Waterman: The Life and Times of Duke Kahanamoku

by David Davis

Waterman is the first comprehensive biography of Duke Kahanamoku (1890–1968): 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 America’s 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 a dark-skinned Pacific Islander who encountered and overcame racism and ignorance long before the likes of Joe Louis, Jesse Owens, and Jackie Robinson. Kahanamoku’s 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.

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction, Sports, History, Travel

354 pages, Hardcover

First published October 1, 2015

About the author

David Davis documents the culture of sports through words, images, and sound.

His work has appeared in Sports Illustrated, Smithsonian Magazine, Los Angeles Magazine, Orange Coast Magazine, The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Chicago Tribune, The San Francisco Chronicle, LA Weekly, The Forward, SB Nation, Deadspin, The Classical, Los Angeles Review of Books, Only A Game, LAObserved.

Currently, Dave is a contributing writer at Los Angeles Magazine and a contributing editor at “SportsLetter,” published by the LA84 Foundation.

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little dry for my taste, with too much detail (for me, anyway) about swim and surfing meets. I bought this book because I am in Hawaii on vacation and wanted to read something topical. I found the initial chapters interesting as well as the sections that dealt with how Duke had to constantly navigate between the native and haole cultures and expectations. It was heartbreaking to learn of his constant struggles to stay afloat financially despite his fame and achievements. I'm glad I read the book. If you are a swimming and/or surfing enthusiast you would no doubt rate it higher.

[Lance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Swimming is a sport that usually has the attention of the sporting world only once every four years during the Summer Olympics. Thanks to the television coverage of the Olympics, many fans are familiar with names like Mark Spitz, Janet Evans and Michael Phelps. However, long before these swimmers gained fame there was a man who started in the backwaters in Hawaii when it was still an American territory to become the first true American superstar in the sport. Duke Kahanamoku’s story is told in this well-written, well-researched book by David Davis.

Duke’s life is covered from beginning to end, starting with his childhood in Hawaii when the Queen is overthrown and the islands become an American territory. His love of the water began at an early age, and he was determined to represent the United States in the Summer Olympics. This was despite poor treatment by many white Americans on the mainland as he endured the same racism as black Americans because of his darker complexion. Nevertheless, Duke represented the country in three Summer Olympics, with his best showing coming in 1920 (the second of his three Olympics) by setting many records that lasted more than a decade. Especially interesting in Duke’s swimming career was the passing of the mantle of the best American swimmer from Duke to Johnny Weissmuller. Instead of a rivalry, it started a long-time friendship between the two competitors.

While Duke didn’t surf competitively, he not only brought the sport popularity in his native Hawaii, he also brought surfing to the California Pacific coast, where his work on promoting and exhibiting surfing was very well received. He considered California a second home and did pique his interest in acting. He didn’t have the success in that career that other swimmers such as Weissmuller and Buster Crabbe had, but it is noted that he still enjoyed the experience.

While the passages about Duke’s swimming, surfing and Olympic feats were excellent, so were the pages about other aspects of his life. His many jobs in acting, politics (his best-known accomplishment was being elected as a local sheriff) and other business ventures helped the reader learn the complete man, who was always considered kind and thoughtful, even when political opponents would criticize him. He married later in life and enjoyed that lifestyle in his later years. These parts of the book are also well researched and are filled with many details that fully paint the picture of the Hawaiian legend. This is a book that people interested in water sports or Hawaiian culture will want to add to their libraries.

I wish to thank University of Nebraska Press for providing a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

http://sportsbookguy.blogspot.com/201...

[Chance Barber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent. Amazing story of Duke's challenges & accomplishments in life. Disappointed to hear how he was treated as "lesser than," due to prejudices. The embodiment of Aloha! I highly recommend this book.

[Amelia Dickson · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'll start by saying I did enjoy this book because Duke Kahanamoku is a very interesting and fascinating figure in Hawaiian history. However, I have some major issues with Waterman. 

The first is some very dubious fact checking. I almost gave up very early on when Davis writes about Captain Cook landing on Hawaii Island at the same time as Kamehameha I was like unifying the islands. In actuality, Cook landed in Hawaii in 1778, while Kahmehameha didn't even become Ali'i Nui of Hawaii Island until 1782, and King of the Hawaiian Islands until 1795.

Another example: Davis makes several references to Air Force personnel serving on Oahu during WWII and dying in the attack on Pearl Harbor. In actuality, the Air Force didn't even exist during WWII -- at the time it was still part of the Army. A five second Google search would have remedied this. 

