In the mid-1960s, Paul Strauch was ranked among the world’s best surfers. Those who saw him in his prime, including Greg Noll, Jeff Hackman and Gerry Lopez, claimed he was the best of his generation. He was also humble and humorous, traits he learned in part from his mentor, Duke Kahanamoku.
When Strauch tells the following tale, you feel like you’re in the boat with him and the Father of Modern Surfing.
As a member of the Duke Kanamoku Surf Team, along with Fred Hemmings, Butch Van Artsdalen, and Joey Cabell, Paul Strauch’s job was to keep the Duke from dozing off during those long, boring press conferences.
During his many interviews, Duke wore dark sunglasses to hide his napping whenever possible. One tap on the knee from Strauch would wake the legendary waterman, and he would answer “Yes” to the question. Two taps on the knee brought the answer “No.”
Naps weren’t confined to land, though; while working as a diver in Honolulu Harbor, the future Olympian would curl up near the keel of a boat and snooze until his air tank was empty. His relaxed manner carried over to everything he did, especially fun, which he loved having.
Disneyland had recently opened, and Duke wanted to be among the first on the rides. He loved the Jungle Boat ride best, where robotic wild animals appeared along the river, and the captain fired warning shots at them with a toy pistol. The little boat was moving down the river, and the brave captain did his duty to protect his passengers by shooting at the hippos and crocodiles that threatened safe passage.
A wide-eyed boy seated near Duke was taking the voyage for the first time. Duke looked at him and said, “You’d better hang on; this ride’s gonna get rough.” The boy clung to the rail as the boat hit rapids and was tossed about violently.
True to his lifelong habit, Duke wasted no time rescuing those in need. He stood, took hold of the tiller, and began steering, much as he’d done for years in outriggers off Waikiki. The boat jerked from side to side as it teetered on the edge of disaster. The boy looked admiringly at Duke, whose majestic white hair flew as he held tightly to the tiller, and the boy hugged the rail.
Once the rapids subsided, the boat drifted into calm water again. The captain tied up to the dock, and the boy approached Duke to thank him for saving his life. “It’s good thing you listen to me,” said Duke, putting a gentle hand on the boy’s shoulder. “You gotta be prepared when things get rough.” Only years of experience could teach a man a lesson like that.
Duke Kahanamoku passed on in January 1968. He is revered as both the father of modern surfing and Hawaii’s greatest export. Paul Strauch passed away this year and is remembered as Aloha’s grandson.
This column features one of 29 short surf stories in “Good Things Love Water,” a book available at fine bookstores and surf shops locally, or by visiting: Perelandrapublishing.com
