Duke Kahanamoku Deserves to be in World’s Greatest Athlete Conversation
When my parents decided to take a family trip to Hawaii for their 50th anniversary, they asked each of us what the most important thing we wanted to do was.
Mine was easy.
I wanted my picture taken with the Duke Kahanamoku statue at Waikiki Beach.
The famous statue has welcomed millions to the island of Oahu on its most famous beach. I wanted to feel a connection with one of the world’s greatest swimmers and the godfather of surfing. But I was astonished when most of the members of my family were like, “Oh Duke, he’s the surfer, right?”
Right, but they were floored when I reminded them he was also and Olympic swimming champion at two Games. Not only that, but he was an innovator, developing the flutter kick, which led him to gold in the 100 freestyle in 1912 in Stockholm and 1920 in Antwerp.
Before he was known as the godfather of surfing, he was the greatest swimmer in the world.
Somehow that has been easily forgotten over the years.
The debate of the world’s greatest athlete in history is a good one with so many ways to go. Would it be the best at a sport, far superior than others, like Babe Ruth, Michael Phelps, Michael Jordan, Muhammad Ali, Pele, Serena Williams or Usain Bolt? Or is it a multi-sport star like Jackie Robinson (baseball, football, track), Jim Thorpe (baseball, football, track), Babe Didrickson Zaharias (track, golf, baseball, basketball) Jim Brown (football, lacrosse), Bo Jackson (football, baseball), Althea Gibson (tennis, golf) or Deion Sanders (football, baseball).
Or even a pioneer like Robinson, Thorpe, Bill Russell, Jesse Owens or Billie Jean King?
But Duke’s name is rarely brought up in that group despite being a multi-sport star. Not just star, but pioneer.
He is remembered as a pioneer in surfing and has his statue (and another in Huntington Beach, California) with a surf board. But his flutter kick and sheer dominance in the 100 meters stood out before Johnny Weissmuller and generations that followed.
The Duke was a celebrity during his time and had moments with Babe Ruth and other legends who came to Hawaii.
But for some reason, his legend faded a bit over the years, while others did not.
Perhaps it is because Hawaii is so far away. Perhaps it is because he was more of a blue-collar type of a hero who didn’t say a ton or invite controversy. Perhaps it was because he competed before television and there is not much footage of him. Perhaps it was because he was Hawaiian and one of the first American sports stars of color.
Perhaps it is a combination of these things.
But whatever the reason, the Duke is worth remembering as an Olympic swimming champion and pioneer.
The word spreads slowly to those who visit the statue, and every couple of minutes, there is an audible, “Oh, he was an Olympic swimmer, too?” comment from a visitor reading the plaque on the statue.
Yes he was, and the Duke is one of the greatest athletes in the history of the world, and deserves to be in that conversation every time.
Editor’s Note: For more info on the Duke, check out the biography “Waterman” by David Davis.
