Duke Kahanamoku

It’s always necessary to pay respect to the king, and when it comes to surfing, Duke Kahanamoku was not the king. He still is the king. To my knowledge, he’s the only surfer to ever have a USA stamp with his picture on it.

From what all records and testaments show, Duke wasn’t just an amazing athlete, but also an amazing person. Not only did he win with humility, but he lost with grace and never showed poor sportsmanship. His character was so strong that after his surfing career, he became the sheriff of Honolulu for 26 years and an ambassador for Hawaii. Of course, a lot of this also had to do with his popularity and the respect others had for him. But it was who he was as an overall person that led to his successes.

Duke was world’s aquatic winner in 1912 and 1920 until he was dethroned in 1924. Despite the year or status of his accomplishments, people treated him like a movie star everywhere he went. That probably has to do with him being in dozens of Hollywood movies. By the way, also regardless of the year, his surfing abilities were unrivaled.

Duke is still a legendary name today. His legacy has also been cemented by having been placed in two Swimming Halls of Fame (Hawaii and Ft. Lauderdale) and the Olympic Hall of Fame in 1984.

If you bring up the name Duke Kahanamoku to any local in Hawaii today, they will all know who he is, and not one of them will have anything negative to say. At that time, he ‘put Hawaii on the map.’ His reputation is sealed in strength of character and accomplishment. What better thing can you possibly ask for in regards to legacy?