A Message from the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation Board President
ALOHA FELLOW OUTRIGGER CANOE CLUB MEMBERS, As we approach the year's end, I reflect on the enduring spirit of aloha that unites our ‘ohana—both at the Outrigger Canoe Club and through the work of the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation.
Duke Kahanamoku embod- ied the aloha spirit in every aspect of his life. He repre- sented Hawai‘i with dignity while competing in three Olympic Games, sharing surfing with the world, or- ganizing competitions, and mentoring the next genera- tion. Duke’s greatness did not arise in isolation—his family, community, culture, and the ocean that nurtured his gifts enabled him to embody the best of Hawai‘i shaped him.
safely. As you’ll read later in this issue, we are proud to announce the upcoming release of a Duke Kahanamoku license plate, which will support water safety and swim education. In addition, we successfully advocated for surfing to become an interscholastic sport in Hawai‘i high schools. Beginning this spring, students will have the opportunity to compete in the first-ever statewide high school surfing championships—representing our official state sport at the varsity level. When we invest in young athletes, competition organization, and water safety initiatives, we are strengthening the foundation of what makes our Club special. The scholarship recipients we support today become tomorrow's ocean stewards and cultural practitioners. Our members benefit when water sports and safety thrive in our community, enriching the culture that first drew us all to the ocean. Every scholarship awarded, every grant given, every dollar directed to water safety preserves not only Duke’s legacy, but also the values and traditions we celebrate as a Club. As you consider year-end giving, please remember the Foundation. Your kōkua allows us to continue this vital work in Duke's name, ensuring that the ocean sports of old Hawai‘i and all the cultural wisdom that surrounds them continue to flourish for generations to come. Through your support, you help to ensure Duke’s Legacy of Aloha continues to ripple outward, strengthening Hawai‘i and keeping our ocean traditions alive.
Here, in the same waters where Duke grew, played, and competed, his legacy lives on in the potential for every athlete we support. By investing in promising young watermen and waterwomen who are following in Duke’s footsteps, we help them reach their fullest potential—just as Duke’s community once did for him. It was this vision that inspired Outrigger Canoe Club members to create the Foundation in 1986. While the Club provides our members a place to gather, compete in, and celebrate the sports of old Hawai‘i, the Foundation serves as our giving arm, extending aloha to the community through the financial support of those who perpetuate Duke’s legacy through those same sports. To ensure our Club's values remain central to the Foundation's work, two-thirds of our Foundation board members must be Outrigger Canoe Club members. As both a Club member and Foundation President, I see how these aligned missions strengthen each other in preserving Hawai‘i's ocean heritage. The Foundation awards college scholarships to student-athletes who excel in water sports or volleyball while demonstrating aloha through leadership and community service. Our grants sponsor athletic teams and local Hawai‘i events that perpetuate water sports, water safety, and volleyball—keeping alive the traditions Duke championed. The Club hosts Duke’s Night, our scholarship celebration, and the Hawai‘i Waterman Hall of Fame celebration. This year, the Foundation supported critical work with the Hawai‘i Water Safety Coalition, addressing Hawai‘i's alarming drowning rates through drowning prevention initiatives, including the publication of the first Hawai‘i Water Safety Plan. We recognize that to propagate the water sports athletes of tomorrow, every keiki in Hawai‘i must first learn how to swim and enjoy the ocean
Mahalo nui loa for your continued support. Together, we honor Duke's legacy.
Me ke aloha pumehana,
Andrew “Keola” Richardson, M.D. President of the Board Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation Website: www.dukefoundation.org
4 AMA | september/october 2025
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