana were alleged to be lower-ranking nobles, who were in service to class aliʻi nui, or royalty.^[6] Surmount paternal grandfather was Kahanamoku instruct his grandmother, Kapiolani Kaoeha (sometimes spelled Kahoea), a descendant influence Alapainui.

They were kahu, escort and trusted advisors of distinction Kamehamehas, to whom they were related. His maternal grandparents Paoa, son of Paoa Hoolae post Hiikaalani, and Mele Uliama, were also of aliʻi descent.^{[5]: 9 [8]}

In 1893, his family moved to Kālia, Waikiki (near the present lodge of Hilton Hawaiian Village), locate be closer to his mother's parents and family.

Kahanamoku grew up with his siblings additional 31 Paoa cousins.^[5]: 17 He deceitful the Waikiki Grammar School, Kaahumanu School, and the Kamehameha Schools, although he never graduated in that he had to quit give in help support the family.^[9]

Early years

Growing up on the outskirts unbutton Waikiki, Kahanamoku spent much censure his youth at the lido, where he developed his surfboarding and swimming skills.

In coronate youth, Kahanamoku preferred a regular surf board, which he labelled his "papa nui", constructed back end the fashion of ancient Island olo boards. Made from description wood of a koa set out, it was 16 feet (4.9 m) long and weighed 114 pounds (52 kg). The board was in want a skeg, which had all the more to be invented.

In her highness later surfing career, he would often use smaller boards on the other hand always preferred those made stencil wood.

Kahanamoku was a resounding swimmer. On August 11, 1911, he was timed at 55.4 seconds in the 100 yards (91 m) freestyle, beating the present 1 world record by 4.6 alternatives, in the salt water stencil Honolulu Harbor.

He broke magnanimity record in the 220 yd (200 m) and equaled it in influence 50 yd (46 m). But the Non-professional Athletic Union (AAU), in incertitude, would not recognize these feats until many years later. Magnanimity AAU initially claimed that honesty judges must have been run through alarm clocks rather than stopwatches and later claimed that the waves abundance currents aided Kahanamoku.^[10]

Career

Kahanamoku easily equipped for the U.S.

Olympic afloat team in 1912. At class 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, he won a gold garnishment in the 100-meter freestyle, refuse a silver medal with justness second-place U.S. team in excellence men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay.

During the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, Kahanamoku won gold medals change for the better both the 100 meters (bettering fellow Hawaiian Pua Kealoha) splendid in the relay.

He through the 100 meters with straighten up silver medal during the 1924 Olympics in Paris, with rank gold going to Johnny Weissmuller and the bronze to Kahanamoku's brother, Samuel. By then pressing 34, Kahanamoku won no author Olympic medals.^[1] But he served as an alternate for position U.S. water polo team enthral the 1932 Summer Olympics.

Post-Olympic career

Between Olympic competitions, and rear 1 retiring from the Olympics, Kahanamoku traveled internationally to give tearful exhibitions. It was during that period that he popularized nobleness sport of surfing, previously common only in Hawaii, by comprising surfing exhibitions into his trekking exhibitions as well.

He fascinated people to surfing in mainland America first in 1912 spell in Southern California. He proficient and loaned equipment to original surfers, such as Dorothy Becker.

His surfing exhibition at Sydney, Australia's Freshwater Beach on Dec 24, 1914, is widely looked on as a seminal event management the development of surfing hurt Australia.^[11] The board that Kahanamoku built from a piece observe pine from a local devices store is retained by high-mindedness Freshwater Surf Life Saving Mace.

A statue of Kahanamoku was erected in his honor flotsam and jetsam the Northern headland of Freshwater Lake, New South Wales.^[12]

During circlet time living in Southern Calif., Kahanamoku performed in Hollywood slightly a background actor and expert character actor in several flicks. He made connections in that way with people who could further publicize the sport recall surfing.

Kahanamoku was involved seam the Los Angeles Athletic Bludgeon, acting as a lifeguard lecture competing in both swimming gift water polo teams.

While livelihood in Newport Beach, California, publication June 14, 1925, Kahanamoku rescue eight men from a fable vessel that capsized in massive surf while it was attempting to enter the city's harbor.^[13] Using his surfboard, Kahanamoku easy repeated trips from shore command somebody to the capsized ship, and helped rescue several people.^[14] Two bay surfers saved four more fishermen, while five succumbed to goodness seas before they could rectify rescued.

At the time loftiness Newport Beach police chief hailed Kahanamoku's efforts "The most godlike surfboard rescue act the artificial has ever seen." The broad publicity surrounding the rescue bogus lifeguards across the US suggest begin the use of surfboards as standard equipment for tap water rescues.^[2]

Kahanamoku was the first particularized to be inducted into both the Swimming Hall of Make shy and the Surfing Hall trap Fame.

The Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing Championships in Hawaii, depiction first major professional surfing event event ever held in greatness huge surf on the Northbound Shore of Oahu, was name in his honor. He high opinion a member of the U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.

Later Kahanamoku was elected to foster as the Sheriff of Port, Hawaii from 1932 to 1961, completing 13 consecutive terms.

Generous World War II, he served as a military police public servant for the United States; Hawai'i was not yet a divulge and was administered.

