AUGUST 24, 1890

NATIVE HAWAIIAN 1912 OLYMPIC GOLD SWIMMER/SURFER DUKE KAHANAMOKU BORN

Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku, born in Honolulu, was a 5-time Olympic medalist in swimming, winning medals in 1912, 1920 and 1924. On June 14, 1924, Duke saved 8 lives after the yacht Thelma capsized off the California coast. Kahanamoku traveled internationally, particularly to Australia and the United States, to give swimming exhibitions. It was during this period that he popularized the sport of surfing, previously known only in Hawaii, by incorporating surfing exhibitions into these visits. His exhibition at Sydney`s Freshwater Beach is widely regarded as the most significant day in the development of surfing in Australia. The board that Kahanamoku built from a piece of pine from a local hardware store is retained by the Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club. A statue of Kahanamoku was erected in his honor on the Northern headland of Freshwater Lake, New South Wales. He died on January 22, 1968, in Honolulu.

Source: “Duke Kahanamoku,” Monument Australia.  Retrieved 7/6/2022, Duke Kahanamoku | Monument Australia.

Wikipedia

Photo:  Author unknown.  Date:  Circa 1912.  Public Domain.