The imprint of the pioneers in the sport is indelible. It stays forever. If surfing is today what it is, it is thanks to the figure of Duke Kahanamoku. ‘Big Kahuna’, a word of Hawaiian origin used to define someone who is an expert in a subject, stands as the father of modern surfing. A full athlete with an eternal legacy that inspired his discipline and an attractive personality for the world. He is an icon with a great story behind him.
When he was 20 years old, Duke Kahanamoku participated in a Honolulu Harbor swim meet of over 90 meters freestyle, achieving a time of 55.4 seconds, which beat Frederick Lane’s 1901 world record by 4.6. seconds and Richard Cavill’s from 1902 in 3.0 seconds. He later also set the 200m record and equaled the over 45m record. For a long time these achievements were not recognized, they were doubted, but he still qualified for the 1912 Olympics. There he signed a new world record in the 200 meter freestyle. The first stroke to become an Olympic myth.
Duke is also a symbol of aquatic rescue. In June 1925, while on the beach in Corona del Mar, California, Kahanamoku saw a disaster looming ahead of him. There was no doubt that the passengers and crew of a ship were in imminent danger. Kahanamoku was the first to respond, as witnesses told the ‘LA Times’.