Maybe these errors aren't a huge deal -- but these are just the errors I noticed. Are there other errors that I read and believed? Probably. 

I'll also note that Davis admits in the books afterword that no one from Kahanamoku's family agreed to talk to him.

I was also VERY disappointed in the narration for the audiobook. The guy ABSOLUTELY BUTCHERED all of the Hawaiian words and place names. Bro couldn't even say Waikiki in a way that didn't even make me cringe. And he hilariously mispronounced haole the entire time. 

What saves this book is Duke Kahanamoku himself. I look forward to learning more about him from more credible sources. 

[Christina Dudley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Always on the lookout for good swim-related books, I picked this one up, knowing little of Duke Kahanamoku beyond what was mentioned in THE THREE-YEAR SWIM CLUB. This was an interesting, if depressing, bio of Hawaii's original ambassador to the mainland, Olympic swimmer and grandfather of surfing. Before Jesse Owens and Jackie Robinson, Duke Kahanamoku faced old-time racial prejudices and mistreatment, and like those later athletes, he met the situations with dignity and grace. Like Louie Zamperini, the Duke's Olympic dreams get thwarted by war, and like Jim Thorpe, the amateur-professional controversy prevents him from making a living at what he does best. And, unlike happily-white Johnny Weissmuller, Kahanamoku can't become a leading man in Hollywood, though he tries to make a go of the movies. Bummer.

Nevertheless, a fascinating life and perspective of Hawaii, and well worth the read.

[Bob Crawford · Rating 5 out of 5]

A man of his time and place … icon of aloha

I grew up in Southern California - Manhattan Beach. Surfing was a big deal and the beach was the center of our young lives. My generation didn’t know Duke but we knew his legend, we knew his name. This book goes beyond the legend to the man - a heroic, talented, strong, decent and yes, flawed man.
I’m left was great respect for him. And now living in California’s Central Valley, I think Duke was onto something - “never turn away from the water.”
This is a good read.

[lefty magoo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Duke is the GOAT

Greatest of all time. Transcended the sport of Hawaiian kings. I would have like to have seen some of the many letters that he wrote during his extensive travels around the world. Interestingly, he needed a permit to surf in Atlantic City. Must’ve been someone there well before him if they already had a law on the books against surfing!

[Ast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was led to this book by Prime's docuseries Surf Girls. Maluhia, one of the subjects of the show, mentions the term "waterman." Intrigued by this way of life, I went down a rabbit hole of research and stumbled upon Duke Kahanamoku. As I read about his accomplishments, I was interested to learn more about him and why his name isn't one I heard before. The more I learned about Duke from reading this book, the more I realized that I was familiar with his legacy because I have visited the famous statue of him on Wakiki Beach.

You might also be unfamiliar with the name Duke Kahanamoku, but aware of his legacy. If you've watched a swimming competition and saw the athletes get into the water before the start of the race, that is a because of Duke. In 1912, during his mainland debut, prior to Olympic debut in Stockholm as the first Hawaiian Olympian, Duke jumped into the water as part of his prerace routine to relax and get to know the temperature of the water. His speed as a swimmer broke records, earned him gold Olympic medals and stardom, and helped increase the interest in swimming in the U.S. Duke is among the first non-white athletes to gain international acclaim. It's crazy to learn that Duke was so impressive in the water that at first it was not believed. Then, when it was witnessed, it was credited to his Hawaiian heritage. What was once thought unattainable caused trainers to push their athletes to reach his level, yet there is little about his contributions reflected in the sport today.

If you knowing anything about surfing, then you know a little about Duke's efforts, too. Not only surfing's global rise as a sport, but also its etiquette can be partially credited to Duke. He is known as the "Father of Modern Surfing." He was the first expert to surf in Australia, Atlantic City, NJ, and Southern California. (It is believed his appearance in Far Rockaway, NY and Atlantic City helped introduce surfing to the East Coast.) In Australia, a board he created for a 15-year old became the default model for shapers and eventually one of the country's greatest sports memorabilia. He inspired at least three people that went on to become Australian surf legends by taking them on the board with him or by them just witnessing his skills on the water. Years after he stopped participating in surfing exhibitions, he was still widely recognized and celebrated.

The butterfly effect of Duke Kahanamoku's life and achievements extend beyond the places he visited, the people he met and the years he spent on Earth. As I read the details of Duke's life, I also learned about Hawaii's history. Duke's life spanned through the fall of Hawaiian royalty, annexation to the US, Pearl Harbor, and statehood. He persisted through racism and ignorance to achieve excellence and bring honor and recognition to his beloved island. With this book, David Davis does a great job a sharing a little of his legacy and Hawaii's story with the world.

