Kuhio Beach Jan 2026
The aloha spirit of kindness and connection was in evidence in a tragic event on June 15, 1925.
That day, the beach at Newport Beach CA was the scene of a tragic boating accident. A fishing vessel capsized while trying to enter the city’s harbor in heavy surf. According to the NB police chief later, the “most superhuman surfboard rescue act the world has ever seen” then ensued- bystander Duke Kahanamoku used his surfboard to make repeated trips to the capsized ship, rescuing several people. Two fellow surfers saved four more fisherman- only 5 of the sinking ship’s fisherman were lost to the rough seas. Duke and the other surfers were credited with saving the lives of thirteen people. The publicity caused lifeguards across the US to begin the use of surfboards as standard equipment for water rescue. It was just one more unique way that Duke Kahanamoku’s life showcased Hawaii’s aloha spirit to the world.
Early Beginnings
Born in 1890, Duke Kahanamoku was from a large native Hawaiian family of nobility, blood relatives to Hawaiian royalty- even as that Hawaiian Kingdom was overthrown in 1893. Duke lived to see the Hawaiian territory become a state, and became a U.S. citizen. Duke’s life evolved into an introduction for the world to the Hawaiian tradition of surfing, and to the Hawaiian way of life and true aloha.
He developed his strong swimming and surfing skills on the beaches of Waikiki. His surf board was fashioned after the ancient Hawaiian boards- 16 feet long and 114 pounds of hardwood koa wood. He easily qualified for the 1912 US Olympics, taking gold and silver medals in swimming events. The 1920 Olympics brought him 2 gold medals, and in the 1924 Olympics, a silver.
Olympics and Beyond
During and after his Olympic career, he became an ambassador to the art of surfing, sparking interest in the sport all over the world. In 1914, he introduced surfing to the US Atlantic coast, Australia, and New Zealand. When Duke lived in LA and played in 30 Hollywood movies from 1915-1932, Southern California caught onto his surf craze and became a water-sports Mecca. His milestones continued- in 1929 he rode a monster wave for 1 1/8 miles at his homeland of Waikiki. It’s a feat considered the longest surf ride in modern times- never to be repeated in that location since development of the coastline has changed the surf patterns.
As late as 1960, Duke was appointed the new state of Hawaii’s Official Ambassador of Aloha, until his death in 1968. Just as Duke’s life embodied the aloha spirit, Hawaiians still revere its meaning- the Aloha Spirit Law was written into state law in 1986.
In 1990, in that spirit of aloha, a 9 foot bronze statue of Duke Kahanamoku was dedicated at his beloved Waikiki Beach. Though Duke loved the ocean, his statue faces away from the water for a reason. Its public facing orientation exhibits a welcoming spirit of aloha to visitors and public visiting Kuhio Beach Park, Kalakaua Avenue, and Waikiki. His statue is always adorned with honorary leis, left in homage to a man of true Hawaiian spirit.
“He has honored his name, he has honored his race, he has honored his state, he has honored us all.” (Written on his statue’s bronze plaque)
