The Hawaiian swam his last Olympic race 100 years ago. As the grandfather of surfing and Hawaii’s unofficial ambassador, he left behind something more resonant.
Long before Michael Phelps, Mark Spitz and Caleb Dressel, there was Duke Kahanamoku. In the early part of the 20th century, there might not have been a more dynamic and fascinating American Olympian than the swimmer plucked at 21 years old from Honolulu’s Waikiki Beach who, despite only minimal training, won gold medals in the 100-meter freestyle at the 1912 and 1920 Olympics.
Yet a century after that 100-meter race, and with the Olympics once again in Paris, Weissmuller is the one largely forgotten while Kahanamoku might be as famous now as at the height of his swimming glory. He is often calledIn 1911 a pair of White Honolulu politicians with connections to the national Amateur Athletic Union had an idea. They noticed the young Hawaiians surfing off Waikiki Beach were such natural swimmers that they might be faster than the best White swimmers on the mainland.
He landed a few insignificant roles before going to Paris for the 1924 Games. After losing to Weissmuller, he went back to Los Angeles and pushed even more for a Hollywood career. He made friends with actors, directors and producers who enjoyed being around the famous swimming star. He spent afternoons on the beach and was invited to parties. He liked being seen.
“He was accepted but as a good friend, never a business partner,” said Jeremy Lemarie, an associate professor at France’s University of Reims Champagne Ardenne who has studied Kahanamoku extensively.Hall is more skeptical. She said Kahanamoku didn’t take acting classes while in Hollywood and had what appeared to be “exaggerated hopes of being a matinee idol.”As money grew tight, films cut back on fringe actors.
Kahanamoku was born eight years before the U.S. officially took over, yet his parents appeared to understand how their land was changing. They insisted their children learn to speak English as well as their native language, Olelo Hawaii, which eventually contributed to the comfort Kahanamoku’s benefactors felt spending money to send him to the mainland.
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