Hello Hawaii: when surfing came to Aus

Next month marks the 100th birthday of surfing in Australia.

While it's unclear exactly when Aussies began standing up on waterlogged slabs of pine, a surfing demonstration given in 1914 by legendary Hawaiian surfer Duke Kahanamoku is credited with kickstarting the sport Down Under.

That demonstration took place at Sydney's Freshwater Beach on December 23-24, 1914, and the naturally beach-blessed nation has since become a boardriding global giant.

The centenary will be celebrated at Freshwater with a weekend full of festivities from January 8 - including a reenactment of the original demonstration by Hawaii's two-time world longboard surfing champ Duane DeSoto.

So to whet your appetite for the historic occasion, here are a few legendary tidbits you might not know about The Duke, aka the Father of Modern Surfing.

1. Australia, meet surfing.

Unable to bring his own board from Hawaii, Duke fashioned a board in Australia that weighed 37kg, was 8ft 6in long, made of sugar pine, and had no fins. It looked like "a coffin lid", according to one Sydney journalist, who went on to describe Duke's performance as "thrilling". Nowadays, fibreglass boards weigh as little as 2kg, boast three fins, and cut through the water like a torpedo.

2. He was a legendary "beach boy".

We're all a little lucky Duke bothered to leave Hawaii's world-renowned Waikiki Beach in the first place. Duke dropped out of school at an early age to became a bronzed beach boy - watermen fortunate enough to earn their livings by teaching tourists how to surf and canoe. To this day, there are beach boys still teaching tourists how to surf all along Waikiki beach, the bulk of which operate just outside Outrigger Waikiki On The Beach Hotel.

3. He broke the 50-yard, 100-yard and 220-yard freestyle swimming world records - in open water.

Duke didn't just walk on water, he glided through it. And he didn't just break swimming world records, he smashed them. But the Amateur Athletic Union, in disbelief, refused to recognise them for years. The AAU initially claimed the judges must have used alarm clocks, rather than stopwatches, then asserted Duke was aided by ocean currents. Unfazed, Duke moved to a pool, and The Human Fish was born.

4. Olympic champion. Olympic stalwart.

Where to start? Duke won three golds, two silvers and one bronze over the course of five Olympics. The gold and silvers were won in 100m and 200m freestyle swimming events at the 1912, 1920 and 1924 Games. After 12-years of Olympic competition his speed faded. Yet, instead of throwing in the towel, Duke joined the US water polo team as a wider squad member. His team missed out on a medal at the 1928 games, before picking up a bronze in 1932. By that stage Duke was 42-years-old - 20 years after his Olympic debut.

5. A Hollywood star.

Hollywood first noticed Duke when he gave surfing demonstrations in California after the 1912 Olympics. He was a supporting actor and extra in more than 30 films. His imposing figure made him the perfect candidate for a myriad of roles, including a Polynesian chief, an Aztec chief, a Hindu thief, and even an arab prince.

6. Still killing it in later life.

Despite having accomplished enough to last several lifetimes, Duke continued to succeed post-Olympics. He served as a Honolulu sheriff, was aa worldwide ambassador for Hawaii's aloha spirit, and served as a military police officer during World War II. He died from a heart attack in 1968 at the age of 77 - with his ashes scattered on the ocean.

7. His legend lives on.

Visit Waikiki and you'll see countless tributes to Duke. For starters, there's a giant bronze statue of him in the middle of Waikiki's main beach strip. But the Hawaiians don't just use monuments to pay homage to his legend. They strive to perpetuate his aloha spirit. And his name is everywhere. It's used by Duke's Canoe Club & Barefoot Bar, Waikiki's best beachfront bar and restaurant, which is situated in the Outrigger Waikiki On The Beach Hotel. Both establishments are vital in sponsoring Waikiki's premier annual ocean sports festival - aptly named Duke's OceanFest.

WANT TO KNOW MORE ABOUT THE FATHER OF AUSTRALIAN SURFING?

Head to Hawaii, where The Duke's legend continues to grow:

GETTING THERE: Hawaii's Oahu island is about a nine-hour flight from Brisbane and a 10-hour flight from Sydney.

Hawaiian Airlines flies from Brisbane and Sydney to Honolulu on Oahu. Fares start from $A1150 return, including taxes and charges, from Sydney to Honolulu. Go to Hawaiianairlines.com

For airport transfers and transport around Oahu, check out eliteparking.net

STAYING THERE: You can't get any closer to the action than Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. Its downstairs bar and restaurant Duke's Waikiki has an unrivalled view of one of the world's most famous surfing beaches. Prices start at $US249 ($A269) for a partial ocean view room. For more, visit outriggerwaikikihotel.com.

Outrigger Reef on the Beach is another aloha-style hotel close to all the Waikiki action. Popular for couples wanting to be closer to the heart of the shopping district. Prices start at $US239 ($A259) for a partial ocean view room. For more, visit outriggerreef-onthebeach.com.

PLAYING THERE: Hire a longboard outside Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach and learn to surf where the Duke did. The gentle breaks of Waikiki make it one of the best places in the world to learn. Check out faithsurfschool.com

• The writer was a guest of Outrigger Hotels and Hawaiian Airlines.