Author Topic: duke kahanamuku remembered  (Read 11618 times)

shapeshifter

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duke kahanamuku remembered
« on: August 15, 2007, 09:49:37 AM »
i chose oak st. beach, located in the downtown chicago, to put out on my paddle today.
as i was assembling the pope trisect on a small patch of grass along side division st., two elderly gentlemen happened along arm in arm. they walked very slowly apparently because of their age, one was obviously well over 90. when they came up along side the stopped and asked me if what i had was a surfboard. my reply was yes, it was one large enough to stand on and paddle. the older man spoke only in whispers preferring to speak to me through what i would guess was his caretaker. he asked me if i knew the duke. i told him that i knew of him and that he was the inspiration for this type of surfing. he straightened up as a smile took over his expression, informing me through his friend that he knew the duke back then and that he still had some things at his house to remind him of his old friend. he said that he would have been proud if he were around to see this and then with a far away look he began to show his age again and motioned his friend to continue on their walk. as i stroll through my old neighborhood on the way to the water i hearkened back to those early days, as i've done so many times before, when duke would swim our shores during one of his jaunts across the country way back in his day.


here's the view off of oak st. beach from my paddle this morning
inset: Lew G. Henderson, Vincent Genoves, Duke P. Kahanamoku and E. K. Miller. ca. 1920

much respect.
« Last Edit: August 15, 2007, 10:48:11 AM by shapeshifter »
whoever invented the hole... knew nothing.
...ooooO...................
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Chan

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #1 on: August 15, 2007, 11:56:56 AM »
If you can turn a board nearly as well as you can turn a phrase, you must be quite a ripper. Have you thought of submitting a piece on SUP to Chicago Magazine or the Tribune? I know it doesn’t pay much, but if you are writing anyway it might be worth it.

patfly

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #2 on: August 15, 2007, 01:48:55 PM »
 8) Excellent - Keep the aloha going. It keeps warm till we can get to the islands.
Thanks for the remembrance.
Pat

HaleiwaBill

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #3 on: August 15, 2007, 04:25:33 PM »
Very cool shapeshifter. No matter where we live in this world the Dukes spirit lives on. It is up to US to continue the Dukes tradition of sreding the aloha spirit and surfing to others. You are an excellent example of that!

emissions

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #4 on: August 15, 2007, 11:05:07 PM »
the last time i flew to the mainland i missed the waimea rock fall ... now i miss the waialua fire and flossie ... maybe good timing but i'm always hoping for the best when i return home when hearing about these things. this trip i bought the book "Eddie would go". i highly recommend it ... pure aloha and great insight into the man himself.

shapeshifter

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #5 on: August 16, 2007, 01:22:49 AM »
in humble gratitude to the inspirational responses.
funny that you should mention writing an article chan... a good friend and coworker said the very same thing just a few moments before you posted. her response addressing the pictures i'd taken with my cell phone during those daily paddles. truth be told, i would be loath to take on another project as it would further impinge on time out on the water. maybe a late winter project to loll away the hours before the spring thaw.

here's a picture (you can click on for a link to the book). it seems most appropriate to the theme of the thread.


"at the 1967 duke awards ceremony, a shy 21-year old eddie accepts his trophy from his hero, duke kahanamoku"

their legacy continues...

mahalo
whoever invented the hole... knew nothing.
...ooooO...................
...(.......)......Ooooo....
....\.....(.......(.......).....
.....\.__)........)...../.....
...................(__./......

stoneaxe

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2007, 09:12:37 PM »
Thanks for sharing that...great story.

I assume you've seen this.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5f8HcmIuU5U

Talk about grace. I love the end.
« Last Edit: August 22, 2007, 09:16:17 PM by stoneaxe »
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

shapeshifter

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #7 on: August 23, 2007, 09:41:00 AM »
no i hadn't.

wow!!! duke in his prime. a glimpse into the past... a view of him with the paddle.

thank you, that makes my day.
whoever invented the hole... knew nothing.
...ooooO...................
...(.......)......Ooooo....
....\.....(.......(.......).....
.....\.__)........)...../.....
...................(__./......

stoneaxe

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #8 on: August 23, 2007, 07:14:10 PM »
I love how casual he is...like he is walking down the street.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

stoneaxe

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #9 on: August 24, 2007, 09:38:11 AM »
Shape....you may have seen my bro out there... http://www.ponohouse.com/ponoblog/?p=263

Old guy (60+) white hair, paddling and sailing new Starboard 12-6 SUP.

Did you see the storm he mentions?
« Last Edit: August 24, 2007, 09:39:42 AM by stoneaxe »
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

shapeshifter

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #10 on: August 24, 2007, 10:07:15 AM »
heheheh... we had 80 mph winds, there was talk of tornadoes touching down in out lying areas, seiche conditions (that's lake tsunami to you oceanic types), undertows that were overboard, rip currents that tore up the beaches, huge trees uprooted, sent sailing across highways and crushing cars!!! i'm glad your brother came in when he did because that storm dropped in fast and hard. wires came down roof's flew off and there was even some ball lightning coming up from the ground.

michigan was blessed with some great waves though.

...every couple of years or so we have that storm of the century. so that must make me about 700 years old at last count.
whoever invented the hole... knew nothing.
...ooooO...................
...(.......)......Ooooo....
....\.....(.......(.......).....
.....\.__)........)...../.....
...................(__./......

Chan

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #11 on: August 24, 2007, 06:43:51 PM »
Hi Alan,

Glad to hear you are getting some wave action. I miss watching the storms over Lake Michigan, and this one sounds epic.   Do you have recent shots you can share?
Aloha,
Chan

stoneaxe

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #12 on: August 24, 2007, 09:34:38 PM »
He's pretty lucky that he made it back. Can't imagine being out in those conditions with no harness and sore shoulders.
Bob

8-4 Vec, 9-0 SouthCounty, 9-8 Starboard, 10-4 Foote Triton, 10-6 C4, 12-6 Starboard, 14-0 Vec (babysitting the 18-0 Speedboard) Ke Nalu Molokai, Ke Nalu Maliko, Ke Nalu Wiki Ke Nalu Konihi

shapeshifter

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #13 on: August 25, 2007, 08:31:33 AM »
 ...Do you have recent shots you can share?

i wasn't able to get out because i am engaged with work and coordinating (or at least trying to) the industrial arts classes at four different high schools in the chicago land area. conditions out here weren't optimal anyway. i doubt that it will be a good idea to go into the water for the next few days. several towns have opened up their locks to release the excess sewage due to the storms. i took the liberty of giving ponobill a call to let him know of this fact too...
whoever invented the hole... knew nothing.
...ooooO...................
...(.......)......Ooooo....
....\.....(.......(.......).....
.....\.__)........)...../.....
...................(__./......

Chan

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Re: duke kahanamuku remembered
« Reply #14 on: August 25, 2007, 08:58:49 AM »
That is a shame; I hope the beaches are useable in the near future.  Are you offering any paddle shaping courses this semester? 

 


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