Summer is sizzling with the kickoff of Duke's Oceanfest at Waikiki Beach this weekend. The weeklong competition honors the father of surfing, and waterman extraordinaire, Duke Kahanamoku. Ramsay Wharton tells us about the events, including tandem surfing and beach volleyball. 

Celebrating a water sports tradition inspired by a Hawaii icon, the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation (ODKF) is presenting the 7th Annual Duke’s OceanFest, taking place at Waikiki Beach August 17 - 24, 2008. Events, dates and times are subject to change.

Bear Woznick & Krystl Apeles are World Masters Champs who came out to demonstrate the art and skill of tandem surfing. Woznick also teaches local surfers how to perform tandem skills. For more information check out, www.hawaiitandemsurf.com.

• Lanikai Canoe Club’s 41st Annual Duke Kahanamoku Classic (August 17) The opening event of Duke’s OceanFest week, this 24-mile open ocean course will challenge canoe teams to race from Kailua to Duke Kahanamoku Beach.
• ITSA/ISA Waikiki Sandbox Bar Duke’s OceanFest World Title Tandem Surf (Aug. 20-23) – Two on the surfboard is better than going solo in this acrobatic dance duet of surfing. Quarterfinals and semifinals take place Aug. 22; finals Aug. 23.
• AccesSurf Inaugural Challenged Athlete Division of Surfing (Aug. 21, 23) –AccesSurf will introduce the first Challenged Athlete Division of Surfing, as athletes overcoming muscular dystrophy, quadriplegia, paraplegia and amputation demonstrate their surfing abilities and compete for trophies. Finals take place Aug. 23.
• Hawaiian Airlines Duke’s Legends Surf Classic (Aug. 22-23) – Sponsored teams with four amateurs and a Hawaii surf legend will participate in a competition run like a pro surf meet with heats, judges, scoring, public address announcer, and exhibit booths. Proceeds raised go to ODKF’s scholarships and grants program. The finals take place Aug. 23.
• Waikiki Beach Boys Legends Celebration at Duke’s Waikiki (Aug. 22, 2-4pm) – Known as Ho‘ohanohano Na Kanaka O Ke Kai (to honor the men of the sea), this event is a gathering of former beach boys and friends of Duke sharing fond memories of old Waikiki.
• Duke's Waikiki Ocean Mile Swim (Aug. 23, 9am) – Hundreds of swimmers compete in a one-mile open ocean sprint fronting Duke’s Waikiki at the Outrigger Waikiki on the Beach. Swimmers may show up the morning of and turn in applications.
• SeaHawaii Waterman Challenge (Aug. 23, 11am) – This exciting team relay race consists of a challenging 500-yard swim, 1,000-yard stand-up paddleboard race, and 2,000-yard canoe race. Lifeguard teams from Hawaii and California, along with local canoe clubs, showcase their waterman skills.
• Corona Extra Duke Classic Beach Volleyball Tournament (Aug. 23, 9am) – Four-person teams – three men and one woman – take to Kuhio Beach for this daylong tournament.
• C4 Waterman/HonoluA Surf Hawaii Paddleboard Championship (Aug. 23, 11am) – “Duke’s Race” starts at Maunalua Bay in Hawaii Kai and finishes at Duke’s Statue in Waikiki and features some of Hawaii’s best watermen and waterwomen.
• The Great Hawaiian 105 KINE Luau (Aug. 23, 4pm) – With ono Hawaiian food and the music of Cecilio and Kapono, this luau at the Waikiki Shell is a celebration of Duke and his legacy. Proceeds raised go to ODKF’s college scholarships and athletic grants program.
• Outrigger Sunset on the Beach (Aug. 23-24, 5pm) – Saturday and Sunday night at the movies is never better than under the stars of this beachside theater at Kuhio Beach.
• Finis Surf Polo Tournament (Aug. 24, 9am-3pm) – Held at the Duke Kahanamoku Lagoon located at Hilton Hawaiian Village, this round robin water polo tournament features six-person teams playing on surfboards – just like Duke did. Last year’s teams included lifeguards from the City and County of Honolulu and Los Angeles County, as well as the University of Hawaii Wahine, and Paumalu/North Shore.
• Waikiki Lei Procession and Draping of Duke’s Statue (Aug. 24, 4:45pm) – This dramatic Waikiki Beach tradition features the ceremonial decorating of Duke’s Statue with fresh flower lei, which are carried on surfboards in a sidewalk lei procession along Kalakaua Avenue.

Major sponsors of Duke’s OceanFest include Hawaii Tourism Authority, Outrigger Hotels & Resorts, Hawaiian Airlines, Duke’s Waikiki, C4 Waterman, Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort & Spa, Corona Extra, Roxy, Hilo Hattie, Hilton Grand Vacations Club, Honolua Surf Company, Hawaiian 105 KINE, Finis, Olukai Premium Footwear, SeaHawaii, Honolulu Star-Bulletin, and the City and County of Honolulu.

Duke Kahanamoku is revered as the “Father of International Surfing” and Hawaii’s greatest athlete, winning six Olympic medals – including three swimming gold medals – from 1912 to 1932. He was the first person inducted into both the International Swimming Hall of Fame (1965) and International Surfing Hall of Fame (1966).

Duke honed his legendary waterman skills off Waikiki Beach and brought worldwide attention to the islands with his incredible exploits and charismatic warmth as Hawaii’s “Ambassador of Aloha.” ODKF is awarding $204,000 in college scholarships and athletic grants in 2008, its largest total ever and a 40 percent increase over last year. ODKF is providing funding support to more than 100 Hawaii athletes and nonprofit organizations competing in “Duke sports” – water sports and volleyball.

ODKF is a public nonprofit foundation created with the mission to financially support the development of individuals and organizations perpetuating the spirit and legacy of Duke Kahanamoku. For more information, visit www.dukefoundation.org or call (808) 545-4880.

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