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duke : foreword to the surfrider, 1965 

Duke Kahanamoku : Foreword to The Surfrider, 1965.

 Extract from
Pollard, Jack (compileror): 
The Australian Surfrider  - The Complete Book on Board and Body Surfing.
K.G.Murray Publishing Co.P/L,142 Clarence Street , 
Sydney Australia 1963.

Introduction
First published in November 1963, The Australian Surfrider - The Complete Book on Board and Body Surfing, was a compilation of articles covering surfboards, body surfing, surfskis, and surfboats.
Duke Kahanamoku contributed a brief foreward
under the subtitle "first man to ride a surfboard in Australia."
In the text, he slightly
modififed that claim to "I had the honour of making the first demonstration of surfboard riding in Australia."

- Pollard:
The Austrailian Surfrider (1963) page 7.

In December 1965, a Third Impression was published, retitled The Surfrider - The Complete Book on Board and Body Surfing,
There were some slight additions to the text and a significant number of the photographs are different, for example the cover photograph of Dee Why Point was replaced with one of Sunset Beach, Oahu.
Duke's Foreward was substantially revised with more detailed recollections of his visit in the summer of 1914-1915.
There was also a change in the accompanying portrait.

Some of Duke's recollections are probably modified by time and and circumstance, for example "
I gave my board to the most promising of the local riders ... Claude West."
West certainly had the board for a long time and in donating it to the Freshwater SLSC he firmly established his connection to the board.
In 1915, West was ...

Certainly the claim "
it was known as the Sport of (the Hawai'ian) Kings, since they were the only ones permitted to surf," is incorrect, if not a gross mis-representation.

FOREWORD
BY DUKE KAHANAMOKU
first man to ride a surfboard in Australia


Aloha!
I was delighted to write the Foreword to this terrific surfboard riding book, for although I was lucky enough to win three Olympic gold medals and have been the holder of several offices such as Sheriff of Honolulu, the surf has always been my main love.
I travelled to Australia to launch this book in the summer of 1963, flying across the ocean in a Qantas V-jet to a wonderful reception.
It gave me great pleasure to learn a little while ago that the book already was gomg into its third impression.
Such a book deserved success, but I must say that even after  reading it I was amazed to see the big crowds queuing up to have me autograph copies for them.

My memories of Australia go back to 1915 when I was world freestyle champion and gave the first demonstration of surfboard riding in Australia.
A few Australian surfers had tried the boards but they hadn't got the knack, so I pencilled out a design and asked George Hudson's timber yard to make up a board for me.
I finished off the board by hand myself and at Freshwater Beach on Sydney's northside, showed Australians for the first time how it was done.
There was a tiny little girl in the crowd that day who by her manner seemed more excited than all in the crowd.
I put her up on my shoulders and we made a few good rides.
In 1963, we met again — Isobel Latham, now of course, a mature adult.

When I left Australia back in 1915 I gave my board to a chap who seemed to be the most promising of the local riders.
This was Claude West, who later won a whole stack of Australian surfriding championships.
I met Claude again, too, in 1963, when I saw my old board at Freshwater Surf Club, to whom Claude had donated it in memory of my first ride.
It is particularly heartwarming to feel that my exhibition contributed in some small way to today's love of surfing in Australia.

1963 was a big year for me as I celebrated ray 73rd birthday by flying to California, where I co-hosted the West Coast Surfing Champion­ships with Johnny Weismuller at Huntingdon Beach.
I was astounded at the amount of interest there in surfing.
As you know, surfing is a way of life in Hawaii, going back to the early days before the missionaries when it was known as the Sport of Kings, since they were the only ones permitted to surf.
It looks like it's rapidly becoming the King of Sports.

Mahalo and good surfing to you.
— THE DUKE
International Market Place,
Waikiki Beach, Hawaii.



Pollard, Jack (compiler): 
The Australian Surfrider
 - The Complete Book on Board and Body Surfing.

K.G.Murray Publishing Co.P/L,
142 Clarence Street,
Sydney Australia,
 1965.


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Geoff Cater (2013) : Duke Kahanamoku : Foreword to The Surfrider, 1965.
http://www.surfresearch.com.au/1965_Duke_Foreword_Pollard_p7.html