Duke Kahanamoku

by Kona

Have you ever heard of Duke Kahanamoku? He was known as The Big Kahuna and the father of modern surfing. Duke Kahanamoku had royalty in his blood, love for the water, and brought modern surfing to the world. Today I’m going to talk about his childhood, then move on to his career, after that I will talk about his later life. I hope that you enjoy hearing about a surfing legend. 

Duke Kahanamoku was born near Waikiki, Hawaii on August 24, 1890. Duke Kahanamoku’s mom and dad were born in Hawaii and have royal lineage, same as his siblings. "Duke" was not a title or a nickname, but a given name. He was named after his father, Duke Halapu Kahanamoku.  Duke had 3 sisters and 5 brothers; he was the oldest child of the 9. Duke and his brothers competed with each other with surfing and swimming before joining the Olympics. Duke was in the Olympics he played for the U.S. and set 3 world records in swimming.  

In the Olympics between 1912 to 1924 he won 3 gold and 2 silver medals in swimming. In between the Olympics he traveled the world and did swimming exhibitions and brought surfing to the world. 

After the Olympics, Duke lived in California and marred Nadine Alexander. He was also a lifeguard and is credited for saving many lives with his surfboard.  He helped establish and make popular surfing and surfing competitions, which is why he is called The Father of Modern Surfing.  He moved back to Hawaii and became the sheriff and military polices. He died on January 22, 1968, from a heart attack and was buried at sea.  Several countries erected statues and monuments of Duke in memory of him. 

Well, I hope you enjoyed hearing about Duke Kahanamoku. I thought he was an amazing person.  

‘My Heart Went Pitty-Pat’ | Images of Old Hawaiʻi ‘My Heart Went Pitty-Pat’, 

Ka’iwakiloumoku’, the Duke Kahanamoku  

Duke Kahanamoku | Biography, Olympics, & Facts | Britannica Britannica 

Duke Kahanamoku one of World's Greatest Athletes 

The Duke Kahanamoku Story – Duke Kahanamoku 

Duke Strikes Olympic Gold - Ka‘iwakīloumoku - Hawaiian Cultural Center