Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku by David Davis (review)

A much-needed study of a legendary Hawaiian Olympic athlete and surf pioneer, Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku is the first biography of Duke Kahanamoku. The author, David Davis, expertly reconstructs the life of Kahanamoku (1890–1968) using primary historical sources from the times to create a readable account of an extraordinary character in sports history.

The fame of Kahanamoku is as the forefather of surfing and aloha culture from his home in Oahu. He was also a gold- medal- winning Olympic swimmer and innovator in water sports, acted in early Hollywood cinema, and was the sheriff of Honolulu. The many themes of the book offer depth of treatment much more than just a surfing biography; it is also a history of Hawaiian adjustment from independent nation to statehood, racial tensions in the United States, and the Olympic movement’s many ups and downs during Kahanamoku’s time.

Davis organizes his work chronologically in recording the phases of Kahanamoku’s life, including early experiences with colonial Hawai‘i and the blissful relationship he had with the Pacific, athletic glory days featuring competition in the 1912 Stockholm Olympics, the growing awareness of the new role of the United States in Hawai‘i, Duke’s movie ambitions, the world wars, surfing development, and the final recognition of his place in history as the major, early influence on the wide adoption of surfing around the world.

One of the strengths of the book is the interesting reconstruction of Kahanamoku’s partially successful attempt to become a star in Hollywood. His appearances in silent and very early talking movies make it painfully clear that racial barriers existed for him there, particularly when contrasted with the experiences of the other Olympic swimming champion of the day, Johnny Weissmuller, who went on to be Tarzan for many films. The famous figures Kahanamoku encountered in the United States were also described and woven into the text expertly, so readers feel a heightened sense of the era.

Despite the author’s efforts, Waterman still leaves many unknowns about Kahanamoku. This year would be the 125th anniversary of his birth; many of the people who knew him have died, and the primary sources about him are lost. Kahanamoku kept his own thoughts private, even to his family, and so much of the inner dialogue that the reader craves in a biography is elusive. However, the book includes the downfalls of Kahanamoku, such as financial problems, affairs, and other frustrations, so this is not just a book of hero worship but a description of a complex yet likeable man.

Duke Kahanamoku is a controversial figure in Hawai‘i as the island transformed and mixed with confused feelings about the legacy of the man that the author chronicles. Some of Duke’s own family and friends would not discuss him with the author. As sheriff of Honolulu, he advocated U.S. statehood for Hawai‘i in the 1950s. The image of Kahanamoku as an accommodating greeter to outside influences is partially refuted in the book by the author in the subtle ways the man revealed his love of the island.