Fred Hemmings got his first surfboard when he was 8. By the time Hemmings graduated from Punahou School (class of ‘65), he was a champion surfer. He won the Peruvian International Surfing Championships in 1964, the Makaha International Surfing Championships four times (twice in the junior division, twice in the senior division) and capped his surfing career in 1968 when he won the World Surfing Championship.

Retiring from competition, Hemmings organized the first professional surfing circuit and partnered with Randy Rarick to develop the original Triple Crown of Surfing, founded in 1983.

He was also a steersman on the Outrigger Canoe Club’s canoe racing team, winning the Moloka‘i Hoe four times. The annual paddling race runs from Molokai to Oahu.

Turning to political service, Hemmings served six years in the state House of Representatives, ran for governor in 1990, and then served 10 years in state Senate. While in the Senate, he helped secure creation of the Papahanaumokuakea Marine National Monument by President George W. Bush in 2006.

At 75, he continues to keep a watchful eye on local politics, as well as on Hawaii’s ocean sports. His newest book, “Can, No Can” ($15.95, Legacy Isle Publishing) shares his suggestions and “random thoughts” on solutions for island problems that never seem to go away.

We caught up recently with Hemmings at the Outrigger Canoe Club.

This is the first year that surfing is an Olympic sport. What are your thoughts on that?

I’m obviously very pleased that it is, but they ran a very great risk of not having surf. I founded the Triple Crown and the first major pro events, and there were times we’d go a week without waves, so I was worried about that. But the bottom line is I’m so proud of (Olympic gold medalist) Carissa Moore. She started her surfing career out here at the canoe club.

The new ABC TV reality show, “The Ultimate Surfer,” is being held on man-made waves. How does that change the dynamics of competition?

It eliminates the criteria of being a good wave judge. A good surfer — I learned this from Duke (Kahanamoku) — has to decide if it is best to catch a lot of good waves or catch the best wave. I learned from Duke, by example and through his tutelage, to wait and catch the best wave; that really helped me win the World Surfing Championship in 1968. The (wave) machine grinds them out and they’re all the same, and when you know what the wave’s going to do you can take risks and do things you normally wouldn’t do.

You are one of relatively few people still alive who worked with Duke ­Kahanamoku — as a member of the Duke Kahanamoku Surf Team and as a representative for his namesake nightclub. What are your strongest memories of Duke as a mentor and colleague?

My strongest impression of Duke is that he is a man who lived aloha, and when I say that I mean that he knew no negatives. He was a man who only saw the good in people and in situations. We were in California with (promoter) Kimo McVay, Duke was going to give out the trophies (at a surfing competition), and the guy that got third threw his trophy in the rubbish. Duke looked at me and said, “Boy (he’d call me ‘Boy’), I think he really wanted to win, didn’t he.” He didn’t see a bad sport, he saw the kid’s frustration. He would often disarm people with his kindness and his aloha.

There’s been talk in some circles about the need to reclaim surfing. Did Duke ever suggest to you that surfing belongs exclusively to Native Hawaiians or to Hawaii residents?

Never. Duke saw surfing as Hawaii’s gift to the world.

Where are we with getting Hawaiian canoe paddling into the Olympics?

I’ve had the opportunity to introduce Hawaiian canoe paddling in different parts of the world. But it’s not like surfing — you need a special (outrigger) canoe and you need six people (for a team). It may come, but it’s going to be a long time.

What are you working on these days?

I’ve spent my life trying to plant seeds, and some of them have come to fruition, like professional surfing and Papahanau­mokuakea. I want to see if there’s a way to stabilize the number of tourists in ­Hawaii by restrictive limitations in a legal way. Supply and demand would be less tourists spending more money.