Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame

Let's see who are selected for the 2023 Waterman Hall of Fame. Individuals are inducted into the Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame for their sustained outstanding contribution to the sport, and their international, national, and local accomplishment and recognition. The Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame honors those remarkable legends within our islands’ water sports community whose lifetime of contributions have inspired and perpetuated the unique connection between our kamaaina and the ocean.  If you would like to nominate an individual who has been an exceptional contributor to our waterman community, please download and fill out the nomination form here and email info@dukefoundation.org.

Liz Clark Waterwoman

Check out this amazing waterwoman and her love for the ocean.

I learned to sail at seven years old in San Diego, California on a little red sailing dinghy. At ten, I completed a 5,000-mile, 6-month cruise in Mexico with my family on our sailboat, The Endless Summer, experiencing a different culture, the freedom and beauty of sea travel, and opening my mind to horizons beyond my hometown reality. I credit the origin of my environmental concern to my exposure to the contrasting landscapes of grave pollution and radical natural beauty in Mexico.

Albeit very young, this trip profoundly impacted me. Two things were clear when we returned to San Diego in 1990: I wanted to protect the natural world from human destruction and, one day, I wanted to be the captain of my own sailboat.

At fifteen, my love of the ocean and natural athletic inclination led me to try surfing. Soon after, it was all I wanted to do. Determined to excel in the sport, I spent all my free time in the water and eventually started competing. I surfed in private contests and for the UCSB surf team while studying at UC Santa Barbara. My competitive career culminated in a win at the NSSA Nationals, making me the 2002 College Women’s National Champion. Although I enjoyed pushing my level of surfing through competition, I was more inclined to chasing nature saturated,
exploratory surf experiences. I enjoyed surfing most for the adventures leading to remote breaks, the connection with the elements, and the opportunities for self-discovery. I was full of bigger questions that needed answers.

I began taking surf trips during summers and school breaks to Barbados, Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Hawaii, Mexico, Nicaragua, and a ‘study abroad’ trip Australia. As I finished up my degree in Environmental Studies, I remember feeling frustrated by the direction the world seemed headed. Our distance and apathy for the natural world and failure as a country to seek and promote environmentally sustainable living left me disappointed and frustrated. I clung to my dream as a ‘way out’.

My surfing obsession further fueled this fire. The pressures of increasing crowds and urban pollution made the idea of a free-ranging life on the sea seem even more appealing. After graduation, I crewed on different boats to gain experience for about a year, and then spontaneously came upon the chance to become the captain of my own sailboat. Thanks to the generosity of my friend and mentor, Barry Schuyler, along with support from my family, Swell and I were united.

Through this stroke of serendipity, my intense determination, and the generosity and advice of innumerable people in Santa Barbara and beyond, Swell was converted into an ocean-worthy vessel. For almost three years, I worked with local professionals–mechanical, rigging, sail repair, radio, fiberglassing, and others, learning and overhauling each of Swell’s vital systems in order to prepare myself and my ship for sea. Only having sailed the boat a handful of times during this busy preparation period, I honestly didn’t know whether I would be capable of a captain’s tasks and responsibility. Although the uncertainties ahead petrified me, the alternative of not going seemed even more unthinkable. And so in October of 2005, I pointed Swell’s bow south from the Santa Barbara harbor.

Over the 20,000 nautical miles of ocean I’ve sailed since, I’ve discovered that the most important sort of exploration happens within. The enormous sense of fulfillment I’ve gained from following my dream, delving into self-awareness, and living a simple life close to nature motivates me to continue sharing my experiences in hopes of the same for others.

A few powerful lessons I’ve learned along the way:

• We really do have immense inner power to create the life we desire and manifest our dreams.
• By using the challenges and adversities in life as opportunities to grow and learn, something positive can come out of almost any difficult situation.
• We’re all just doing our best, so instead of pointing fingers or placing blame, it’s always more useful to look within for solutions.
• Practicing relentless positivity and loving-kindness has the power to completely change one’s reality.
• WE ARE ONE! Nature, humanity, and all life on Earth are inextricably and fantastically connected. Seeking to understand and participate in this Greatness is not only a path to immense personal fulfillment, but also to healthy, peaceful planet and a populace that could exist in harmony with nature! Read More

Top 5 Legendary Waterman

Great review of thew top waterman, sorry I did not see this earlier.

