Duke Kahanamoku

Duke Kahanamoku c. 1912
Personal information
Nickname(s)	"The Duke," "The Big Kahuna"
Born	(1890-08-24)August 24, 1890 Haleʻākala, Honolulu, Kingdom of Hawaii
Died	January 22, 1968(1968-01-22) (aged 77) Honolulu, Hawaii
Height	6 ft 1 in (185 cm)
Weight	190 lb (86 kg)
Sport
Sport	Swimming
Strokes	Freestyle
Club	Waikiki Beach Boys
Medal record Competitor for the United States Olympic Games Gold 1912 Stockholm 100 m freestyle Gold 1920 Antwerp 100 m freestyle Gold 1920 Antwerp 4×200 m freestyle Silver 1912 Stockholm 4×200 m freestyle Silver 1924 Paris 100 m freestyle

Duke Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968), was a Hawaiian athlete who is called the inventor of modern surfing. He was also on the United States Olympic team as a swimmer, and won several silver and gold medals.

Contrary to some misinformation on the internet, Duke is not known as the Big Kahuna. He himself rejected that term, because he knew its meaning. The Big Kahuna is a character in the Gidget story, which is based on a portrayal of Tube Steak Tracy, a famous surfer of the '40s & '50s in Malibu. view more...