DUKE-IMAGE TWIT-iconFacebookFacebook        Learn More >>   
About Duke  Duke-In-Front-Of-BoardDuke Paoa Kahanamoku... 
...was was born August 24, 1890 in downtown Honolulu. Who would
have known that 78 years later he would not only be known as
Hawaii's greatest athlete, but the father of international
surfing and its ambassador of Aloha.  Almost 22 when he won his
first Olympic gold medal, Duke represented the United States in
the Olympics for the next 20 years, winning not only medals but
also the hearts of people all over the world. He is remembered
not just as a swimmer for his remarkable speed, but for his
grace in the water, good humor and sportsmanship.   Duke won his
first Olympic gold medal and set a world record in the 100-meter
free-style and won a silver as a participant in the 200-meter
relay in Stockholm in 1912. He won his second and third gold
medals in 1920 during the Antwerp Olympics, again breaking his
world record in the 100-meter free-style and setting a world
record on the free-style re