In 1999, “Do it for Duke!” was the rallying cry of the Duke Kahanamoku postage stamp campaign. “Everyone was talking about honoring Duke, about honoring what he accomplished and what he stood for,” recalls Duke’s OceanFest event director Brent Imonen. “So it really started with the stamp (dedicated in 2002), which was the genesis of Duke’s OceanFest.” Best known as the Hawai’i Ambassador of Aloha or the father of modern day surfing (including stand up paddleboard), Kahanamoku taught Australians and Californians how to surf, launching the global popularity of the sport. Kahanamoku was the best swimmer of his generation, breaking records and winning five Olympic medals at four Olympics. Legendary waterwoman Candice Appleby shared, “I’m excited to attend Duke’s OceanFest celebrating Duke Kahanamoku and everything he’s done for surfing. To celebrate his birthday I participate in as many events as I can.”

Thirteen years after its grassroots beginnings, Duke’s OceanFest has grown to a 9-day event coinciding with Kahanamoku’s 125th birthday and honoring his influence as a beachboy and waterman (see “Duke Kahanamoku: the Legacy Lives in You” in this issue). “Duke was not in the business of being a beachboy,” explained world champion surfer Fred Hemmings. “But in the larger sense of the word — of a man who lived and loved the ocean lifestyle — Duke was, as far as I’m concerned, the ultimate beachboy.” From August 22 to 30, Duke’s OceanFest is presenting a packed schedule of the events dearest to The Duke: longboard surfing, paddleboard racing, swimming, tandem surfing, surf polo, and beach volleyball. There’s a lei-draping ceremony, a luau, movie night, and plenty of time for kicking back and talking story. If you’re not sure where to start, the Duke’s Waikiki Ocean Mile Swim is Saturday August 29, and stand up paddleboard events the weekend of August 22 would make a great first paddleboard race. Don’t forget tickets for the KINE Great Hawaiian Legends Luau, keiki surf and volleyball competitions, and fun free events like the Waikiki Nights movie and music programs. At the time of printing there were still spaces available for the team-fundraising Hawaiian Airlines Legends Surf Classic, an unforgettable opportunity to get a group of friends together and surf with a legend while raising money for the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation and its scholarship fund.

While watermen and women all over the world owe a debt of gratitude to Kahanamoku, if you live in Hawai’i, you can undoubtedly trace a direct line from yourself to The Duke. You’ve been coached or mentored by someone who learned from Kahanamoku or from one of his disciples. Waikiki beach culture means playing hard, in the ocean in every sport you can, from sunrise to sunset, just as Kahanamoku did. On Monday, August 24, make the Duke Paoa Kahanamoku’s Sunrise Birthday Lei Draping your time to honor the Duke and the beachside life that he loved. As the conch blows, use that chicken-skin moment to rededicate yourself to the ocean. As Kahanamoku’s brother Louis remembered, “My family believes we come from the ocean. And that’s where we’re going back.” Go back to our beautiful Pacific Ocean at Duke’s OceanFest. www.Dukesoceanfest.com.

This article originally appeared in the July-August issue of Hawaii Sport Magazine.