Duke Kahanamoku statue honours Hawaii's king of the surf

A 92-year-old man, wearing only board shorts, stands next to the bronze Duke Kahanamoku statue at Kuhio Beach, Waikiki. His striking blue eyes well up as he fondly recounts stories to passers-by of riding waves with Duke, the father of international surfing, Olympian, and "Ambassador of Aloha".

"When you see this statue think of a flesh and blood man who was the epitome of his people, and above all, a man who absolutely adored surfing," he preaches.

The elderly man is Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz who, decades ago, abandoned a successful medical practice to take his wife and nine children on an endless summer journey to the world's surf spots in a camper van. Duke – who passed away in 1968 – is his hero, and Doc is telling tales of his days surfing with him. He's here for the annual Duke's OceanFest which celebrates everything Duke Kahanamoku represented – surfing, swimming, stand-up paddling, canoeing; not just sports heritage but Hawaiian heritage and the spirit of Aloha. The festival has been held over the anniversary of Duke's birthday in August for the past 13 years.

It's easy to see why Duke Kahanamoku is so revered. Not only did the Hawaiian win five Olympic gold medals for swimming and help make surfing popular everywhere including Australia, he was a Hollywood actor and the Sheriff of Honolulu, the role in which he warmly greeted President Kennedy and hula danced with the Queen Mother. Duke also rescued eight men using his board after a boat capsized in California. One story goes that he even battled with a giant eel and was left without an index finger. Was there anything Duke couldn't do?

Thousands flock to the annual festival, where champion surfers, beachboys, ex-mayors and local celebrities all compete in water events. Before hitting the water contestants hold hands and chant "1,2,3, Duke". Out at sea, the Chairman of the Board of Outrigger Hotels, Chuck Kelley is not just riding a wave on his longboard; he's doing a handstand on it in the big wave surfing event. Chuck's sister Bitsy – a grandmother – is also taking to the waves, and a couple of metres over, sister Linda Jane is swimming a mile. The Kelleys understand Duke's legacy. Their family's Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach hotel is built on the site of the original outrigger canoe club. Duke was a member, and it was here that surfing was promoted and revived 100 years ago. At the Outrigger's Duke's bar and restaurant, pictures of Duke and memorabilia line the walls. It is here that current and former beachboys (similar to lifesavers in Australia) gather in a circle, hold hands and bless Duke on the eve of his birthday.

At sunrise, the anniversary of Duke Kahanamoku's birthday is commemorated with a lei draping ceremony at the statue. The statue was erected in the 1990s and approved by Duke's wife Nadine just before she passed away. The vivacious Nadine – whose father was an Australian opera singer – called Duke "a gorgeous hunk of humanity." When sculptor Jan Fisher showed her the statue, she proclaimed, "It's him. Except his shorts are too long." She then marked the correct length with her fingernails, which can still be seen. The plaque under Duke reads: "he has honored us all."

Duke's creed, which was printed on the back of his business card was "In Hawaii, we greet friends, loved ones or strangers with 'Aloha' which means 'with love'."

He's been gone 46 years but Hawaiians know, surfers know and Dorian "Doc" Paskowitz – who died in November 2014 – knew that through Duke, the spirit of Aloha is very much alive.