A true waterman has an innate connection with mother ocean, knowing her many moods and faces. Despite the ever changing conditions that the sea presents, the waterman is drawn to water like a moth to a flame. Often accomplished in many ocean going disciplines, the men and women who have earned this distinguished title are often surfers, sailors, divers, and craftsman.

Read More,

Watches, Wannabes and Waterman

Read with us, as Steve West explores and helps determine what a waterman really is and what some of his prerequisites might be. Do you think your a "Waterman"?

 

It’s a little known fact, the fast track way to achieve some vague semblance of waterman status, is to invest in a Rolex or Omega dive-timepiece. Indeed the number of waterman you might see on any given day in any metropolis far, far away from ocean shores, simply defies probability as to how these gentleman buyers find the time to work the hours required for the buy-in price and the time to hone their water skills and the number is growing daily.

Frankly, many look unsuited to their timepiece or certainly not what you may think represents the demographic of its namesake, but looks I guess can be deceiving. On the other hand, a Rolex goes hand in hand with luxury yacht ownership (indeed boating of any type) and monetary milestones, which can certainly preclude you from having to be able to swim. But in all seriousness, what’s it all about; men who can barely tread-water wearing beautiful time pieces that shout out, “I am Ocean-Man” or sentiments to that effect, or are they simply, James Bond wannabes.

One thing’s for sure, even the great Duke Kahanamoku would I am sure embraced the idea that swimming must first and foremost be a requirement for entry to waterman status, melded with a love of the ocean and for the creatures in it and that surfing per-se, is something you can choose or not choose to do on account of there being such an abundance of other water pursuits, skills and interests which by default would earn you waterman status in the same way as that of a horseman, mountain man or spaceman, of which the Polynesian voyagers where indeed of that same ilk. Read More;

The Ways of the Waterman

FromKukui`ula with Aloha May 25, 2017

On Kaua’i, it is a sign of great respect to call someone a waterman, because it means much more than just being good, or even an expert, at activities like surfing or diving, fishing or paddling. To be a waterman (or a waterwoman) means to have knowledge and to understand the ways of the water—ways that are often passed down through ‘ohana.

Hawaiian Waterman

In this sense of the word, the Huaka’i Guides of Kukui’ula are all true watermen. According to Robert Miguel, the head of the Huaka’i Outfitters program, that’s what makes the Guides so special. They understand Kaua’i. And they can all, “Connect guests to the island.”

“This isn’t San Diego or Maui,” Robert says. “Those places have their own ways. It’s different here. So we fold people into the culture of Kaua’i.”

“Like, in the course of going surfing,” Robert explains, “ there are all these other things that are part of the culture here. We’re definitely going to pick some mangoes. We’re going to get a bite to eat somewhere in town. And we’re going to meet up with friends and talk story in the water.”

By the same token, learn to throw net at Kukui’ula and you won’t just learn technique, you’ll learn history, lore and story. Like about oloana, the natural fiber that, like taro, is a revered plant on Kaua’i, once grown and harvested specifically for net making. Or about time-honored techniques fishermen practice to help ensure a good catch. Or the different types of fish you can catch along the shore, the rocks or the reef. Want to know how best to enjoy the flavors of each one? Ask your Guide.

And then take your catch to Chef Ben who’ll prepare it for you—just a nice little extra perk to help you savor Kaua’i.

Ashley Chapman Sets Two New U.S. National Freediving Records

 

Ashley Futral Chapman (photo credit: Ren Chapman)

American Freediver Ashley Futral Chapman this past week set a pair of Women’s National Freediving Records in Roatan, Honduras.

Ashley set a new Constant Weight (CWT) with Bifins record under AIDA International rules on May 18th with a dive to 76 meters/249 feet, beating Enchante Gallardo’s 75-meter/246-foot dive from last month.

A few days later, Ashley set a CWT with monofin U.S. record with a dive to to 86 meters/282 feet.

Other records that have been set recently in Roatan include Richard Collett for his Cayman Islands men’s Constant Weight with Bi-fins national record dive to 55 meters/180 feet, and Sayuri Kinoshita for her Japan women’s national record dive of 85 meters/279 feet in the same discipline.

