Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
Waterman
Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku | David Davis
2 posts | 3 to read
Waterman is the first comprehensive biography of Duke Kahanamoku (18901968): swimmer, surfer, Olympic gold medalist, Hawaiian icon, waterman. Long before Michael Phelps and Mark Spitz made their splashes in the pool, Kahanamoku emerged from the backwaters of Waikiki to become Americas first superstar Olympic swimmer. The original human fish set dozens of world records and topped the world rankings for more than a decade; his rivalry with Johnny Weissmuller transformed competitive swimming from an insignificant sideshow into a headliner event. Kahanamoku used his Olympic renown to introduce the sport of surf-riding, an activity unknown beyond the Hawaiian Islands, to the world. Standing proudly on his traditional wooden longboard, he spread surfing from Australia to the Hollywood crowd in California to New Jersey. No American athlete has influenced two sports as profoundly as Kahanamoku did, and yet he remains an enigmatic and underappreciated figure: a dark-skinned Pacific Islander who encountered and overcame racism and ignorance long before the likes of Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, and Jackie Robinson. Kahanamokus connection to his homeland was equally important. He was born when Hawaii was an independent kingdom; he served as the sheriff of Honolulu during Pearl Harbor and World War II and as a globetrotting Ambassador of Aloha afterward; he died not long after Hawaii attained statehood. As one sportswriter put it, Duke was Babe Ruth and Jack Dempsey combined down here. In Waterman, award-winning journalist David Davis examines the remarkable life of Duke Kahanamoku, in and out of the water.
Amazon Indiebound Barnes and Noble WorldCat Goodreads LibraryThing
blurb
DebinHawaii
post image

#MarchMadness #SportsStory

I am not much for sports books but make it Hawaii-set & I get interested. I have read Eddie Would Go (excellent) and the tagged book & the other two are still on my #TBR.
🌴🍍🌺

BookmarkTavern I really enjoyed Aloha Rodeo! It was very interesting! 4y
Eggs 🤗👏🏻 📚👏🏻🤗 4y
56 likes2 comments
blurb
DebinHawaii
post image

#WanderingJune
We can beef over whether Honolulu & Waikiki can be considered small towns in the 1890s when Duke Kahanamoku was a #smalltownboy but this Hawaiian Olympic swimmer, surfer, & official waterman certainly made good. He was known as the ambassador of Aloha & had an interesting life being born before the overthrow of the Hawaiian Monarchy & its eventual Statehood. Statues, a stamp & hobnobbing with celebrities. This book is on my #TBR.🍍

Cinfhen Soooooo happy to have your collages back❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️I‘ve missed them and you 😘😘 5y
DebinHawaii @Cinfhen I've missed you too and missed doing them. You may not get my posts until late in the evening here on the day, but so far I'm 5 for 5! 😉😆So glad you have your hubby at home now! (edited) 5y
erzascarletbookgasm Interesting! And he was such a good looking young man. 5y
See All 6 Comments
Nute Very cool post! 5y
DebinHawaii @erzascarletbookgasm He really was! 😍 5y
DebinHawaii @Nute Mahalo! 🤗 5y
64 likes3 stack adds6 comments