Kings of the Waves

Duke Kahanamoku commemorative stamps

Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968)
Kahanamoku was one of the Waikiki Beach Boys, surfing with his brothers and entertaining tourists with his tandem surfing. He was a phenomenal waterman and athlete and is remembered today as the "Father of Modern Surfing". In 1912, he took the gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle at the Olympic Games in Stockholm, Sweden. He pioneered East Coast surfing and gave demonstrations at several West Coast breaks. He brought surfing to Australia in 1914. Always known for his Aloha Spirit, he served as Sheriff of Honolulu for 25 years.

Tom Blake (1902-1994)
Blake was a designer, surfer and photographer. Tom patented his Hawaiian Hollow Surfboard in 1930. His boards were used for surfing, racing and also water rescue and safety. He patented a small keel-like fin. He invented surf photography by taking pictures of Waikiki's surfers from his paddleboard. His book, Hawaiian Surfboard (1935), preserved a wealth of Hawaiian legend and culture.

Photograph by Tom Blake of Doc Ball Surfing Palos Verdes Cove (1938)

Doc Ball (1907-2001)
Dentist and perhaps the best known surf photographer of all time, Doc Ball captured classic surf images from the 1930s through the 1950s and wrote what is reportedly the best photo book about early surfing, titled California Surfriders (1946). He co-founded the first United States surfing club in Palos Verdes. He passed away in December 2001 at age 94.