The Life and Legend of Duke Kahanamoku
08/24/2022
August 24 is "Duke Kahanamoku Day" in Hawaii, in honor of the the AAU alum and Olympian's birthday
Five-time Olympic medalist Duke Kahanamoku was an AAU alum and multi-sport legend — though unfortunately, you may not have heard of him.
Kahanamoku was born in Hawaii in 1890. He was considered a “waterman” — someone who excels in the water, whether that be through swimming, surfing, or even fishing.
His fame all started in 1911 at AAU’s first swim race in Hawaii. Kahanamoku shattered the world record in the 100-yard freestyle — and officially entered the world stage.
In 1912, he qualified for his first Olympic Games and became the first Native Hawaiian to compete in the Olympics. He went on to gold in the 100-meter freestyle and silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay. In the 1920 Games, he won gold in both the 100m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay, and in 1924, he won silver in the 100m freestyle.
Besides swimming, Kahanamoku was a famed surfer. To this day, many refer to him as the “King of Surfing”, as he’s credited for introducing surfing to the mainland United States, as well as Australia and New Zealand, in 1914.
Kahanamoku was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1965 and into the Surfing Hall of Fame in 1966, becoming the first person to ever be inducted into both.
Beyond athletics, Kahanamoku was very involved with his local community. When Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state in 1959, he was named the state’s “Ambassador of Aloha”, playing a vital role in supporting the state’s burgeoning tourism industry. He also served as Honolulu’s sheriff from 1934 to 1960.
As a recent PBS documentary about him says, “as a dark-skinned Pacific Islander, Kahanamoku broke through racial barriers with athletic accomplishments before Joe Louis, Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson; yet relatively few outside of Hawaii know the details of his inspiring story and considerable impact.”
The AAU has never forgotten Kahanamoku’s legacy. Last year, in 2021, AAU Volleyball joined in on the “Duke’s Day” celebration for Duke’s Oceanfest, which was in honor of the late athlete’s birthday. The celebration encouraged participants to “share an activity that inspires you the way Duke inspired so many others”, such as swimming, surfing, paddling, or playing beach volleyball.
To learn more about Kahanamoku, check out the PBS documentary that aired earlier this year, American Masters: Waterman – Duke: Ambassador of Aloha. Below is a clip that talks about Duke’s first AAU competition in 1911.
Click here to view the timeline of his extraordinary life
Kahanamoku was born in Hawaii in 1890. He was considered a “waterman” — someone who excels in the water, whether that be through swimming, surfing, or even fishing.
His fame all started in 1911 at AAU’s first swim race in Hawaii. Kahanamoku shattered the world record in the 100-yard freestyle — and officially entered the world stage.
In 1912, he qualified for his first Olympic Games and became the first Native Hawaiian to compete in the Olympics. He went on to gold in the 100-meter freestyle and silver in the 4x200m freestyle relay. In the 1920 Games, he won gold in both the 100m freestyle and 4x200m freestyle relay, and in 1924, he won silver in the 100m freestyle.
Besides swimming, Kahanamoku was a famed surfer. To this day, many refer to him as the “King of Surfing”, as he’s credited for introducing surfing to the mainland United States, as well as Australia and New Zealand, in 1914.
Kahanamoku was inducted into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1965 and into the Surfing Hall of Fame in 1966, becoming the first person to ever be inducted into both.
Beyond athletics, Kahanamoku was very involved with his local community. When Hawaii became the 50th U.S. state in 1959, he was named the state’s “Ambassador of Aloha”, playing a vital role in supporting the state’s burgeoning tourism industry. He also served as Honolulu’s sheriff from 1934 to 1960.
As a recent PBS documentary about him says, “as a dark-skinned Pacific Islander, Kahanamoku broke through racial barriers with athletic accomplishments before Joe Louis, Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson; yet relatively few outside of Hawaii know the details of his inspiring story and considerable impact.”
The AAU has never forgotten Kahanamoku’s legacy. Last year, in 2021, AAU Volleyball joined in on the “Duke’s Day” celebration for Duke’s Oceanfest, which was in honor of the late athlete’s birthday. The celebration encouraged participants to “share an activity that inspires you the way Duke inspired so many others”, such as swimming, surfing, paddling, or playing beach volleyball.
To learn more about Kahanamoku, check out the PBS documentary that aired earlier this year, American Masters: Waterman – Duke: Ambassador of Aloha. Below is a clip that talks about Duke’s first AAU competition in 1911.
Click here to view the timeline of his extraordinary life
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