500 feet of flower lei for Duke

One hundred and twenty years after Duke Kahanamoku's birth, his favorite collection of ocean and beach sports have reached a new level of international popularity and participation. The 2010 Duke's OceanFest drew to a close here this-afternoon with a moving tribute and breath-taking ceremony, enjoyed by thousands from around the world. As the sun set into the Pacific, more than 500 feet of flower lei were draped on Duke's bronze statue. It was a scene you will only find in Hawaii, the home of Duke Kahanamoku and the birthplace of surfing.

OceanFest broke many records today, including entry numbers in the Duke's Waikiki Ocean Mile Swim and the Maui Jim Duke's Race - a 10-mile distance paddleboard race. There was intense competition in the Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Surf Polo; the Corona Beach Volleyball; and the Hawaiian Airlines Legends Surf Classic.

Surf Polo

Surf polo was a sport invented and enjoyed at Waikiki by the Kahanamoku brothers. The Outrigger Hotels & Resorts Surf Polo Tournament is one of the most exciting, competitive and intriguing events of the annual Duke's OceanFest. The Wahoo's Hawaiian Island team brought on an upset win this year, defeating defending North Shore team Paumalu.

Ocean Mile Swim

The Duke's Waikiki Ocean Mile Swim drew a record 350 swimmers, ranging in age from nine to 77 years, and the entire University of Hawaii swim team. Twenty-three year-old Eric Nilsson (Honolulu) came in under 20 minutes with a winning time of 19 minutes, 50 seconds. Runner-up was Dan Worden (Honolulu - 19:55). The women's division was won by Kathryn Taylor, 24, (Kaneohe - 22:58). Full results at timelinehawaii.com.

Hawaii Paddleboard Championships

Maui Jim Presented the 2010 Hawaii Paddleboard Championships, a.k.a "Duke's Race" and Maui's Connor Baxter, 15, took out a record field of 168 that included an unprecedented number of stand-up paddlers. Baxter finished the 10-mile race from Hawaii Kai in 1 hour, 26 minutes and five seconds. The first female across the line was traditional prone/knee paddler Kanesa Duncan Seraphin (Kauai) in 1:40:36. Complete results can be found at pseresults.com.

Beach Volleyball

The Corona Beach Volleyball Championships, Presented by Outrigger Hotels & Resorts might be working on a format that gets them in the ocean next year! With flawless blue skies and plenty of famous Hawaiian sun, they needed to wear socks to endure the sand temperatures today. An extra hot win was claimed by Stein Metzger, Curt Vaughn, Dustin Chun and Flavia.

Legends Surfing Expression Session

Jericho Poppler, women's inaugural international surfing champion in 1976, returned to the winner's dais today when she took first place (ahead of the men!) in the Corona Legends Surfing Expression Session. The Legends teams competition was won by the all-star Rainbow Drive Inn crew: Donald Takayama, Gilbert Kawamoto, Ivan Harada, Dino Miranda and Bonga Perkins.

Mahalo nui loa..

to the generosity and tireless work of the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation and its many valued volunteers and ambassadors. Mahalo to all of this year's passionate sponsors and event crew who contributed priceless resources and time to producing spectacular ocean sports events this week. A sincere mahalo to Pamai Tenn and his team for meticulous attention to cultural and spiritual detail that keeps the aloha and Duke's spirit alive and well at OceanFest. Mahalo to Sandy Hall for her wealth of knowledge that keeps us all on track; the accumulation of knowledge throughout the generations will keep Duke's spirit alive forever. Mahalo to the many special clubs, schools, academies and organizations that were dear to Duke's heart and continue to play a unique part in his story. Mahalo to the City & County of Honolulu, the Hawaii Tourism Authority and the media who recognize that Hawaii's magical blue ocean and saltwater lifeblood is what makes this place special. Mahalo to the Waikiki Beach Boys. From the smallest flower plucked for Duke's lei, to the mammoth staging and production efforts, you all gave so much.

Duke said it best: "Aloha to You"

Photo Credit: Bernie Baker