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the catalogue #100 |
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| 1914 Duke Kahanamoku's Alaia 8 ft 8" |
#100
|
|
Length
:
|
8
|
ft |
8
|
inches | ||
|
Width
:
|
23
|
inches |
Wide
Point :
|
+ve
5
|
inches | |
|
Nose
:
|
inches |
Tail
:
|
inches | |||
|
Thickness
:
|
3
|
inches |
Pod
:
|
14
|
inches | |
|
Nose
Lift :
|
inches |
Tail
Lift :
|
inches | |||
|
Weight
:
|
78
|
pounds |
Volume
:
|
litres | ||
|
Other
:
|
inches |
| DECOR
DECAL: MARKINGS: COLOUR Deck Natural pine timber, (oiled) Double painted pinlines (white/ purple), At sweetspot : Four (4) metal letters (D.U.K.E.) nailed to the board Below : Fixed bronze plate : Claude West's Bronze Medallion 1917 Below : Fixed chrome plate : This surfboard was made by DUKE KAHANAMOKU who introduced surfboard riding to Australia for the first time at Freshwater Beach Feb. 1915. Presented to Freswater SLSC Oct 11 1953 by Clade West 1st surfboard champion |
For Duke metal letters
image see image cropped from
Phil Abraham Hidden Valley Longboarding Magazine, Edition 18 November - December 2001, page 35. photographs by Nathan Smith. |
The board was 'first'
used at Freshwater Beach on 24th December, 1914 in a remarkable demonstration
of skill. In +6ft surf he cut left, cut right and rode standing on his
head.
In the following
weeks he continued a program of swimming races and surfing demonstrations
at metropolitan beaches including Coogee, Cronulla, Dee Why and other Northern
beaches.
During the
early 1950's the board was stored amoungst the current boards, given no
special prominance and on occassion was used by Club members, including
myself.
- Joe Larkin, noted
in a phone conversation, February 2004. Thanks Joe.
In 1953 Claude West donated the board to the Freshwater Surf Lifesaving Club.
The metal letters
and pinlines were added pre-1956, the bronze/chrome plates later.
In 1956 Duke Kahanamoku
returned with the visiting US/Hawaiian Olympic Surf team and was
photographed with the board (42 years later).
In 1976 the board was restored by Claude West after it fell off a truck and split in two.
Currently exhibited
in the Club Room, Freshwater Surf Life Saving Club, The Esplanade Harbord
NSW ph : 02 9905 3741.
DESIGN HISTORY
Several other (probably three in total)
boards were shaped and possibly donated to raise
donations to the war effort.
One board was presented to the Surf
Bathing Association of New South Wales and subsequently became the property
of a Cronulla Club member, Ron 'Prawn' Bowden.
The history of the
other two is currently unknown, however one may have been the board used
by "Sprint" Walker when he introduced (standup) surfriding
to Victoria at Portsea in 1926.
This board itself
had four copies made while in Victoria.
Returning to Hawaii Kahanamoku left board #100, and a great amount of surf knowledge, with Claude West.
His design would be replicated for the next 25 years. (See Plans and Specifications : Alaia, 1938).
After leaving Australia in 1915 Duke Kahanamoku repeated the exercise in New Zealand, on another 'makeshift' board.
Claude West rode the board, dominating
surfboard competitions in the period 1915 to 1922, and was the first Australian
Board Champion.
In 1953 Claude West
donated the board to the Freshwater Surf Lifesaving Club.
COMMENTS
Unfortunately the
board is mounted in a tight fitting timber sided/glass topped case which
makes examination of the rails,rocker, thickness and bottom features impossible.
REFERENCES
History
: Duke Kahanamoku
Plans
and Specifications : Alaia, 1938
Snow
McAlister : Sprint Walker, Solid Wood Boards and Victorian Surfing
Tracks Magazine
circa 1972
CONDITION:
9, added features.
| Duke Kahanamoku
and board.Freshwater Beach 23 December 1914.
Bishop Museum, Hawaii Mick Mock Collection Reprinted in Warshaw, Matt :Surfriders – In Search of the Perfect Wave Tehabi Books, Inc.Collins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022. 1997 Page 31. Board template image
cropped from
For other images see History : Duke Kahanamoku |
 |
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