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| Kahanamoku, Duke With
Brennan, Joe:
1968 Duke Kahanamoku's World of Surfing Angus and Robertson Publishers Sydney , Australia Australia : pages 35 –36 |
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| Young boy and hand board, Board #3 | Young boy and hand board, Board #4 | Young boy and hand board, Board #5 |
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The first full size board was
probably
an Hawaiian Alaia imported by C.D. Paterson of Manly, which was
not successfully
ridden (it was retired to the family home at the Spit to be used
as a ironing
board).
This board inspired several replica
boards.
Made from Californian redwood by Les
Hinds,
a local builder from North Steyne, they were 8 ft long, 20"
wide, 11/2"
thick and weighed 35 pounds.
Riding the boards was limited to
launching
onto broken waves from a standing position and riding white
water straight
in, either prone or kneeling.
Standing rides on the board for up to
50 yards/metres were considered outstanding.
(Harris
page 53-54).
Other full surfboards are said to be
in
use in Cronulla (see Duke
visits Cronulla, 1915) and Coolangatta,
Queensland. (Harvey
page 8).
The use of small hand boards was
common.
While in Australia Duke Kahanamoku
shaped
at least 3 other boards.
Although the details of the shaping
of
the Freshwater board are reasonably known, the details of
the other
two are obscure.
One went to Cronulla, the other's
fate
is unknown.
There is some question whether the
timber
- Sugar pine (Pinus lambertiana) -
was
imported or native to Australia (the former) and the difficulty
of
shaping the unfamiliar wood.
In the first case suitable native
Hawaiian
timbers had been rare since 1900 and most Hawaiian boards used
imported
timbers, mainly Californian Redwood.
Secondly, whatever the difficulties,
the
exercise was apparently repeated several months
later in 1915
when Duke Kahanamoku demonstrated swimming /
surfriding at
Lyall Bay, Wellington New Zealand ( Warwick
1978). Presumably on another 'makeshift' board.
1. Duke Kahanamoku in his own
book
(with Joe Brennan) notes it as '1915', page 35.
2. The original board at the
Freshwater
Surf Lifesaving Club bears a plaque noting the date as '15
February
1915'. This seems possible but unlikely - Duke Kahanamoku
was in Melbourne
12 - 13 February and at Goulburn on the 17 February.
3. C.
Bede
Maxwell, (1949) refers to the date
as '1915
... one Sunday morning', page 235.
4. Walter Forbes (1958) records
'1915',
page 18.
5. John
Bloomfield (1959) notes '1915', page 61.
6. Reg
S. Harris (1961) records the date as '15th February,
1915', page
Fifty-five.
7. Alf Henderson in Myers
(1983) twice notes the date as '(summer of) 1915',
page 56.
8. Nat
Young (1983) gives '15 January 1915', page 47.
9. Barry
Galton (1984), quotes Snowy McAlister as '2 January
1915' page
25.
- Unlikely, as this was the first day
of the the Domain Carnival.
10. Nick
Carroll (1991) dates the exhibition as 'February
1915', page 25.
11. Marion
Stell (1992) records the date as ' 6 February
1915'
after interviews with Isobel Lathem.
- Certainly Duke Kahanamoku and
Isobel
Lathem surfed together on this day, but at Dee Why and not for
the first
time.
12. Sandra
Hall
and Greg Ambrose (1995) note 'Christmas 1914', pages
39 -
40.
13. Peter Brown at his Mountain
Man web site (1996) adopts a similar 'Southern summer of
1915'.
14. Matt
Warshaw (1997) offers 'December 23, 1914',
page 19.
15. The Legendary Surfers
web page of Malcom Gault-Williams gives the date as '23 December
1914'.
16. Drew
Kampion (1997) also gives the date as '23
December 1914',
page 40.
17. Albie
Thoms (2000) records the date as '11.00 am Wednesday
23 December
1914', and gives extensive details on subsequent exhibitions.
18. Australian beach cultures: the
history
of sun, sand, and surf By Douglas Booth (2001) page 38-
'23
December 1914'
Unfortunately all of the above are incorrect.
