The new Google Doodle for Monday, Aug. 24, honored Duke Kahanamoku, the father of surfing, who would've celebrated his 125th birthday today.
Duke Kahanamoku was born on Aug. 24, 1890 in Hawaaii's Waikiki, Honolulu. Often referred to as the "king of all swimmers," Kahanamoku broke all world records in his 20 and went on to win no less than five Olympic medals for swimming. Kahanamoku was many things, including an actor, a businessman, a lawman, a Honolulu sheriff, an Ambassador of Aloha, but it's his love of surfing that resurrected the sport and made it so popular worldwide.
Before Californians even knew what surfing was, Kahanamoku was riding the tides on a massive wooden plank, braving the waters and putting on an impressive show in front of awestruck audiences.
Today's Google Doodle is a homage to the legendary swimmer and surfer, depicting Kahanamoku on a wooden surfboard with various details inspired by his Hawaiian home state of Honolulu.
The Hawaiian was a strong swimmer from an early age and in 1911, when he was 21, he swam competitively for the very first time and broke the freestyle world records in Hawaii's first AAU swim meet. One year later, in 1912, Kahanamoku qualified for the U.S. team, becoming an Olympic swimmer.
Aside from swimming, his surfing moves, boldness, passion and proficiency inspired many to surf and become champions. Without Kahanamoku, or the Big Kahuna, surfing would not be what it is today.
At the same time, Kahanamoku is also hailed for what is known today as "The Great Rescue," i.e. an impressive rescue mission in which the Olympic swimmer, along with two other fellow surfers, saved 12 stranded fishermen. It was in mid-June 1925 when dangerous waters wrecked a shipping boat, leaving a dozen fishermen stranded into the sea. Kahanamoku was at the beach with other surfers, preparing for a morning ride, when he noticed the wreck and rushed to rescue the fishermen. The three surfers pulled the fishermen onto their boards in a "superhuman rescue act," as noted in the Encyclopedia of Surfing.
Lastly, another great achievement is Kahanamoku's role in helping Hawaii become a state. This achievement brought the swimmer the paid title of Ambassador of Aloha.