[Zach Croll · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I Finished reading the biography of Hawaiian legend Duke Kahanamoku, it brought back many memories of summers spent in Waikiki as a kid. And to me that’s the sign of a great book. This quote in particular jumped out at me;

“To his own generation of Hawaiians, Duke Kahanamoku was sometimes looked upon as the personification of the prophecy of King Kamehameha, who in the late 19th century predicted the complete subjugation of the islands by the white man, but said that before the native Hawaiian race died out, one man would bring it fame.”

That one man was Duke and If Duke was looked upon as a modern day King Kamehameha, then I had the privilege of befriending a modern day Duke.

When I was a kid, Papa Jake was an old local, a staple in Waikiki. A native Hawaiian amongst the throngs of tourists and commercialization. Even in his old age, he was tough as nails and respected wherever he went. Every morning I’d wake up and outside my father’s tiny studio apartment door was a Sprite, a Bar None candy bar, and the Honolulu Advertiser. Papa Jake left them all for me. At first I was shy, saying no thanks to his gifts. He simply handed each one back to me, saying, “Here, drink. Here, eat. Here, read.” So I did what I was told.

I always knew where to find Papa Jake. He’d be on the beach behind the Halekulani Hotel sitting in the shade of the old Kiawe Tree. I’d venture down to see him and he’d get me a free ride on one of the catamarans taking tourists out for one hour sails. “Here, go,” he’d say, and I’d go, while Papa Jake stayed behind in the shade of old tree, which was now in the shade of the 32 story Sheraton hotel.

King Kamehameha was right, of course. The island was commercialized by white men, many who arrived as missionaries, and Duke started to see it even before his death in 1967. But the Native Hawaiian race, while definitely dwindling, hadn’t died out. By the time I spent several summers over there in the 1990’s the commercialization was peaking, but I was still able to find some locals that were intent on spreading Aloha. As an adult I can recognize how hard that must’ve been, and I appreciate that Papa Jake took a haole kid under his wing, making me feel welcome and giving me some of my favorite memories of my favorite place. Not so much a book review, but a memory. Aloha. Ohana. Hawaii.

[Kamy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to know the story of Duke Kahanamoku. Even if you don't read the book, just look him up and understand the incredible life of this unlikely hero. If you live in SoCal, you may especially all the many references to our local beaches (Redondo, Huntington, Manhattan, Malibu) and places (LA Athletic Club). I made my wife nuts talking about Duke. "Can you believe Duke did this?" "You gotta hear what Duke just did." "Okay, I know you're asleep but you won't believe what Duke just did!" A well-researched homage to one of America's most storied athletes.

[James McHenry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book about a fascinating guy. It was clear that the author struggled to uncover personal information about this great man as he was a pleasingly low profile and didn't say a great deal. I admired his humility and brevity. Very different than most of our current self promoting , trash talking athletes. They could take a lesson from this guy and take note that he had a very strong "Brand" despite this and perhaps because of his humble demeanor.
I thought DD the author, did an admirable job of keeping the story interesting and moving along. He also uses headlines and current events of the times to give perspective and paint the picture and feeling of the era very well. It reminded me of Hilderbrand and Seabiscuit a little in that way.

[Andrew · Rating 5 out of 5]

Duke Kahanamoku was, without doubt, one of the greatest personalities of the 20th century, and David Davis provides a detailed, endearing perspective of this truly great man. At the same time, through Davis's excellent research, we learn much about the tortured history of modern Hawaii, as well as the development of surfing and the Olympic Games. The Duke's Aloha spirit will always remain to inspire, and this book will show you why.

[Andria · Rating 4 out of 5]

My one sentence review: You can tell that Davis became interested in Kahanamoku through his research for his book on the 1908 Olympics (the Olympic sections are the most detailed), but I like that he offered a multifaceted look at Kahanamoku's life while also discussing the changes happening in Hawaii; my biggest takeaway is that Kahanamoku (and Hawaii) deserved better than what he (it) got.

[Jill Manz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating man

This book is a little dry. A complicated story of a fascinating man is presented with all the emotions of a news editorial. I’m glad to learn about Duke, but I wish it could have been more entertaining.

[Stryder Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredible book about an even better human being. Kahanamoku represents everything Hawaiian and inspires haloes and natives alike. Through this book David Davis helps the reader learn about the history and culture of Hawaii, although it’s his secondary purpose.

[Ryan Hatfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tried and true biography of an incredible athlete. Some really interesting details and a cool figure to guide people through the massive changes happening to Hawaii during the 1900s. Pretty vanilla, but that’s okay. The Duke was all about the waves, man. If you like surfing, this is the reason why!