The date of Duke Kahanamoku's first
exhibition
in Australia was at Freshwater Beach on Thursday 24th December
1914.
See ...
Wonderful
Surf Riding : Kahanamoku on the Board The Sun, Thursday
24th December 1914 page 6.
Surf-board
Riding
: Kahanamoku's Display SMH, Friday
25th December 1914 page 7
Acrobatics
in the Surf The Daily Telegraph Friday
25th December 1914 page 7.
Note that the exhibition was promoted in advance and it is possible that the board was test ridden before the advertised day.
KAHANAMOKU.
-«
Hawaiian Swimmer.
ARRIVES IN SYDNEY.
"Since the day my brothor, Duke Kabana- moku, arrived home I have
been
looking for- ward to ' a visit to Sydney," remarked Sam
Kabanamoku, of
tile Hul Nalu Club, Hawaii, on his arrival yestorday morning by
the
Sonoma. '
Ho resembles his brother In features. Liko most Hawalians,
Kabanamoku
Is modest, and be has a broad, gonlal smile, which will mako him
popular
in Australia.
Twenty years of age, ho bas had a meteoric swimming career, and he
is the moBt versatile overseas champion that has vlsltod Sydney.
He holds
tbo 100 yardB, 220 yards, 440 yards freestyle, 100 yards
breantstroke,
and 60 yards backstroko titles of Hawaii. In addition to prossiug
closely
his brother and J. Weiss mullor In the 100 metres world's
championship
at the recent Olympic Games, at Parts, ho was also one of the six
selected
to compoto In the American team lu tho 800 metres teams
ohamplonship, in
which they beat Australia. His crowning performance was 100 metres
lu GOs,
at Honolulu, in April this year. That time has only been bettered
by Welssmullor.
Those who travollod on the boat with Kah anamoku stated that he
has
a fine volco, and
is a clever musician.
Kabanamoku was met on the wharf by Mr. O. G. II. Merrett, manugor
of
the Australian Olympic toam, and chairman of tho New South Wales
Amateur
Swimming Association« MT. L. Duff, lion, secretary; and Mr. H. R.
Kelly, hon. secretary of the Amateur Swim- ming Union of
Australia.
In the afternoon ho visited the Domain Baths, and had his first
swim,
declaring that
the water was cold.
Last night he said that Sydney was "groat," and ho was not sorry
that
he had postponed for a year his visit to Stanford University,
where he
will study medicine.
MISS WEHSELAU.
The Lord Mayor-elect (Alderman Stokes) has decldod to extend a
civic
welcome to the famous Hawaiian swimmer, Miss Wehselau, on January
14. Miss
Wehselau performed with distinction at the Olympic Games.
SURF LIFE-SAVING.
KAHANAMOKU AT MANLY.
I San» Kobanainokii, the Hawaiian champion swimmer, was .the
guest yesterday of the North Steyne Surf Life Saving Club, and a
large
number of meinlicrj of Hie club' and ' their friends were present
lo welcome
bim. Kahnnumoku ima'received by Mr. D. Love (pic-fdeiit) on behalf
of the
club". The Mayor of Manly (Alder- man Samuels) extended a welcome
lo the
municipality, and Mr. 0. G. II. Merrett spoke on behalf of the
Manly
District Sporting Union.
During the morning n first-class surf race took place, there being
about !» competitor«. Kakuliamoku won easily,. swimming leisurely
the whole distance. A. Morton (Manly) was second. There was also a
surf
boat race,, in which North Steyne, Freshwater (two crews), Manly,
and Curl
Curl competed, the event being won by Freshwater A team. Tho boats
also
gave a dis- play of surf-shooting, and Knliununioku gave an exhibí
Hon willi « surf board,
News has been received by cable that Miss Isabel Ramsay Letham,
of Manly,
has received the appointment of director of swimming to the city
of San
Francisco.
Miss Letham will be well remembered .by surfers as the first to
exploit
the "big" surf board at Manly and Deewhy.
Last season she acted as assistant director of swimming at the
Californian
University.
Miss Letham is a daughter of Mrs. Jean Letham, of Chatswood.
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