The Duke

Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was affectionately known as "The Duke," and as "The Father of Modern Surfing." Born on August 24, 1890, he was named after his father, who in turn was named after Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh, who had been visiting Hawai'i at the time of the senior Duke's birth.Kahanamoku was raised next to the ocean at Waikiki. His father took him out in an outrigger canoe when he was a small boy and threw him into the surf. "It was swim or else," Duke later recalled. "That's the way the old Hawaiians did it."Duke went to Waikiki Grammar School located directly across from the beach. After school, he and his family would head straight for the water. Attending school with Duke were his sister and five brothers; Sam, Dave, Billy, Louis and Sargent. "All we did was water, water, water," Louis remembered.The Duke would go on to become an Olympic swimming champion. On August 11, 1911, Kahanamoku was timed at 55.4 seconds while the 100 yard freestyle in Honolulu Harbor. His time beat the existing world record by 4.6 seconds. Duke also broke the record in the 220 yd and matched the 50 yd record, but the Amateur Athletic Union would not recognize his accomplishments until many years later.Kahanamoku qualified for the U.S. Olympic swimming team in 1912, breaking the record for the 200 meter freestyle in his trial heat for the 4×200 relay. He went on to win a gold medal in the 100 meter freestyle in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, and a silver with the relay team. During the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp, he won gold medals both in the 100 meters and the relay. He finished the 100 meters with a silver medal during the 1924 Olympics in Paris, second only behind Johnny Weissmuller, who would go on to play Tarzan in several films. As an Olympic champion, Kahanamoku traveled around the world to give swimming exhibitions and serve as an abassador for the sport of surfing. His surfing exhibition at Sydney, Austalia on December 23, 1914 is widely regarded as the beginning of surfing in that country. While in Southern California, Kahanamoku performed in Hollywood as an extra in several films. He was also involved with the Los Angeles Athletic Club, acting as lifeguard and competing on both swimming and water polo teams.While living in Newport Beach, California on June 14, 1925, Kahanamoku rescued eight men from a fishing vessel that capsized in heavy surf. Using his surfboard, he was able to make quick trips back and forth to shore to increase the number of rescues. The Newport Beach Police Chief called Duke's efforts "the most superhuman surfboard rescue act the world has ever seen." The Duke himself served as sheriff of Honolulu, Hawai'i from 1932 to 1961.Duke Kahanamoku was the first person to be inducted into both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame. The Duke Kahanamoku Invitational Surfing championships are named in his honor. He passed away on January 22, 1968. Layout Provided By FreeCodeSource.com - Myspace Layouts