Duke’s Creed

Life Highlights

Aloha - home

Year

Duke Kahanamoku Highlight

1890

August 24, born in Honolulu. First surviving child of Duke and Julia Kahanamoku, Fullblood Hawaiians

1893

Family moved to Waikiki’s Kalia area

1896

Enrolled in first grade at Waikiki-kai Elementary School

1899

Kahili bearer at Princess Kai’ulani’s royal funeral

1903

Transferred to Ka’ahumanu Elementary School

1904

Entered Kamehameha School for Boys

1908

Member of Kamehameha School’s championship soccer team

1908

One of the founders of Hui Nalu Canoe Club

1910

Transferred to Mckinley High School

1911

Broke 3 freestyle world records in his first races, in Honolulu Harbor

1912

Won Olympic gold medal and set world record for 100-meter freestyle, Stockholm; also won a silver medal on the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay team

1912

Introduced surfing to U.S.’s Atlantic Coast

1914

Introduced surfing to Australia

1915

Introduced surfing to New Zealand

1915-1932

Helped popularize swimming and surfing in California

1917

Rode a monster wave 1-1/8 miles at Waikiki on a finless board, probably the longest ride in modern times

1918

Swam in exhibitions In about 30 mainland cities to raise money for Liberty Bonds for the U.S. war effort. Bolstered the popularity of swimming. Reinforced Hawai’i’s reputation as preeminent provenience of world class swimmers-through the next decade

1919-1921

Won 9 National Gold Medals in swimming

1920

Recommended surfing as an Olympic event.

1920

Antwerp Olympics; gold medals in 100-meter freestyle and 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay, fourth place in water polo

1924

Qualified for the US Olympic swim team with his two brothers, Sam & David

1924

Paris Olympics; silver medal in 100-meter freestyle

1922-1930

Lived in Los Angeles; Played small parts in about 30 movies

1925

Heroic board rescue of 8 drowning men at Newport Beach, California

1928

Qualified for US Olympic swim team & competed in Amsterdam Olympics

1932

Los Angeles Olympics; awarded bronze medal as alternate on the U.S. water polo team

1934-1960

Elected City and County of Honolulu Sheriff. re-elected 12 times

1940

August 2, married Nadine Alexander

1956

Official representative at Melbourne Olympics

1960

Sheriff position abolished when Hawai'i achieved Statehood and government reorganized. Appointed Hawai'i's Ambassador of Aloha.

1963

Third visit to Australia to judge surf races

1964

Official guest at Tokyo Olympics

1965

First person inducted into both the swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame

1968

January 22, died in Honolulu; Waikiki beachboy funeral

1969

Plaque and bust dedicated at Huntington Beach, California

1984

Posthumously inducted into U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame

1990

Statue dedicated at Waikiki on centennial of his birth

1990

Duke Kahanamoku Way dedicated at Rockaway Beach, New York

1994

Statue dedicated at Freshwater, Sydney, Australia

1994

Biarritz, France Surf Festival named in his honor

1994

First name inscribed in the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame

1994

Identification plaques placed on Waikiki statue on his birthday

1994

Duke was named “Surfer of the Century” by Surfer Magazine

2002

United States Post Office issued a stamp to honor Duke