 Duke Kahanamoku c. 1912 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Personal information | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | "The Duke," "The Big Kahuna" | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| National team |  United States | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | August 24, 1890 Haleʻākala, Honolulu, Kingdom of Hawaii | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Died | January 22, 1968 (aged 77) Honolulu, Hawaii | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 1 in (185 cm) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sport | Swimming | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Strokes | Freestyle | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Club | Waikiki Beach Boys | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Medal record
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Duke Kahanamoku (August 24, 1890 – January 22, 1968), was a Hawaiian athlete who is called the inventor of modern surfing. He was also on the United States Olympic team as a swimmer, and won several silver and gold medals.
Contrary to some misinformation on the internet, Duke is not known as the Big Kahuna. He himself rejected that term, because he knew its meaning. The Big Kahuna is a character in the Gidget story, which is based on a portrayal of Tube Steak Tracy, a famous surfer of the '40s & '50s in Malibu.