By John Liang, News Editor at DeeperBlue.com

Q&A: Haa Keaulana wants to change how people think about Hawaii

The photography of Haa Keaulana, granddaughter of Oahu surf legend Buffalo Keaulana, has a worldwide audience.

Hawaii Magazine Nov 6, 2017

If you don’t already know surfer-photographer-model Haa Keaulana, you will soon enough. With more than 140,000 Instagram followers, the 25-year-old Keaulana has been sharing colorful lifestyle surf photography of her hometown of Makaha with the world. It’s led to partnerships with several companies, including the Four Seasons Resort Ko Olina, OluKai and Hawaiian Airlines. Our older, sunbaked readers may also recognize her family name: The patriarch of the family is her grandfather, Richard “Buffalo” Keaulana, who was a famous Waikiki beachboy, lifeguard, big-wave surfer and inaugural Hokulea voyage crewman. Haa continues the ocean-centered legacy her family has established, and she’s sharing it with the world, pic by pic, like by like, follower by follower. 

Read More 

Natalia Molchanova, Freediving Champion, Missing and Feared Dead

Natalia Molchanova shows the minus-86-meter (-282 feet) tag that earned her win at the women's free-diving world championship on September 3, 2005.

Natalia Molchanova, 53, held 41 world records and was a 23-time world champion in freediving.

The woman billed as the world's greatest freediver is missing and presumed dead after failing to resurface from a dive off the coast of Spain.

Natalia Molchanova holds 41 world records and is a 23-time world champion in freediving. The sport requires divers to hold their breath rather than use scuba gear or oxygen tanks.

AIDA, the international freediving association, said that the 53-year-old Molchanova was "recreationally freediving" without fins on Sunday when she became separated from her group. She disappeared approximately two miles northwest of the port of La Savina at Poniente de es Freus.

"Search efforts have been ongoing," the association said in a statement.

AIDA said Molchanova's passion for the sport "burned so deep" that she had dedicated her life to freediving.

"She was an inspiration to all freedivers and despite being one of the fiercest competitors in the world, she was always calm and relaxed during competitions," the statement said. "The cause of Natalia's disappearance is unknown, but she was doing what she loved."

Molchanova — who could hold her breath for nine minutes and dive to a depth of more than 330 feet — had written freediving handbooks and trained thousands in the sport.

The Russian Freediving Federation — which Molchanova headed out of Moscow — called Molchanova's disappearance a "tragedy" and made clear it was unlikely she would be found alive.

“The search is still officially ongoing, but, to our deepest regret, the probability of success is small,” it said in a statement posted on the federation's website.

Kimmo Lahtinen, president of AIDA international, told NBC News that Molchanova was a "freediving superstar."

"Superstars will not die," Lahtinen said. "They will shine still after they are gone."

Fellow freediver William Trubridge was among those offering tributes to Molchanova following news of her disappearance.

IOC Confirms Lisa Carrington (NZL) as Athlete Role Model / Women Other Water Sports

Sporting legends to mentor athletes at Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games.The International Olympic Committee (IOC) recently announced Lisa Carrington (NZL), the Canoe Sprint K1 200m Olympic Champion and multiple World Champion, as one of the of 37 Athlete Role Models (ARMs) who will attend the 2nd Summer Youth Olympic Games from 16 to 28 August in Nanjing, China.

Carrington, who was nominated by the International Canoe Federation, will join a group of other elite competitors from the world of sport. In Nanjing, every Athlete Role Model will play a key role in supporting, mentoring and offering advice to the 3,800 young athletes who will be participating in the Games.

Dutch girl fulfils dream as youngest to sail round the world - Laura Dekker

The story of Laura Dekker's sail around the world finishing in St Maarten in January 2012 making her the youngest solo circumnavigator ever!

THE CHANGE of flag on her modest sail boat said it all. Dutch schoolgirl sailor Laura Dekker, who has fulfilled her dream to become the youngest round-the-world sailor, arrived late on Saturday on the Dutch Antillean Island of St Maarten in the Caribbean, a year and a day after starting her epic voyage and breaking all the records she set out to surpass.

But the red, white and blue flag representing the Netherlands which had fluttered at the stern of her 30-year-old yacht Guppy on her departure had been replaced by the flag of New Zealand. Born at sea on a yacht in New Zealand waters, Laura Dekker has joint Dutch and New Zealand citizenship.

