All hail the Duke, Hawaii’s surf pioneer
A Waikiki scene that Duke Kahanamoku, the founder of modern-day surfing, might himself have recognized. Well, barring the high-rise hotel. Photograph by Thomas J. Story

A Waikiki scene that Duke Kahanamoku, the founder of modern-day surfing, might himself have recognized. Well, barring the high-rise hotel. Photograph by Thomas J. Story

Here’s my usual Monday morning routine: get in to the office, plug my laptop in, start plotting my next infusion of caffeine, check email…

Here’s what happened today: office, laptop, caffeine, email, remember to look something up online that I was thinking about on the train…and then I disappeared down a daydream rabbit hole made up of surfing and Waikiki and Hawaii in general.

 

Photograph by Thomas J. Story

All because, as today’s lovely Google Doodle helpfully reminded me, this is what would have been Duke Kahanamoku’s 125th birthday.

Photograph by Thomas J. Story

Which seemed like an excellent excuse to share some outtakes from Sunset photographer Tom Story’s most recent trip to Oahu, plus a link to how (and why) you can check off a very special item on your life list.

 

Because this is what we all need on a Monday.

A statue of the Duke greets everyone arriving at the beach. Photograph by Thomas J. Story

Keep Reading: