Surfboard shaped by Duke Kahanamoku on the beach at Corona Del Mar, California in 1928

This redwood surfboard was shaped by Duke Kahanamoku on the beach at Corona Del Mar, California in 1928. The board was reshaped in 1961 by Joe Quigg, a revolutionary board maker from Santa Monica but it is unknown how Quigg came to own the board. Mike Marshall, the donor's husband acquired the board in 1970 after Quigg moved back to Hawaii and left the board. The flying "V" on this board was re-carved by artist Larry Miller in 1989. Originally Kahanamoku shaped this board for Jerry Vultee, an avid surfer and aerospace engineer who worked for Lockheed Martin in the 1930s. Vultee designed the Lockheed Sirus Tingmissartog flown by Charles Lindbergh and the Winnie Mae #2 of Oklahoma, both currently housed at the Air and Space Museum.

Duke Kahanamoku, an Olympic gold medal swimmer became known more for his surfing ability and is often referred to as the “father of modern surfing.” Duke made surfing accessible to the average person by making it look easy and less dangerous. He furthered the sport through swimming and surfing exhibitions given around the world after his gold medal performance at the 1912 and 1920 Olympics. He would often shape boards and leave them for the surfers in other countries so they could copy the boards and sustain his surfing legacy. The Duke’s trips to the mainland drew many Californians to Hawaii in the 1920s ready to live the surfing lifestyle. He was an original Waikiki Beach Boy, Island surfers who assisted tourists with surfing lessons, outrigger canoe rides and information on tides, weather and local fishing reports. Women tourists could often be seem riding on the front of one of the ‘Boys’ surfboards or on their shoulders surfing into shore. Kahanamoku became synonymous with the word ‘surfing’ and became the sports first and most celebrated ambassador.