Just 12-years after the Wright Brothers made the world's first powered flight on the Kill Devil Hills along the sand dunes scattered behind the beaches of Kitty Hawk, in North Carolina. A legendary Hawaiian athlete, Duke Kahanamoku was demonstrating the art of surfboard riding on the Pacific Ocean's Australian shoreline, at Cronulla - of all places.
For that very reason, Surfing Sutherland Shire today celebrated the 110th anniversary of that first visit to Cronulla beach by the world’s most celebrated waterman, Duke Kahanamoku.
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku, a celebrated Hawaiian Olympic swimmer and surfer, visited Sydney in 1914-15. Between his Olympic medal-winning feats, Kahanamoku travelled internationally performing swimming and surfing demonstrations. It was during this period that he popularised the sport of surfing in Australia.
Surfing Sutherland Shire President, John Veage, said it was an honour for the Duke to paddle out at Cronulla and for it to also be the first Australian surf spot where the Americans surfed their Malibu surfboards in 1956.
During his stay in Sydney, ‘The Duke’ – as he became known – constructed a board from solid sugar pine and with it famously performed ‘Hawaiian-Style surf shooting’ at Freshwater Beach on December 24, 1914.
On February 7, 1915 Duke Kahanamoku and his party, travelling by steam train, were met at Sutherland Railway Station by members of the Cronulla Surf Lifesaving Club. They undertook a sightseeing tour to Waterfall, returning to Audley in the Royal National Park for lunch.
“It all looked so ridiculously easy,” reported the St George Call newspaper at the time, “and so it was to the Duke, but local men, who tried after came to the conclusion that they had a lot to learn about the game.”
Duke left one of his surfboards behind with a Cronulla SLSC member, Ron Bowden, which has never been found, but it sparked a new level of interest in board riding on Sydney’s southern beaches.
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Surfing Sutherland Shire President, John Veage addressing the seaside gathering of the faithful |
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku, a celebrated Hawaiian Olympic swimmer and surfer, visited Sydney in 1914-15. Between his Olympic medal-winning feats, Kahanamoku travelled internationally performing swimming and surfing demonstrations. It was during this period that he popularised the sport of surfing in Australia.
Surfing Sutherland Shire President, John Veage, said it was an honour for the Duke to paddle out at Cronulla and for it to also be the first Australian surf spot where the Americans surfed their Malibu surfboards in 1956.
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| Amazing craftsmanship in these contemporary wooden Riley surfboards on display. |
“Even if you’re not into surfing's early history, it’s a great story of how surfing came to Cronulla,” he said.
During his stay in Sydney, ‘The Duke’ – as he became known – constructed a board from solid sugar pine and with it famously performed ‘Hawaiian-Style surf shooting’ at Freshwater Beach on December 24, 1914.
On February 7, 1915 Duke Kahanamoku and his party, travelling by steam train, were met at Sutherland Railway Station by members of the Cronulla Surf Lifesaving Club. They undertook a sightseeing tour to Waterfall, returning to Audley in the Royal National Park for lunch.
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| The Duke replica surfboard on display right where the Duke first surfed in Cronulla 110-years ago. |
A motor launch then took Duke Kahanamoku and the others up the Port Hacking river to Gunnamatta Bay in Cronulla where the ocean beach was packed with people.
An impromptu surf reel race was staged before Kahanamoku took to the water at the ‘Big Beach’ (North Cronulla) for an exhibition of surfboard riding – standing upright, standing on his head, diving off, twisting the board.
“It all looked so ridiculously easy,” reported the St George Call newspaper at the time, “and so it was to the Duke, but local men, who tried after came to the conclusion that they had a lot to learn about the game.”
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| Plenty of Esplanade pavement pounders stopping by to admire the heritage display in North Cronulla, commemorating Duke Kahanamoku's surfboard riding exhibition here, 110-years ago. |
The day ended with tea at Cronulla’s beachside clubhouse followed by music where the guests of honour entertained and sang Hawaiian songs with Duke Kahanamoku strumming on his ukulele.
Duke left one of his surfboards behind with a Cronulla SLSC member, Ron Bowden, which has never been found, but it sparked a new level of interest in board riding on Sydney’s southern beaches.
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| Surfing in Cronulla; front and center. Where it should be. |
Surfing Sutherland Shire had this historic wooden surfboard exhibition at Peryman Place (North Cronulla) which included the replica Duke surfboard that was created for the 100th 'Duke' anniversary ten years ago in 2015.
Coverage & photos: Steve Core
