While he does not remember his introduction to the realm of water sports, Dave Kalama has been told that he was first taken on a surfboard ride as a 1-year-old keiki during a trip to the beach with his father.

“You could say that was my initial jumping-off point,” said Kalama with a chuckle.

Now 53, Kalama — a champion windsurfer, big-wave surfer, tow-in surfer, outrigger canoe paddler, hydrofoil surfer, stand-up paddleboard racer and board shaper – thinks back to his days before boogie boards were invented, riding inflatable rafts in the waves and finding new ways to enjoy the ocean.

“I love being in the water, and you build that foundation in each particular sport so it’s always there when you want to come back and refine and innovate a bit,” said Kalama. “Big-wave surfing is what put me on the map, but I follow my passion. Whatever drives me, whatever excites me is what I’m going to invest my time in.”

Kalama is credited as a co-developer of the big-wave surfing technique of tow-in surfing along with fellow ambassadors of the ocean and members of the “Strapped Crew,” including Laird Hamilton, Darrick Doerner and Buzzy Kerbox. Lately, Kalama has focused on hydrofoil surfing, in which riders stand up on a small board with a paddle as a large fin extended out of the water, making for a seemingly frictionless jaunt through the water.

“Right now, foil boarding is really a lot of fun. To go through that process and challenge myself, have good days and bad days and share that with my friends, is really special because I’m old enough to appreciate how valuable that experience is,” Kalama said. “I’m having as much fun as I’ve ever had in my life.”

Kalama was honored as a member of the ninth class of talented and influential water sports figures to be inducted into the Waterman Hall of Fame on Monday evening at the Outrigger Canoe Club. The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser presented the Hall of Fame gathering, featuring the 2018 class that also included Ann Yoshida, Kalani Vierra and the late Woodbridge Parker “Woody” Brown.

Yoshida was celebrated as the first Native Hawaiian Paralympian and also is a world champion adaptive surfer and paddler. At the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Yoshida became the first athlete to represent the United States in a para-canoe.

Vierra is a former professional surfer who transitioned careers, and eventually became Kauai Ocean Safety Bureau chief within the Kauai Fire Department. He made it a priority to give back to the community and founded the Kauai Lifeguard Association, which serves the Kauai Junior Lifeguard program that has won 13 state championships, including a run of 12 consecutive titles.

Brown was a surfer, sailor and all-around waterman who built the prototype of the modern catamaran in 1947, which was inspired by the twin-hulled canoes he saw during World War II. His vessel “Manu Kai” was thought to have been the fastest sailing vessel of its time.

Nicknamed “Spider” due to his unique stance on a surfboard, Brown surfed regularly until the age of 90; he died in April 2008 at the age of 96.

The Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame was founded in 2010 to create a lasting tribute to the Hawaiian Islands’ water sports legacy and honor the achievements of Hawaii’s standout watermen and women. The criteria used to select inductees includes their sustained outstanding contribution to a sport, as well as international, national and local accomplishment and recognition.

“None of us are in the group with Duke; he’s alone in his own group,” said Kalama. “We try to emulate and respect what he has shared with the world: the Hawaiian culture. He didn’t invent surfing, but surfing would not be what it is and where it is had he not shared it, so that puts him in a class by himself.

“It almost doesn’t compute that I can be recognized with this group. Part of me thinks ‘I just love the water, and love to play.’ At times I take it seriously, but it’s all in fun, so I almost feel like I’m cheating. This honor provides an opportunity to reflect on what I’ve done, and it’s really cool.”

Net proceeds from the event benefit the ODKF’s college scholarships and athletic grants program. Since its inception in 1986, ODKF has presented more than $2.7 million dollars to scholar-athletes and non-profit organizations in Hawaii via scholarships and grants.

“It would be hard to imagine our culture and enriched island history without the significant contributions and spirit of aloha of Duke Kahanamoku,” said Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame chairman Billy Pratt. “It is undoubtedly a unique cultural and spiritual way of being for us as Hawaiian islanders, and it should continue to be our makana (gift) to the world).”