Raising the New Zealand flag was a deliberate gesture, she later acknowledged, a sign of her anger and frustration at how she was treated by the Dutch authorities, who, she claims, did everything to destroy her dream.

It was 16-year-old Laura Dekker’s way of letting Dutch social services know what she really thought of them, highlighting the controversial battle over this particular bid to be the “youngest around the world”.

Shawn Alladio, the discreet woman who saves big wave surfers / Surfer Today

Shawn Alladio is the foremost expert in jet ski safety and rescue. Despite not living under the media radar, she has saved lives of the best big wave surfers in the world.

She is one of the most influential people in big wave surfing. Her name is Shawn Alladio. She has been teaching how to save fearless wave riders' lives, since 1989.

Alladio is a woman in a male-dominated environment. Big surf. In 1979, she bought her first Kawasaki jet ski and within years she had established the K38 Way of Training, a lifesaving method involving personal water crafts (PWC). More; Shawn Alladio, the discreet woman who saves big wave surfers

Video - Diana Nyad Completes Cuba to Florida Swim

History in the making - Diana Nyad has become the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida without the help of a shark cage. The 64-year-old Nyad stepped ashore in Key West on Monday just before 2 p.m., about 53 hours after she began her swim in Havana on Saturday.

    

Diana Nyad hopefully landing in Key West between 4pm and 6pm today

Diana is on course to swim 112 statute miles. This is 35 more miles than anyone has ever swam. They are expecting her to cross reef marker 32 at 11 a.m.  Then it is 5 miles to Smather’s Beach in Key West, which is 1 1/3 miles east of White Street Pier with a hopeful landing between 4pm and 6pm today.

Teammates are reported earlier today; “During this time, Diana has stopped numerous times to tread water trying to restore herself. We don’t know how strong she is swimming at this point, but we’ll get an update soon.” Usually seeing the dawn helps; daylight tends to uplift her.

Track her current location at;  http://www.diananyad.com/

Dukes OceanFest Hawaii Night A Sucess | Surfline

The Wahine Longboard division finished up today. Surf picked up slightly for the early morning heat. It is always a battle for patience in the inconsistant Waikiki surf but in the end it was the youngest competitor that came our victorious. Honolua Bloomfield from the North Shore of Oahu took the title. " I wanted to catch the first wave and I did", said the 14 year old. " Then the other girl (Sophia) got a set wave so I had to get one and I got a couple inside while everyone was outside." In second was Sophia Bartlow from California who has been coming and going from Hawaii her entire life. Bartlow is a student at the University of Hawaii. In third it was Megan Godinez, Kaneohe and 4th went to Crystal Dzigas, Honolulu.

The Hawaiian Airlines Legends division kicked off today with plenty of spirit. The early lead belonged to team Kimo's Restaurant headed up by Laura Blears. Later Team Rainbow Drive-In was leading. Legand Dino Miranda was at the helm. The Hawaiian Airlines Legends event continues tomorrow, Saturday.

Duke Kahanamoku's birthday is August 24th. There will be a lei draping tomorrow morning. The lei draping will begin at 6:45 with great Hawaiian music and at 7:00 the ceremony will begin! The Duke's OceanFest is held each summer in Waikiki in honor of Hawaiian Duke Paoa Kahanamoku, who is remembered as the greatest waterman who ever lived, and Hawaii's ambassador of Aloha. The 9-day event features a variety of ocean sports that were close to Duke Kahanamoku's heart, such as longboard surfing, paddleboard racing, swimming, tandem-surfing, surf polo, beach volleyball, and more!

More results will be posted on www.dukesoceanfest.com

ISA President Fernando Aguerre Honored as Waterman of the Year at the 24th Annual SIMA Waterman’s Ball - International Surfing Association

La Jolla, California, August 12, 2013 — On Saturday night, surfing leader and ISA President Fernando Aguerre received one of the biggest honors in surfing when he was given the Waterman of the Year award, at the annual Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) Waterman’s Ball held at the Ritz-Carlton in Laguna Niguel, California.

ISA President Fernando Aguerre receives the Waterman of the Year Award from Quiksilver Executive Chairman Bob McKnight (left) and former Billabong President of the Americas and Chariman of the Waterman’s Ball Paul Naude (right). Photo: ISA/Shawn Parkin

Considered the de-facto Academy Awards for the surfing industry, the Waterman’s Ball raised awareness and funds for environmental causes, and also recognized leaders who have committed themselves to the progression of the sport of surfing, with Fernando being the main honoree.

