"Duke's Dream" - Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum

 

Duke Kahanamoku Put Surfing on Road to Olympics!

 

Written by SurfWriter Girls Sunny Magdaug and Patti Kishel

With all eyes on the Paris 2024 Olympics this summer, there's also another place to look - the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum and its "Duke's Dream Came True" exhibit showcasing the work legendary surfer Duke Kahanamoku put into getting surfing included in the Olympics.

 

The exhibit - a labor of love by museum director,1976 World Champion Surfer Peter "PT" Townend - tells Duke's story through paintings by top surf artists depicting his life (1890 - 1968) and ongoing efforts to have surfing designated an Olympic sport. 

 

Curated by artists Ricky Blake and Dave Reynolds, the exhibit's timeline ebbs and flows like the rhythms of the ocean, taking visitors on a journey from Duke's early days surfing in Waikiki, to winning a gold medal in 100 meter freestyle swimming at the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm, traveling the world as an ambassador for surfing, being part of Hollywood's movie scene, and returning to Hawaii to help pave the way for its 1959 statehood.

 

Artists, including Phil Roberts, Ron Croci, Colleen Gnos, Rob Havassy, and Victoria White, capture the imagery of the different facets and stages of Duke's life and his dream for the Olympics.

Whether it was swimming or surfing, Duke was most at home in the water and was always looking for new oceans to swim in and waves to ride. He encouraged people of all backgrounds and ages to try surfing - even another Duke! The Duke of Windsor, who he gave a surfing lesson to.  

 

To celebrate his 73rd birthday, Duke returned to California to host the 1963 West Coast Surfing Championships in Huntington Beach, sharing the spotlight with another Olympic swimming champion - Johnny Weissmuller, who starred in 12 Tarzan films.

As surfing grew in popularity, from a Hawaiian pastime to a full-fledged sport, Duke lobbied for it to become an Olympic event. And, like the baton passed in a relay race, his dream was picked up by others, including Fernando Aguerre, chairman of the International Surfing Association, who succeeded in getting surfing onboard for the 2021 Olympic Games in Tokyo.

 

Duke Kahanamoku's dream became a reality. More than a century after his first Olympics competition, surfing's long road to the Olympics came to an end. It's a road you can travel, too, and a dream you can share. At the Huntington Beach International Surfing Museum. 

   

SurfWriter Girls

Surf’n Beach Scene Magazine

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