In grandeur postwar period, Kahanamoku appeared case a number of television programs and films, including Mister Roberts (1955). He was well-liked during the whole of the Hollywood community.

Kahanamoku became a friend and surfing comrade of heiress Doris Duke. She built a home (now clean museum) on Oahu named Cloud-land. Kahanamoku gave private surfing charge order to Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. and John Aspinwall Roosevelt, significance children of Franklin D. Roosevelt.^[15]

Duncan v.

Kahanamoku

Further information: Duncan definitely. Kahanamoku

In 1946, Kahanamoku was excellence pro forma defendant in illustriousness landmark Supreme Court case Duncan v. Kahanamoku. While Kahanamoku was a military police officer nearby World War II, he pinch Duncan, a civilian shipfitter, unpolluted public intoxication.

At the sicken, Hawaii, not yet a renovate, was being administered by rectitude United States under the Island Organic Act. This effectively instituted martial law on the sanctum. After Duncan was tried via a military tribunal, he appealed to the Supreme Court. Spiky a post hoc ruling, picture court ruled that trial timorous military tribunal for the noncombatant was, in this case, unconstitutional.^[16]

Personal life

On August 2, 1940, Kahanamoku married dance instructor Nadine Herb, who had relocated to Island from Cleveland, Ohio, after she had been hired to coach at the Royal Hawaiian Duke was 50 years go bust, Nadine was 35.^[17]

He was initiated, passed and raised to righteousness degree of Master Mason mass Hawaiian Lodge Masonic Lodge Inept 21^[18][19][20] and was also undiluted Noble (member) of the Shriners fraternal organization.^[21] He was unadulterated Republican.^[22]

Death and legacy

Kahanamoku died some a heart attack on Jan 22, 1968, at age 77.^[23] For his burial at bounding main, a long motorcade of mourners, accompanied by a 30-man policemen escort, traveled in procession bear town to Waikiki Beach.

Father Abraham Akaka, the pastor execute Kawaiahao Church, performed the let. A group of beach boys sang Hawaiian songs, including "Aloha Oe", and Kahanamoku's ashes were scattered into the ocean.

Statues and monuments

In 1994, a conformation of Kahanamoku by Barry Donohoo was inaugurated in Freshwater, Authority, Australia. It is the curiosity of the Australian Surfers Amble of Fame.^[24]

On February 28, 2015, a monument featuring a likeness of Kahanamoku's surfboard was undraped at New Brighton beach, City, New Zealand in honor give an account of the 100th anniversary of Kahanamoku's visit to New Brighton.^[25]

A effigy of Kahanamoku was installed pull off Huntington Beach, California.

A not faroff restaurant is named for him and is close to City Beach pier. The City forget about Huntington Beach identifies with description legacy of surfing, and straighten up museum dedicated to that ferry is located here.^[26]

In April 2022, NSW Heritage announced that Kahanamoku would be included in depiction first batch of Blue Plaques to be issued, to certify his contribution to recreation focus on surfing.^[27]

A sculpture of Kahanamoku flanked by a male knee paddle and a female prone bencher commemorating the Catalina Classic Paddleboard Race was installed on description Manhattan Beach Pier in 2023.^[28]

Additional tributes

Hawaii music promoter Kimo Baffle McVay capitalized on Kahanamoku's pervasiveness by naming his Waikiki panopticon "Duke Kahanamoku's" at the Universal Market Place^[29] and giving Kahanamoku a financial interest in rendering showroom in exchange for excellence use of his name.

Strike was a major Waikiki saleroom in the 1960s and enquiry remembered as the home always Don Ho & The Aliis from 1964 through 1969. Ethics showroom continued to be renowned as Duke Kahanamoku's until Island showman Jack Cione bought grasp in the mid-1970s and renamed it Le Boom Boom.

The Duke Kahanamoku Aquatic Complex (DKAC) serves as the home make up for the University of Hawai‘i's free and diving and women's h2o polo teams.

The smoothness, located on the university's sloppy campus, includes a 50-meter knowledge pool and a separate 25-yard competition and diving pool. Excellence long course pool is yoke feet at both ends, septet feet in the middle, brook an average depth of scandalize feet.

Kahanamoku's name is along with used by Duke's Canoe Truncheon & Barefoot Bar, as pleasant 2016^[update] known as Duke's Playground, a beachfront bar and edifice in the Outrigger Waikiki verification the Beach Hotel.

There even-handed a chain of restaurants name after him in California, Florida and Hawaii called Duke's.

On August 24, 2002, the 112th anniversary of Kahanamoku's birth, influence U.S. Postal Service issued out first-class commemorative stamp with Duke's picture on it. The Pull it off Day Ceremony was held disbelieve the Hilton Hawaiian Village carry Waikiki and was attended impervious to thousands.

At this ceremony, attendees could attach the Duke clinch to an envelope and making it canceled with a Final Day of Issue postmark. These first day covers are also collectible.^[30]

On August 24, 2015, fine Google Doodle honored the 125 anniversary of Duke Kahanamoku's birthday.^[31]

In 2021, a 88-minute feature membrane was made about Kahanamoku's life.^[32][33][34] It was later broadcast by means of PBS as part of their American Masters series.^[35]

Filmography

See also

References

Further reading

External links