Duke: A Great Hawaiian

Rating:
Summary: Enduring Aloha
Review: The Y2K millennial issue of Surfer magazine featured on its cover the formal portrait of a young Duke Kahanamoku with the caption "Surfer of the Century." Perhaps you've been to Kuhio beach at Waikiki and visited the Duke statue; maybe even left a flower lei draped on his arms. Most people also take a few minutes to consider the inscription that's written there, imagining what Aloha could mean if we each lived our life that way.

I ordered a copy of this book before it was published. When it arrived in the mail I realized that I held a small volume, one of life's little primers, that might affect me in a big way -- and that's what happened. If you love the ocean like Duke did, then Sandra Kimberley Hall has written the thank you letter we all wish we could have given him.

Duke Kahanamoku lived from 1890 to 1968. It's been more than thirty years since he died, and people still speak of him as if he's here among us. This book will help you understand why swimmers/surfers/water polo teams/outrigger canoe clubs/open water paddlers... all EXPECT to meet the Duke. He's right there with us every time we greet another ocean enthusiast with the generous spirit of Aloha that was his gift to all.

I'm the guy who led a letter writing campaign resulting in the approval of a U.S. postage stamp honoring the Duke. Others had begun the process more than twenty years ago. Working as a volunteer for the Surfrider Foundation, I circulated a newsletter beginning in 1998. For four years thousands of people all across America responded by sending letters/petitions/postcards of support to Washington -- and we succeeded. The stamp was issued on the anniversary of Duke's birthday, August 24, 2002. More than 62 million stamps were printed, and the edition is now sold out.

The handsome, active and youthful image chosen to portray Duke on the stamp has invited many others to examine his life -- Olympic champion, Halls of Fame, years of public service to the Territory/State of Hawaii. He was a lifelong inspiration to those who met him personally, and also those who could only read about him (a skinny kid like me in the library at Beach Haven, NJ hoping maybe I could learn to ride the surf on my blue & yellow inflatable canvas raft).

We all know that very few of us will ever appear on a commemorative stamp. Those who took the time to write to the Postal Service felt that Duke Kahanamoku was one of those people who represents us at our very best. This book celebrates all the reasons why.


Respectfully submitted,

Don Gallagher
38 Green Acre Road, Lititz, PA 17543-8770

Rating:
Summary: A fitting tribute to the father of modern surfing
Review: This fantastic little book oozes aloha from every page. If the Duke is looking down on us, he'd be stoked, proud and humble to have a book like this written about him. The story of Duke Kahanamoku is a moving one and the author has captured the spirit of the man in these pages.
The quality of the production is beautiful with photos on each of the left hand pages and the text laid out in simple form on the right. The aloha print cover is a joy. If you're into surfing, or Hawaiian, history this is a must have book and a future collectable for sure. Aloha from England!
Pete Robinson www.thesurfingmuseum.co.uk