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smh : kahanamoku at freshwater 1914

The Sydney Morning Herald :
SURF- BOARD RIDING.
KAHANAMOKU'S DISPLAY
Friday 25 th December 1914
page 7

At the invitation of the N.S.W Amateur Swimming Association a number of newspaper representatives, accompanied some of the officials to witness an exhibition of surf-board riding by Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, the world's champion sprint swimmer, at Freshwater yesterday (Thursday 24th December 1914).

It was Kahanamoku's first attempt at surf-board riding in Australia, and it must be admitted it was wonderfully clever.

The conditions were against good surfboard-riding.

The waves were of the 'dumping' order and followed closely one on top of another.

According to the champion, board-riding on the Waikiki Beach, Honolulu, is a pleasure and there it is possible to shoot in over a quarter of a mile (600 yards - 500 metres).

Then too, Kahanamoku was at disadvantage with the board.

It weighted almost 100lb (pounds - x kilograms), whereas the board he uses as a rule weighs less than 25lb (25 pounds - x kilograms).

But, withal, he gave a magnificent display, which won the cordial reponse of the onlookers.

Kahanamoku entered the water with the board accompanied by Mr. W. W. Hill (Secretary of the Australian Swimming Union) and some members of the Freshwater Surf Club. Lying flat on the board and using his arms like paddles the champion soon left the swimmers far behind.

When he was about 400 yards out he waited for a suitable breaker, swung the board round and came in with it.

Once fairly started, Kahamamoku knelt on the board, and then stood straight up, the nose of the board being well out of the water.

But the force of the breakers never carried him more than 50 yards.

On a couple of occassions he managed to shoot fully 100 yards and then he cleverly demonstrated what could be done.

He turned completely round, then lying flat on the board, he raised himself on his hands and swung the board from front to back and back to front, finally again standing straight up.

If the condition of the water is favourable when Kahanamoku makes his public appearance in surfboard riding in Sydney it is sure to be keenly appreciated.

Notes
1. Reporter unknown.

2. This demonstration is noted as the first. It appears to be a test of Australian waves, board and rider, and was not greatly publicised. There have may been some doubt by Australian swimming and/or surfing officials that Hawaiian boardriding was possible in local waves. Evidently, Duke Kahanamoku did not.

3. The reporter demonstrates some surf knowledge, particually in noting the unsuitablity of the conditions.

4. The difference in weight between the Freshwater board and Duke Kahanamoku's reported Hawaiian board is questionable, unless the latter was of Koa, a lightweight native timber. The Freshwater board was made from imported sugar pine, which was in use that for surfboard construction in Hawaii in this period.

5. Demonstrated a surfboard's paddling superioity over swimming.

6. The manoeuvre "He turned completely round, then lying flat on the board, he raised himself on his hands and swung the board from front to back and back to front, finally again standing straight up." is unclear but seems to describe a prone spinner, a manoeuvre popularized by Boogie boarders, circa 1980. Possibly performed in the white water (wave of transition), it is not mentioned in any other comtemporary accounts of surfing.

7. There is no mention of tandem riding, Isobel Letham or the Manly surfboat.

Duke Kahanamoku and Board
Freshwater Clubhouse, Sydney, Australia
circa 10 January 1915