Kahanamoku grew up with two passions: surfing (well known on his island but little known elsewhere) and swimming. The people of Honolulu followed him to the ocean, where his ashes were scattered. He took the title with a time of 1:01.4. [14] The board that Kahanamoku built from a piece of pine from a local hardware store is retained by the Freshwater Surf Club. In 1893, the family moved to Kālia, Waikiki (near the present site of the Hilton Hawaiian Village), to be closer to his mother's parents and family. In the final, he was so far ahead that at the halfway point that he was able to look back and survey the field. In 1920 Duke also represented the United States in water polo. [9], He was initiated, passed and raised to the sublime degree of Master Mason in Hawaiian Lodge Masonic Lodge No 21[10][11] At the 1912 Summer Olympics in Stockholm, he won a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle, and a silver medal with the second-place U.S. team in the men's 4×200-meter freestyle relay. He shattered his world record by one second and came close to getting under the minute barrier with a time of 1:00.4. At first, they were disqualified. At age 34, this was Kahanamoku's last Olympic medal. At just 21 years old, he began to make a name for himself at national level. Antwerp 1920-American swimmers (USA), ROSS Norman on left and KAHANAMOKU Duke Paoa on right. Hawaii music promoter Kimo Wilder McVay capitalized on Kahanamoku's popularity by naming his Waikiki showroom "Duke Kahanamoku's" at the International Market Place,[23] and giving Kahanamoku a financial interest in the showroom in exchange for the use of his name. [12] and was also a Noble (member) of the Shriners fraternal organization.[13]. But he saved the best until last. Growing up on the outskirts of Waikiki, Kahanamoku spent his youth as a bronzed beach boy. [15] He made surfing popular in mainland America first in 1912 while in Southern California. He qualified for the Stockholm 1912 Games with ease. Kahanamoku won his heat in 1:02.6, an Olympic record. He swam the 100 yards (91m) freestyle race in 55.4 seconds in Honolulu Harbour on 11 August 1911, breaking the record by 4.6 seconds. The judges disqualified Ross and nullified the result of the final, which was rescheduled five days later. ", This page was last edited on 3 November 2020, at 14:00. Five Are Drowned", "Duke Kahanamoku Dies at 77. His father was a policeman. But not for long. Between Olympic competitions, and after retiring from the Olympics, Kahanamoku traveled internationally to give swimming exhibitions. The Hawaii born, Duke Kahanamoku had won an Olympic gold medal for the first time in the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games. In this way, he made connections with people who could further publicize the sport of surfing. Los Angeles 1932- Duke KAHANAMOKU, Miss Earhart PUTMAN, Paavo NURMI, Douglas FAIRBANKS, Arthur JONATH. In 1940, Kahanamoku married Nadine Alexander, who accompanied him when he traveled.