Celebrations are to be held in New Brighton Christchurch, and Lyall Bay Wellington, to commemorate 100 years since the father of modern surfing first demonstrated the sport of kings at public events at both locations.

UPDATE : New events around the country have now been added please read the 24 -02- 15 article – Duke Kahanamoku – 100 years of Surfing in New Zealand

Christchurch:

On the 28th of February the New Brighton Pier and Foreshore Society in Christchurch are unveiling a centennial memorial that will consist of a replica surfboard and bronze plaque. The society has invited Sandy Hall who is the Duke’s official biographer –  Earl Pa Mai Tenn who represents the Duke’s family and Master Hawaiian Ukulele and Hula teacher Edwina Noelani Mahoe, will also be present.

Stage 2 of the celebrations will include the unveiling  a smooth polished and coloured concrete wave 8m x  2.5m,  by local sculpture Bon Suter

See also the NZ Herald article: ‘Monument to a trailblazer‘

Wellington:

The Wellington Boardriders Club (WBC) will be running a  commemorative day on Sat 21 March,  Instead of being a standard surf comp it will be a fun filled day with spot prizes and awards for best Hawaiian costume,  vintage costume,  vintage board,  best performance,  best wave,  oldest and youngest surfers.

SPS will be posting further detail of the event over the next 6 weeks on our website, as will WBC on their facebook page.

    Christchurch history:

Photos courtesy of V Dooling Papers, Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, N.Z. Photos taken February 24th 1915. Published in The Weekly Press March 3rd 1915(along with the following editorial). ;

THE VISIT OF THE WORLD’S CHAMPION SPRINT SWIMMER, DUKE PAOA KAHANAMOKU, OF HAWAII, TO NEW ZEALAND: SOME SNAPSHOTS AT NEW BRIGHTON

 The world’s champion sprint swimmer, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku of Hawaii accompanied by Mr Francis Evans, manager of the party (also a Hawaiian) and Mr G Cunha, another speedy swimmer, arrived in Christchurch from Sydney via Wellington on 24th February. The party is touring Australasia under agreement with the Australian Swimming Union and the New Zealand Association and the Australian tour proved a great success. The party motored to New Brighton, where Kahanamoku gave exhibitions of surf-riding.

He made extensive use of his hands and feet, and also at times came in with the board spread sideways instead as is usual, lengthwise with the body. Quite a new feature of his demonstration was that of shooting the breakers diagonally, thereby taking advantage of several lines. this was a performance that aroused considerable interest. At the close of the exhibition, Kahanamoku was heartily cheered as he stepped ashore. After the surfing display Kahanamoku was entertained at luncheon by the Surf Club. Kahanamoku in responding to a toast to his health said he thought the water was a bit nippy and the surf short in break. The boards in use at Brighton were not of the right dimensions. They should be much heavier, longer and wider and tapered at both ends. The boards in use in Honolulu were made of redwood. He thanked the club and the people of Brighton for their hearty welcome and he looked forward to his next visit where he hoped to make a longer stay in the surf.

    Wellington history:

The Lyall Bay Surf & Life Saving Club website acknowledges the Duke’s visit:

The origin of modern surfing in New Zealand

Lyall Bay in Wellington also has been called ‘the origin of modern surfing in New Zealand’ since the legendary Duke Kahanamoku introduced the “royal and noble art” of surfboard riding there in 1915.

Evening Post (New Zealand)
Volume LXXXIX, Issue 56, 8 March 1915, page 6.

A record Sunday crowd attended Lyall Bay yesterday, in order to see the famous swimmer, Duke Kahanamoku, in the surf.
The people were well repaid.
The visitor entertained them with a truly wonderful display of shooting the breakers, which, after the spell of southerly weather, were fairly large.
His renowned standing shoot on the surf board was the particular feature.
He stood right up on the board, while the latter shot along at a great speed.
By careful steering he prolonged the shoot for a distance of 150 to 200 yards.
Kahanamoku (sic) and party spent a very pleasant time at the bay, the whole arrangements being in the hands of the Lyall Bay Surf Club.

