The Father of Modern Surfing

Who was Duke Kahanamoku, and how did he change the world of surfing?

1 The word Duke brings to mind royalty. Duke Kahanamoku was not royalty, but he might as well have been a king in Hawaii. He was a talented swimmer, an actor, and even the mayor of Honolulu, Hawaii, for nearly 30 years. But what Duke Paoa Kahinu Makoe Hulikohoa Kahanamoku will be most remembered for is bringing surfing to the world outside of Hawaii.

2 Kahanamoku was a native Hawaiian, born in 1890 in Honolulu. From an early age, he felt most at home at the beach and in the ocean. He attended school but rushed home every afternoon, knowing that the ocean was patiently waiting for him.

3 Kahanamoku went to the Olympics as a swimmer in 1912 and 1920, where he won a total of three gold medals for the United States. He also traveled around the world as a water safety instructor for the Red Cross in between Olympics.

4 Kahanamoku was so enthusiastic about the water that he was able to successfully encourage others to take an interest in water sports. As he traveled, Kahanamoku spoke about surfing and demonstrated the sport to audiences around the globe. Surfing, which had had little publicity outside of Hawaii, started gaining in popularity.

5 Kahanamoku’s favorite type of board was made from a koa tree. It was quite long by today’s standards—16 feet in length— and it weighed 114 pounds. As a point of comparison, boards today are only 6 to 9 feet long and weigh between 6 and 15 pounds. Kahanamoku’s preferred board was fashioned after the ancient Hawaiian olo boards. Kahanamoku was convinced that it was the best because he believed that big boards were for big waves. One of Kahanamoku’s early boards can be viewed today in Honolulu’s Bishop Museum. 6 Duke Kahanamoku was the first person to be inducted into both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame. Yet all the celebrity surrounding his achievements seemed to have little effect on Kahanamoku’s personality. The ocean remained his first love, and he stayed true to the roots of his Hawaiian culture, speaking the language, following the customs, and eating the foods as often as possible.

7 Kahanamoku died in 1968 at the age of 77. He had a burial at sea, accompanied by a 30-person police escort. Kahanamoku’s ashes were scattered in the water off Waikiki Beach, the place he had felt most at home in the world, while a group of beach boys sang traditional Hawaiian songs. The world would never forget the man who shared his love of the ocean and surfing with people all around the globe.

Spectrum Reading Grade 6

100

1. What are two jobs that Kahanamoku held that were unrelated to swimming or surfing?

2. Do you think that surfing would have spread to other areas of the world without Duke Kahanamoku’s encouragement and enthusiasm? Why or why not?

3. Find a sentence in the selection showing that Kahanamoku was a talented and successful swimmer, and write it on the lines below.

4. Check the sentence that best states the main idea of the selection.

Duke Kahanamoku’s full name was Duke Paoa Kahinu Makoe Hulikohoa Kahanamoku.

Duke Kahanamoku was the first person to be inducted into both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame.

Duke Kahanamoku was known as the “father of modern surfing” because he helped bring the sport to areas of the world outside of Hawaii.

Use the timeline of Duke Kahanamoku’s life to answer the questions that follow.

1890 Duke Kahanamoku born attends the Olympics in 1912 Stockholm, Sweden attends the Olympics in 1920 Antwerp, Belgium 1932 becomes sheriff of Honolulu 1940 marries Nadine Alexander 1968 Duke Kahanamoku dies inducted into U.S. Olympic 1984 Hall of Fame

1900 1920 1940 1960 1980 5. In what year were the Olympics held in Antwerp, Belgium?

6. Was Kahanamoku inducted into the U. S. Olympic Hall of Fame before or after his death?

7. In what year did Kahanamoku marry?

Spectrum Reading Grade 6

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