Growing up in Hawai'i, Kahanamoku learned to swim and surf at a young age. By his early twenties, he a place on the 1912 United States Olympic team and a gold medal in the 100-meter freestyle race. But his real passion was surfing, and he went on to popularize the sport. Illustrations.

Ellie Crowe has written several award-winning children's books, as well as travel/cultural books on Hawai'i. Her titles have been recognized with the Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature and on the Texas Bluebonnet Master List. Crowe first heard of Duke Kahanamoku while living in Australia. When she moved to Hawai'i, she found Duke was a hero there too. She lives in Honolulu with her family. You can visit her online at elliecrowe.com.