The Waterman of the Year Award is one of the most prestigious awards to receive in the surfing industry.  Most of the past recipients have been former professional and world champion surfers. Fernando’s name will now be etched in history books alongside the likes of Kelly Slater, Laird Hamilton, Andy Irons, Rob Machado, wetsuit inventor Jack O’Neill, Endless Summer Filmmaker Bruce Brown, and legendary watermen and women including Rell Sunn, Greg Noll, Gerry Lopez, and Hobie Alter.

Supergirl Pro attracts 96 pro surfers to Oceanside Pier / Surfer Today

The Ford Supergirl Pro is the only 6-Star Prime Women's surf contest in North America and will be held at the Oceanside Pier, between August 2nd-4th.

The largest female surfing event in the world will attract 96 of the world's top female pros, including Bethany Hamilton, Alana Blanchard, Sage Erickson, Laura Enever, Coco Ho, Malia Manuel and more.

The Ford Supergirl Pro is part of the Supergirl Jam Series, an all-girls action sports competition and lifestyle series developed as a celebration of female empowerment.

In the last seven years, the event has attracted top female athletes in skateboarding, surfing and snowboarding, as well as a variety of girl-power activities.

The event supports several eco-awareness and women's organizations, such as the Surfrider Foundation, Girls Inc and Boarding 4 Breast Cancer.

Honoring Hawai'i's Outstanding Käne and Wähine O Ke Kai / 2013 Waterman Hall of Fame

Aloha! Hawai'i is steeped in the legacy of the waterman beginning with the ancient Polynesians who crossed the vast Pacific Ocean in canoes and then practiced the art of surfing for centuries using long, heavy wooden boards before western man ever encountered the Hawaiian Islands.

 

Led by the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation, the Hawai'i Waterman Hall of Fame is paying tribute to Hawai'i's extraordinary waterman athletes of more modern times, with this showcase of remembrance honoring their achievements.

Hawai'i's watermen and waterwomen have been vital to the cultural heritage of the Hawaiian Islands, their stature essential to the aura of unmatched qualities that makes these islands so special to so many people worldwide.

Each Hall of Fame inductee celebrated here has had a profound impact in perpetuating Hawai'i's waterman legacy, and establishing the Hawaiian Islands as the focal point in the ocean-sports universe.

The Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation is proud to recognize the 2013 Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame Inductee Class:

 

Steve Borowski - Swimming

Tommy Conner - Paddling

Linda Kaiser - Open Water Swimming

Bill Smith - Swimming, Ocean Safety

China Uemura - Surfing

Source; Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation

We continue to ask the question, "What is a Waterman"?

We continue to ask the question, "What is a Waterman"?

Take a look at a video by The Waterman League and Interviews with Gerry Lopez and Brian Keaulana about the concept of a waterman, past and present.

 

Source; The Waterman League

Nominees sought for Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame

A new class of distinguished waterman legends will be inducted into the Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame this August and the public is being invited to nominate worthy candidates for consideration.

The Hall of Fame nomination packet and submittal instructions are available at the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation’s (ODKF) website. http://www.dukefoundation.org/

There is no fee required. The deadline for nominating a candidate is April 7.

With support from respected watermen in the community, ODKF established the Hawaii Waterman Hall of Fame three years ago to honor the accomplishments of Hawaii’s legendary watermen and waterwomen.

Seafarers, Four Young Surfers With Passions Beyond The Riding Of Waves

Surfer Magazine - Surfing’s beginning and end are in the storms out at sea. As the collective focus of the surf world narrows, spiraling toward a singular obsession with performance on a wave, the big blue ocean’s role in the grand scheme of things is unjustly diminished. There’s much more to it than a swell meeting a sandbar. Tracing surfing’s lineage for perspective, we find our forefathers to be watermen who made their living by the sea, those who planted the seed from which this sport sprouted. While surfing’s spotlight focuses on heat scores and hashtags, four young watermen are tapping into a connection with the ocean much deeper than the basic riding of waves. Don’t get the wrong idea, as surfers, they all rip—it’s just that they’re fine with losing sight of the shoreline as well.

Read more about these amazing Seafarers