[Jude Woodcock · Rating 5 out of 5]

i loved this book. so little is written about him, at least i think. i had no idea he was so accomplished in so many things.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun look at an interesting character in Hawaiian history.

[Beeruiser · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great history and Hawaii insight.

[Dominic Krile · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating read, this was one of the most interesting biographies I’ve read. The book provides an overview of the life of Duke Kahanamoku, the famous swimmer and surfer. It does a great job charting the course of Duke’s life, from his childhood in Waikiki, through his surfing and swimming exploits, and later attempts at a movie career in Hollywood. Through the lens of Duke’s life, the book also charts the modern history of Hawaii from an independent kingdom to its later status as an American state and tourist “paradise”. A thoroughly enjoyable and educational read.

[Thom · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very good biography and an excellent counterpoint to Jim Thorpe, Original All-American. Both young men were great Olympic athletes bedeviled by amateur status rules, and the color of their skin gave both a greater challenge.

This narrative starts when Hawaii was still independent, her Queen shortly to be overthrown, and ends well after statehood. Primarily the story of Duke, for many the face of Hawaii, this book also touches on history and treatment of the people of the island. It is very well written.

The author states that this book fell together while researching his other book, Showdown at Shepherd's Bush: The 1908 Olympic Marathon and the Three Runners Who Launched a Sporting Craze. I look forward to reading more from David Davis soon.

[Robert Yokoyama · Rating 5 out of 5]

David Davis details the things that made Duke Kahanamoku special in this biography. Duke shared his love of surfing and swimming by showing people around the world how to do it. He also competed in three Olympic games earning gold medals for swimming. I am inspired by the achievements of Duke Kahanamoku. He supported himself by working as an actor, musician sheriff, restaurant owner and athlete. I love the Hawaiian words that David Davis includes in this book. I learned that kanikapila means playing music on the beach. I learned that hui means club or organization. I learned that nalu means wave. I have lived in Hawaii for most of my life, and I have just learned the definition of these words. I am motivated to learn more of the Hawaiian language because of this book. My only criticism of this book is that it does have a glossary that lists all these Hawaiian words. I have to go back and write them down if I want to remember them. I really enjoyed this book. I hope I can share my knowledge with other people like Duke Kahanamoku did.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before reading this book I knew who Duke was but as I got deeper into this book I realized I didn’t know who Duke really was.

A few things stood out for me, most notably the fact that no matter what difficulties Duke was facing every person that came across him had essentially the same thing to say about him; Duke was a kind, polite man who loved his family, friends, sport, and culture.

As this book told Duke’s personal story it also told the history of Hawaii, the US, and global athletic world. Duke went through blatant racism on a daily basis and often times quite publically with grace. He never stooped to that level and always took the higher ground.

Duke was and still is the absolute personification of the Aloha Spirit.

It was interesting for me to read this book as the Olympics were going on. I read about how Duke trained for his events and thought about that while watching the US swim team dominate in the pool.

I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading about sports, history, Hawaii, racial matters, and perseverance.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A complete biography for a very deserving subject. My father told me of learning to surf from the Duke in the 1930's. I thought he meant John Wayne... I didn't know he surfed. Wow! It was only later when I lived in Hawaii that I began associate the name "Duke" with its rightful owner. His legacy is one that will always be linked to his humility. Had he been like so many today, he would have grabbed for all he could get and probably have gotten churned up in the current. But, he remained true to his roots and his friends... a lesson for all of us to consider as we move through this life. A nod to David Davis for bringing the real Duke out of the shadows. Why doesn't someone turn that statue of him on Kalakaua Ave around and have it face the ocean? In tribute to his legacy, now it's us who are supposed to accept what the knuckleheads dole out (no pun intended)... just ain't right.

[Chris runnalls · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was a hard read, but interesting and liked all of the details in the story and would definitely recommend this book to people who like surfing.

[Sean Watson]

Really a nice, well researched book.

[Marjorie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story spans about 80 years from the 1890s to 1968. It starts in Hawaii when it was independent. David Davis covers the changing Hawaii, the Olympics, the Athletes and their treatment and the life of one particular athlete who made his mark in swimming. The sections of the book that I most enjoyed was reading about Duke's affinity for the water, his surfing and swimming. In some scenes you would swear he was part fish. These sections were written so that the reader could almost feel the water and the people who were so much a part of it. He also covers the prejudice any non white athlete suffered. I doubt things are much different today but we are not so blatant about it and on the whole athletes today are well paid.