Duke Paoa Kahanamoku

Duke (Right) and Johnny Weissmuller (Left)Bettman Collection [Public domain]During the 1890s, Hawaiian Queen Liliuokalani and the rich culture of the Hawaiian Islands were under threat by the Americans. Duke Kahanamoku, born August 24, 2018, the Father of modern surfing was brought up during this time, one of the worst that ever hit the Hawaiian Islands. Despite that fact, he was still able to accomplish many great feats in the time he spent on the earth. Duke Kahanamoku was brought up in Waikiki, on the island of Oahu. “Being descendant of King Kamehameha, Duke was barely touched by the disputes that surrounded the island of Hawaii as a child and showed a natural talent for swimming and surfing at a young age” (“Duke Kahanamoku”). Duke carried a strong respect for anyone and everyone around him. The oldest of nine children, Duke was determined to show his abilities to the world. In 1911 he shocked the world after breaking 3 records. In the next few years, he also became known for his talents in surfing, which led to a worldwide reintroduction to the sport of surfing. During his time on this Earth, Duke saved nine people and greeted thousands of others to the island of Oahu. From smashing world records to starring in movies, Duke was incredibly resilient and determined to make a mark on the world. Nonetheless, Duke made sure to respect and honor not only himself but those around him, with extra emphasis on his opponents. Duke Kahanamoku is not a hero because of his name but because of his astounding respect and honor, and unyielding, fierce determination as a man.

Duke learned from a young age that honor and respect were some of the most important factors in life. Dukeś family were descendants of a royal bloodline of Hawaiian rulers and chieftains: “Duke was one of the last full-blooded Hawaiians. In fact, his grandfather was a Hawaiian high chief who passed on the traditional beliefs that would help him become a man of honor. "He never drank or smoked and if he did get into a fight, it was after getting hassled and even then he wouldn’t punch, preferring to slap instead." Duke respected himself and everyone else around him too much to even think about using drugs or alcohol”(Editor at SurferToday.com). Because of the blood and traditions that ran through his veins, Duke learned how to be the best version of himself. Descendant of King Kamehameha, Duke was surrounded by the traditional beliefs that made up the Hawaiian culture and ¨would help him become a man of honor,¨ (Editor at SurferToday.com). Everything Duke said or did was smothered in the respect that he had for everyone and the honor that he bestowed upon himself. “Before Duke’s first defeat by Johnny Weissmuller in 1924 at the Paris Games, he said to Weissmuller: ‘Johnny, good luck. It doesn’t matter who wins today. The most important thing in this race is to get the American flag up there three times. Let’s do it’”(Editor at SurferToday.com). Any regular person wouldn’t have said anything and shook their opponent's hand in spite, but Duke was not that person. A man of honor, Duke carried his respect for everyone in his back pocket. Infused with the beliefs passed down through his family, Duke saw a flag and nation instead of a threat against his undefeated record. He respected every opponent that he ever faced and saw the greater good in every defeat. Throughout his childhood, Duke was taught the skills to be an honorable and respectful man. He constantly kept those skills fine-tuned and used them almost everywhere. His actions and words reflected who he was, and he was a man of honor and respect that cared about everyone around him.

The Duke and his boardSee page for author [Public domain]Without his fierce determination, Mr. Kahanamoku wouldn’t have made his way into many people's hearts as a heroic figure. Even though he was part of a royal bloodline, Duke had to work for everything he had: “Mainland swimming officials refused to believe anyone could achieve such a feat, and he was brought to the United States to prove himself. In meets in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, he smashed established records in the 50-yard, 100-yard, and 220-yard freestyle events. Later, he capped his first competitive year by winning the 100-meter event at the Olympics in Stockholm” (Editor at SurferToday). Duke wanted to be an amazing swimmer, and he worked towards that every day. But when he made headlines in Hawaii for breaking 3 records in one meet, the mainlanders [Americans living on the actual North American continent] didn't want to believe it, so they brought him to the U.S to see it first hand. Duke had worked since his childhood to be a swimmer, and he wasn’t going to let a bunch of denying Americans stop him. So Duke left for the US and blew them away by breaking 3 more records in a span of 2 meets. But he didn't stop there: “In 1925, shortly after he began a movie career in Hollywood, he was camping on a beach with a party of actors and actresses when the yacht Thelma capsized off Newport Beach., Calif. The Duke made three trips through battering waves on his surfboard to aid in rescue operations. Seventeen persons lost their lives in the sinking, but 12 were rescued – 8 of them by the Duke” (“Duke Kahanamoku, Legendary Surfer”). Shortly after his first defeat, Duke found himself saving people with his fierce determination and a surfboard. Duke had initially only wanted to be a competitive swimmer, but when people needed help he jumped into action, using the skills he developed to perform deeds no one else would even think of. Every irregular or inhuman action that Duke performed, took more determination to keep going that only The Duke possessed.  

Duke Kahanamoku was the ideal example of respect, honor, and determination. One of the last full-blooded Hawaiians, Duke was surrounded by beliefs and traditions that molded the man that the Islands call ¨...the personification of the prophecy of King Kamehameha, who … predicted that one man would bring fame to the Islands¨(Duke Paoa Kahanamoku) and ¨… embodies the Aloha spirit¨(Editor at SurferToday.com). From 1912 and on, Duke impacted the world, both on this Earth and off it. He inspired future swimmers and surfers and anyone who wanted to make something out of the talents that they have. Duke was respectful, honorable, and determined which led him to change lives and save them. As a competitor, Duke gave all his respect to his opponents and honored them no matter the result of the competition. When something halted him while he was reaching for his goals, he was determined to push past them and solve any conflict quickly and without violence. In and out of the water, Duke wouldn't let anything stop him from swimming or surfing. When someone didn't believe he could do what he did, he took it to them, blowing them away with his skills in the water. Nothing could or was going to stop him. Duke is an inspiration to the world because he leaped from the bottom to the top in just a few years, accomplishing his goals and dreams along the way. He showed what the purest Hawaiians had that no one else did; the respect, honor, and determination shared between the people of the Hawaiian Chain. He impacted his generation throughout the world: “To his own generation of Hawaiians, Duke Kahanamoku was sometimes looked upon as the personification of a prophecy of King Kamehameha, who in the late 19th century predicted the complete subjugation of the islands by the white man, but said that before the native Hawaiian race died out, one man would bring it fame.”(“Duke Paoa Kahanamoku”). I truly believe that Mr. Kahanamoku is a deserving hero because his story has a continual inspirational impact on my life. His family taught him to respect and honor those around him, molding him into a great man and he had the will and determination to get anywhere he wanted to go. Duke might have not started in the best place, but he pushed his abilities and talents, becoming “the most accomplished athlete in American history”(Duke Paoa Kahanamoku). He showed us what the strongest version of himself looked like, telling us that the strongest version of ourselves is just within reach. All we have to do is reach for it.

Works Cited

"Duke Kahanamoku." Notable Asian Americans, edited by Helen Zia and Susan B. Gall, Gale,

1995. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K1620000081/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=f29d2099. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.

"Duke Paoa Kahanamoku." Notable Sports Figures, edited by Dana R. Barnes, Gale, 2004. Biography In Context, https://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/K2440301264/BIC?u=powa9245&sid=BIC&xid=26fd9abd. Accessed 25 Mar. 2019.\

SurferToday.com, Editor at. "The extraordinary surfing life of Duke Kahanamoku." Surfertoday.

26 Mar. 2019

<https://www.surfertoday.com/surfing/the-extraordinary-surfing-life-of-duke-kahanamoku>.