– Unaccredited: Untitled.
Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLII, Issue 13875, 24 December 1915, page 2:

“Surf-riding is becoming more and more popular at Lyall Bay, Wellington.

Since the visit of Duke Kahanamoku and his swimming partner, George Cunha, and their notable exhibition of the art of riding the surges, many swimmers have taken up the sport with enthusiasm.  Now it is an every-day sight to see many bathers with surf-boards, disporting themselves more or less skilfully on the breakers.”

Auckland History:

There is not much known about his Auckland appearances to do with surfing except for a reference in the ‘Auckland Weekly News’ reporting that he also gave a surfing demonstration at Muriwai, on Auckland’s West Coast, but it is not clear what sort of board he used or whether he stood up.

SPS are unaware of any Duke centennial celebrations to be held at Muriwai, or other Auckland beaches.

A great  deal of credit must go to  www.surfresearch.com as a good source of history surrounding the duke, more resources can be found at the end of this article.

Dukes Day event at Freshwater Beach Sydney 8 -10 January 2015

The celebrations in N.Z. follow hot on the heels of similar, successful events held on the 8th to 10th of January this year to commemorate 100 years of surfing in Australia; in respect of the Duke demonstrating his surfing ability at Sydney’s Freshwater Beach in December 1914 and January 1915.

The commemoration events were planned well in advance by the Surf Nomes with support from Freshwater SLSC, Eco Divers and the Freshwater Boardriding Clubs on behalf of the wider Surfing Community.

 

Duke’s Day was a day to honour & revere the father of surfing in Australia -Duke Kahanamoku. It is a day to raise awareness, kindness and living in harmony with the coastal environment much in the way of Dukes philosophy.

The dukesday.com website reported the celebration at Freshwater Beach as:

 THE GREATEST SURFING SEEN AT FRESHWATER BEACH IN 100 YEARS.

Activities started on Friday the 8th of Jan with a lei draping ceremony, swimming events and all forms of surfing exhibitions from surf riding, body surfing, tandem surfing and ancient crafts, there was plenty happening for young and old. The full event schedule can be found here.

A replica of the board ridden at freswater beach was prepared especially for the event:  The board used by Kahanamoku weighed 78lb, and was sugar pine. He would have preferred redwood, but a properly seasoned piece of that particular timber, sufficiently long, could not be procured in Sydney at the time.

The replica (which weighs 84lb) was ridden by Hawaiian World Champion Longboard Rider Duane DeSoto at Freshwater Beach in August 2014 and again at the event in January.

 

A Short History:

Duke Kahanamoku was a swimming superstar of his time, breaking several world records, before – and while qualifying for the 1912 Stockholm Olympics.

The Duke went on  to win a gold medal in the 100 meter freestyle in the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, and a silver with the relay team. During the 1920 Olympics  in Antwerp, he won gold medals both in the 100 meters (bettering fellow Hawaiian Pua Kealoha) and in the relay.

The Duke finished the 100 meters with a silver medal during the 1924 Olympics in Paris, with the gold going to Johnny Weissmuller and the bronze to Duke’s brother, Samuel Kahanamoku. At age 34, this was Kahanamoku’s last Olympic medal. He also was an alternate for the U.S. water polo team at the 1932 Summer Olympics.

After The Duke’s stellar performance at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm he was invited by numerous organisations around the world to compete in swimming events, and where the opportunity presented itself, he would demonstrate the Sport of Kings- Surfing, to the wider public, notably  on the U.S mainland – Australia and New Zealand,

In February 1915 Duke Paoa Kahanamoku  arrived in N.Z. by invitation of the New Zealand Swimming Association, Just before travelling to New Zealand  the Duke had broken another world’s record in Sydney where on January 2nd his 100 yards sprint was outstanding, creating a new world record of 53 4/5 seconds theDuke had been reducing his world record times since the Olympics, first in Hamburg then in United States and Australia before arriving for his swimming demonstrations in Wellington and Auckland, where he beat the world record for the 50 yard sprint by a full second. The Dukes appearances for swimming and surfing in new Zealand drew thousands.

