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Raised in Waikiki, Duke Paoa Kahanamoku was a full blooded Hawaiian who symbolized Hawai'i to millions of people. He became an Olympic champion and the world's fastest swimmer, winning three gold medals, two silver, and a bronze in four Olympics between 1912 and 1932. Known as the "Father of International Surfing," he introduced surfing to the Eastern seaboard of America, Europe, and Australia. In 1925 at Corona del Mar, California, he became a hero by saving eight lives from a capsized launch using his surfboard. A movie actor from 1925 to 1933, he was elected Sheriff of Honolulu for thirteen consecutive terms from 1934 to 1960, and he has been recognized as Hawai'i's Ambassador of Aloha since 1912.
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Honolulu, Hawaii · United States
