Hawaiian Surfing - Duke Kahanamoku

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Christine_E_Armstrong]Christine E Armstrong
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was born in Waikiki on the 24th of August 1890 and went on to become the father of modern surfing. Duke is not a title but a given name after his father who was christened Duke in honour of Prince Alfred, Duke of Edinburgh who was visiting Hawaii at the time. Some actually thought he was royalty because of his name but he was a very humble and unassuming man who was always ready to put the record straight.
The eldest of 10 children he had 6 brothers and three sisters, his father was a policeman and his mother a deeply religious woman with a strong sense of family. Growing up on the outskirts of Waikiki he dropped out of school early on and embarked on the life of a beach boy. He grew to 6.1 feet and weighed 190 pounds and had the well-defined upper body that all the great watermen possessed, as amazing as his body was it was his feet and hands that were truly extraordinary, some would say he had fins for feet, the ocean was his home and he had absolutely no fear of it.
Often seen riding the waves of a break called Castles where only a few dared to surf on his 16 foot surfboard made of Koa and without skeg his theory was that big boards were for riding big waves and when he caught one he would yell "COMING DOWN" He didn't drink or smoke and if in a fight would not punch but slap, he preferred to use his eyes to vocalise what he was thinking, a quiet spoken man who seldom raised his voice, a formidable waterman excelling in rough water swimming, surfing and canoe paddling. Baptised in the ocean according to the ancient custom he was paddled out in a canoe by his uncle and thrown over the side it was swim or else, the family believed they came from the ocean and it was there they would return. His mother encouraged her children to not be afraid of the ocean and there was no restriction as to how far from shore they could venture.
Kahanamoku easily qualified for the US Olympic swimming team in 1912 breaking the record in his 4 x 200 metre trial relay and went on to win the gold in the 100 metre freestyle in Stockholm in 1912 and silver in the relay. In the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp he won gold in both the 100 metres and relay a silver medal in the 1924 Olympics in Paris with his brother winning the bronze medal. He also played for the US water polo team at the 1932 Summer Olympics. Many collectable pieces of his life all original from days past have been stored in Hawaii a tribute to the man who was at the forefront of an art that has now been responsible for creating a healthy sport for those with a love of the ocean. Caf� walls in Waikiki show an amazing insight into the life of one of the truly great Hawaiians.
More information on surfing history and The Duke Kahanamoku, along with original collectables can be found by visiting http://www.surfproductsonline.com
Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Hawaiian-Surfing---Duke-Kahanamoku&id=6567035] Hawaiian Surfing - Duke Kahanamoku