They’re known as the ocean ambassadors of aloha — teaching surfing, taking visitors out for canoe and catamaran rides, and promoting an appreciation of the sea and Hawaiian culture.
But Waikiki beachboys are much more. They have been on the cutting edge of surfing innovation, represented the nation in the Olympics, contributed to memorable island music, advanced the Hawaiian Renaissance in canoe sailing and continue to serve as stewards of the reefs.
"They don’t get enough recognition," said Dylan Ching, regional Oahu manager of TS Restaurants. "I think anytime you honor the beachboys, it’s a good thing."
Through Sunday, Ching and other supporters are sponsoring the 14th annual Duke’s OceanFest in Waikiki. The ocean sports event takes place near the statue of the most famous beachboy: Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968), who won five Olympic medals in swimming from 1912 to 1924. Duke’s brother Samuel won a bronze in the 1924 competition.
Duke’s statue is within sight of the Royal Hawaiian Hotel, a popular resort among celebrities arriving by ocean liner in the 1920s to 1940s. Beachboys accompanied stars ranging from Bob Hope and Bing Crosby to Shirley Temple on canoe rides. In addition to introducing visitors to surfing, Kahanamoku popularized the sport of surfing internationally, taking it to New Zealand and elsewhere.
Since 1939, Waikiki Beach has undergone at least 10 sand replenishment projects, according to the state Department of Land and Natural Resources. Some 300,000 cubic yards of sand has been placed on the beach during the past seven decades, and beach erosion continues to be a problem.
Former beachboy and well-known surfer George Downing has monitored the ongoing effort, supporting projects that remove sand from reef areas and redistribute it to eroded beach areas, rather than bringing new sand from other areas. Downing maintains that importing sand and continuing to add to sediment in offshore areas can result in smothering reef life and change the nature of surfing areas.
In the 1950s Downing improved the design of surfboards, adding a skeg, so that surfers could ride big waves topping out at 20 feet and higher.
Quick-footed beachboy Rabbit Kekai was the father of hot-dogging, or creative maneuvers and tricks on the surfboard that became most popular form of surfing in the 1960s.
And beachboy Kui Lee composed popular songs sung by Waikiki entertainer Don Ho, such as "I’ll Remember You" and "Days of My Youth." Another beachboy musician, Boogie Kalama, composed the song "Hokule’a, Star of Gladness," a melody that pays homage to the double-hull sailing canoe and its crew who helped to revive traditional Hawaiian sailing and wayfinding in the Pacific.
Kalama and Richard "Buffalo" Kealana, who helped Kekai during surfing lessons, served as crew members on the historic 1976 voyage of the Hokule’a from Hawaii to Tahiti.
Then there are beachboys like Edward "Blackout" Whaley, who passed on his knowledge of the ocean, one person at a time.
Hokule’a crewman Leighton Tsue remembers how when he became owner of a catamaran that he didn’t know how to sail in Waikiki waters, Whaley stepped on board for a lesson in how to steer the vessel through the Waikiki area reef at night.
"He taught me quite a bit," Tsue said. "He taught me about the wind conditions and how to align the catamaran with hotel lights."
Whaley’s nephew, Anthony Guerrero, a former vice chairman of First Hawaiian Bank, said Whaley, who died earlier this year at age 86, gave him his first surfboard.
"He taught me fishing, surfing. … He gave me a great gift."
