It was 86 years ago today! On Aug. 24, 1927, our Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium opened. There was a huge crowd of 6,000 in the stands and — according to reports from the time — spectators in every tree with a view of the pool. And the man who took the ceremonial first swim? There could not have been a more appropriate choice. He was the pride of Hawai’i and an Olympic swimming medalist (three golds, two silvers in the 1912, 1920 and 1924 games). And that was his 37th birthday. Yes, the first man in the water on the
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Archives for Duke Kahanamoku
Guest post: Happy 85th birthday, Natatorium!
Donna L. Ching, vice president of the Friends of the Natatorium, submitted this letter to the editor of the Honolulu Star-Advertiser marking today’s 85th anniversary of the opening of the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. Eighty-five years ago, on Aug. 24, 1927, Duke Kahanamoku dove in to take the ceremonial first swim at the War Memorial Natatorium. In his wake came other Olympians, swimming celebrities and generations of keiki and kupuna swimmers. The Natatorium was the jewel of Waikiki and the pride of Hawai’i. It was the site of international swimming competitions. It was a place of relaxation and fun for
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Oli and blowing on the Pu mark 84th birthday of the Natatorium
Here’s a slideshow of a commemoration Aug. 24 marking the 84th anniversary of the ceremonial opening of one of the state’s cultural and historic icons, the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium. It was the Nat’s 84th birthday! Kahu Manu Mook offered the blowing of the Pu and Kahu Bradford Kaiwi Lum performed the Oli for those gathered at the Ewa end of Kaimana Beach, next to the Natatorium. The Natatorium is the state’s official memorial to more than 10,000 from Hawai’i who volunteered to serve in World War I and to 101 of them who died in the war. It was
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Happy Birthday to Duke… and the Natatorium!
Today is the 120th birthday of the ultimate Hawai’i waterman, Duke Kahanamoku: Olympic swimming champion, surfer, diver, paddler and sailor. And it’s the 83rd birthday of the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial, inaugurated by Duke with a ceremonial first swim on Aug. 24, 1927, the day the champion turned 37. That ceremony kicked off the four-day AAU National Outdoor Swimming Championships, a meet studded with stars like Johnny Weissmuller, Buster Crabbe and Japan’s Katsuo “Flying Fish” Takaishi. According to a Honolulu Star-Bulletin account, “Opening night attracted 6,000 people. … The Natatorium was packed with spectators — as was every tree outside
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Get your tickets now! "Stand Up for the Natatorium" benefit concert Sunday, Aug. 29
Island sons Titus Kinimaka, Henry Kapono, and the show group A Touch of Gold headline our first “Stand Up for the Natatorium” benefit concert, Sunday, Aug. 29, 5:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. at The Shack Waikiki. Our performers are donating their time and talent to support restoration of Waikiki’s world-famous Natatorium War Memorial. Bring the whole family to enjoy great music, pupu and the company of fellow Natatorium supporters. It’s not just a concert; it’s also a birthday celebration. The about-to-turn 83 Natatorium shares its Aug. 24 birthday and swimming history with another ocean icon, the legendary Duke Kahanamoku. The
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Save the date: "Stand Up for the Natatorium" benefit concert
When: Sunday, Aug. 29, 5:30 p.m.-10 p.m. Where: The Shack Waikiki In Honolulu at 2255 Kuhio Ave. What: “Stand Up for the Natatorium,”An OceanFest Wrap-up Benefit Bash for the Waikiki Natatorium War Memorial Who: Performers confirmed so far include Henry Kapono and Titus Kinimaka & The Kauai Boys. More artists to be announced soon; check back here for updates. Why: To benefit the Friends of the Natatorium. To support the fight to remember, restore and renew the Waikiki War Memorial Natatorium, the state’s living memorial to the 10,000 men and women from Hawaii who served in World War I. Great
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Swimming at the Heart of "Living Memorial" Design
It was a bold, out-of-the-box decision to build a pool – a pool “of Olympic proportions” – as Hawai’i’s official World War I memorial. The story of the Natatorium’s conception, design and construction is told in the final chapter of the 1928 book Hawaii in the World War by Ralph S. Kuykendall. That chapter is available online here. In fact, the entire book is online, starting here. It’s well worth reading. And it’s well worth remembering the words of Gov. Wallace Rider Farrington to the Territorial Legislature of 1927, arguing for the rapid completion of the entire memorial: “We should
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