Original Photo of Duke Kahanamoku and Nadine 02/10/47

  

Duke Kahanamoku and Nadine at the pool. 3 x 4 1/2 inches.

Born in Haleakala, Maui son of Duke Halapu Kahanamoku and Julia Paoakania Lonokahini Kahanamoku, young Duke had. Six brothers and three sisters. He attended Waikiki Grammar School, Kaahumanu School, and the Kamehameha School for.

As a youth he became a master surfer on a sixteen-foot koa- wood board weighing 114 pounds. In 1910 he developed what.

He called "The Hawaiian Crawl", a basic swimming completion stroke today known as "The American Crawl". Won an AAU meet in Honolulu Harbor, breaking United States record for the 100-meter event; in the same year he broke his own. Competition again in 1916 and broke more records with his distinctive style. During World War I, when the 1916 Olympics were. Almost thirty years of age, he beat his own 100-meter freestyle record at the Antwerp Olympics in 1920 by making the course in.

Kahanamoku began a Hollywood film career in 1922, playing Polynesians, American Indians, or Hindus- everything. He lost his title in 1924 Olympics in Paris to Johnny Weissmuller, who set a new record of 59 seconds.

Became a national hero when, on June 14, 1925 he rescued on his surfboard eight of the twelve men saved from a capsized fishing boat. In high surf off Newport Beach, California. To Honolulu and worked as a janitor at City Hall. In 1932 he failed to place in the Olympic swimming trials but won a spot on the. United States water polo team and thus appeared in four Olympic competing in twenty years.

While running a gasoline service station in. 1934, he was elected sheriff of Honolulu, a largely ceremonial post that he held until it was abolished in 1961; he was then appointed official.

Kahanamoku married Nadine Alexander in 1940. He was a familiar figure at the Waikiki Outrigger Canoe Club on Waikiki Beach. And was known to thousands of visitors to the islands. He was selected in 1965 as a character member of the Swimming Hall of Fame. He became one of the twenty-six all time sports champions in 1967, the year after he was named to the first Surfing Hall of Fame. Name is perpetuated in the annual World Surfing Championships. This item is in the category "Sporting Goods\Water Sports\Surfing\Vintage". The seller is "hawaiianislandsstampandcoin" and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped to United States.

• Country/Region of Manufacture: United States