Those close to legendary waterman Duke P. Kahanamoku could validate their connection to the humble figure by recalling — and often preparing — his favorite meal: canned salmon with fresh onions and three-day-old poi.

This and many more indelible memories of the aloha spirit exuded by Kahanamoku extended to the wooden steering blade used by the legendary paddler, surfer and swimmer to guide Outrigger Canoe Club to victory in the senior men’s race as part of the first Walter J. Macfarlane Regatta held in 1943. The bottom half of the paddle was on display Tuesday, 80 years after it was broken during that race.

The blade is signed by winning crewmembers from that day: Kahanamoku, Bob Bush, Tom Arnott, Jack Beaumont, Thad Ekstrand and Jim Fernie, along with coach Tommy O’Brien (he could not paddle due to a broken wrist, so he dubbed himself “coach” that day) — a group of elite paddlers known as “Duke’s Boys.”

The inscription on the paddle notes that the race was a 3-mile event. However, historical accounts indicate that it was closer to a 4.5-mile journey, including three turns around an offshore buoy with crews finishing parallel to shore. The Macfarlane Regatta now runs perpendicular to the beach and features a sprint format.

The historic paddle has changed hands over the eight decades, initially given by Kahanamoku to Bush, the crew’s stroker. It was then passed on to Johnna Cotton, Bush’s niece, who shares ownership with her husband, Wink Arnott, son of the late crewmember Tom Arnott. Cotton brought the paddle back from California for public viewing in 2014 and made it a point to share it again this year in honor of the 80th anniversary.

Cotton explains that while earlier accounts of the paddle refer to it as a koa blade, it was actually made from an undetermined weaker wood. After its shaft snapped while Outrigger was making a turn in the race, Cotton says, Kahanamoku turned to his trusty “big bombucha” koa steering blade, which is unaccounted for to this day, to finish and win the race.

Mary Louise “ML” O’Brien, the 99-year-old widow of crewmember Tommy O’Brien, was on hand Tuesday morning at Hula Grill in the Outrigger Waikiki Beach Resort, which sits just feet above the Macfarlane Regatta race course. Restaurant general manager Michelle Whitton hosted the gathering to showcase the paddle and honor O’Brien, the last surviving member in a photograph from 1965 that was taken during Kahanamoku’s 75th birthday celebration hosted by Bob and Jeanne Bush — Cotton’s aunt and Wink Arnott’s godmother — at their Kahala home.

“Duke was really their spiritual leader as well as their athletic leader, and he was so laid back even though everybody admired him,” ML O’Brien said. “He didn’t act like anything special, even though we all know he was.”

Wink Arnott explained that his father would often tell him about Kahanamoku’s incredible competitive spirit and will to win. He recalls an account of Kahanamoku and “Duke’s Boys” training in the 600-pound koa canoe named “Ka Mo‘i,” which currently resides in Outrigger Canoe Club’s main bar, five days a week for two and a half hours at a time. The training was so intense, he said, that when the paddlers would compete in a 400-pound racing canoe, they would blow the competition away and have enough time to put their canoe away and make it back to watch the next crews finish.

“These guys were always around and close to Duke from the mid-1930s, when he brought them in to paddle as a crew all the way through 1950,” Wink Arnott said. “He was a father figure to them and was really dedicated to (his wife) Nadine, who couldn’t cook. So if you couldn’t answer when asked what his favorite meal was, you didn’t really know Duke.

“We’re showcasing the paddle today in memory of all these guys. Duke was a mentor to them, and they became mentors in the community. They won because of Duke’s approach to life and competition: If you want to win, you train to win. His creed of aloha still rings true, and it’s unfortunate that so many people today don’t realize how important something like the aloha spirit is. If you treat people with aloha, you’ll be pleasantly surprised with their reaction.”