While surfing was already practiced in the U.S., Australia and NZ, The Duke is widely acknowledged as bringing the sport to the attention of the wider public.

The Duke was recognised as the Ambassador of Aloha with a humble philosophy, which has come to be known as;

The Dukes  Creed

In Hawai’i we greet friends, loved ones and strangers
with Aloha, which means with love.
Aloha is the key word to the universal spirit of real
hospitality, which makes Hawai’i renowned as the
world’s center of understanding and fellowship.
Try meeting or leaving people with Aloha.
You’ll be suprised by their reaction.
I believe it and it is my creed.
Aloha to you.

Duke Paoa Kahanamoku

              

A compilation of some of the Duke’s achievements:

 

1899 — Klihili bearer at Princess Kai ‘ulani’ s royal funeral, age 9.
1908 — Member of Kamehameha School’s championship soccer team.
1911 — Broke 3 freestyle world records in his first races, in Honolulu Harbor.
1912 — Won Olympic gold medal and set world record for 100-meter freestyle, Stockholm.
1912 — Won a silver medal on the 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay team, Stockholm.
1912 — Introduced surfing to U.S.’s Atlantic Coast.
1914-15 — Introduced surfing to Australia and New Zealand.
1915-1932 — Helped popularize swimming and surfing in California.
1918 — Swam in exhibitions in about 30 mainland cities to raise money for Liberty Bonds for the U.S. war effort in  World War I. Boosted popularity of swimming. Reinforced reputation of Hawai’i as pre-eminent in swimming-through the next decade.
1920 — Recommended surfing as an Olympic event.
1920 — Antwerp Olympics, gold medals in 100-meter freestyle and 4 x 200-meter freestyle relay, fourth place in water polo.
1924 — Paris Olympics, silver medal in 100-meter freestyle.
1922-30 — Lived in Los Angeles. Played small parts in about 30 movies.
1925 — Heroic board rescue of 8 drowning men at Newport Beach, California.
1929 — Rode one of the longest recorded rides in history at Waikiki.
1932 — Los Angeles Olympics, awarded bronze medal as alternate on the U.S. water polo team.
1934 — Elected City and County of Honolulu Sheriff. Re-elected 12 times.
1956 — Official representative at Melbourne Olympics.
1960 — Appointed Hawai ‘i’ s Ambassador of Aloha.
1963 — Third visit to Australia to judge surf races.
1964 — Official guest at Tokyo Olympics.
1965 — First person inducted into both the Swimming Hall of Fame and the Surfing Hall of Fame.
1969 — Plaque and bust dedicated at Huntington Beach, California.
1984 — Posthumously inducted into U.S. Olympic Hall of Fame.
1990 — Statue dedicated at Waikiki on centennial of his birth.
1990 — Duke Kahanamoku Way dedicated at Rockaway Beach, New York.
1994 — Statue dedicated at Freshwater, Sydney, Australia.
1994 — Biarritz, France, Surf Festival named in his honor.
1994 — First name inscribed in the Huntington Beach Surfing Walk of Fame.
1994 — Identification plaques placed on Waikiki statue on his birthday.
2015 — Duke’s Day centenary celebrations held at Freshwater Beach, Sydney.

Resources – historical and current regarding the Duke:

www.surfresearch.com.au
www.freshwaterslsc.com/events/dukes_day/
www.nzherald.co.nz/sport/news/article.cfm?c_id=4&objectid=11388329
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LTTo6ZjPDQ   – Duke Kahanamoku Quick History Part 1
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL49FFlmdhQ  – Duke Kahanamoku Quick History Part 2
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/dukes-day-celebrating-100-years-of-surfing-in-australia-at-freshwater-beach/story-fni0cx12-1227180481337
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duke_Kahanamoku
http://www.dukesday.com/the-re-enactment.html
waikiki.com/dukekahanamoku.html
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wellington-Boardriders-Club/98306669182?sk=wall