Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Lagoon
Encyclopedia
Duke Paoa Kahanamoku Lagoon is a small, man-made wading pool in the Waikiki
neighborhood of Honolulu
, on the south shore of the island of Oahu
near the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and Fort DeRussy Military Reservation
. The Hilton Hawaiian Village
is adjacent to the lagoon.
's Hawaiian Village development project. When completed, the new beach and lagoon were named after surfer and Olympic
swimming
champion Duke Kahanamoku
. In 1961, Hilton Hotels acquired Kaiser's Hawaiian Village Resort property.
and relatives of Duke Kahanamoku.
Waikiki
Waikiki is a neighborhood of Honolulu, in the City and County of Honolulu, on the south shore of the island of Oahu, in Hawaii. Waikiki Beach is the shoreline fronting Waikīkī....
neighborhood of Honolulu
Honolulu, Hawaii
Honolulu is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Hawaii. Honolulu is the southernmost major U.S. city. Although the name "Honolulu" refers to the urban area on the southeastern shore of the island of Oahu, the city and county government are consolidated as the City and...
, on the south shore of the island of Oahu
Oahu
Oahu or Oahu , known as "The Gathering Place", is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and most populous of the islands in the U.S. state of Hawaii. The state capital Honolulu is located on the southeast coast...
near the Ala Wai Small Boat Harbor and Fort DeRussy Military Reservation
Fort DeRussy Military Reservation
Fort DeRussy is a United States military reservation in the Waikiki area of Honolulu, Hawaii, under the jurisdiction of the United States Army. Unfenced and largely open to public traffic, the installation consists mainly of landscaped greenspace. The former Battery Randolph now houses the U.S...
. The Hilton Hawaiian Village
Hilton Hawaiian Village
The Hilton Hawaiian Village Beach Resort and Spa, formerly the Kaiser Hawaiian Village Hotel, has been a popular hotel in the Waikiki area of the City and County of Honolulu, Hawaii, United States since 1957. It is the largest hotel of the Hilton chain, with 3,386 rooms and with 7 towers...
is adjacent to the lagoon.
History
The lagoon was developed in the 1950s along with Henry J. KaiserHenry J. Kaiser
Henry John Kaiser was an American industrialist who became known as the father of modern American shipbuilding. He established the Kaiser Shipyard which built Liberty ships during World War II, after which he formed Kaiser Aluminum and Kaiser Steel. Kaiser organized Kaiser Permanente health care...
's Hawaiian Village development project. When completed, the new beach and lagoon were named after surfer and Olympic
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
swimming
Swimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
champion Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Kahanamoku
Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku was a Hawaiian swimmer, actor, lawman, early beach volleyball player and businessman credited with spreading the sport of surfing. He was a five-time Olympic medalist in swimming.-Early years:The name "Duke" is not a title, but a given name...
. In 1961, Hilton Hotels acquired Kaiser's Hawaiian Village Resort property.
Beautification Project
As the lagoon aged, it became murky, stagnant and undesirable for swimming. In 2006 the lagoon underwent renovations for approximately $15 million. With introduction of a new water circulation system, smaller size and shallower waters, the pond became a desirable swimming spot for many. The renovations also incorporated a small island, palm trees, and a boardwalk. On October 16, 2007 the lagoon was officially re-opened with a ceremony attended by Hawaii Lieutenant Governor James AionaJames Aiona
James R. "Duke" Aiona, Jr. is an American politician who served as Lieutenant Governor of Hawaii from 2002 to 2010. He is of Hawaiian, Chinese, and Portuguese descent...
and relatives of Duke Kahanamoku.
See also
- Ala Moana Beach ParkAla Moana Beach ParkAla Moana Beach Park is a free public park on the island of Oahu, U.S. state of Hawaii, located between Waikiki and downtown Honolulu. This park has a wide gold-sand beach that is over a half-mile long. It's man-made and was created by the owner of the Dillingham Dredging Company, who was...
- U. S. Army Museum of HawaiiU. S. Army Museum of HawaiiThe U.S. Army Museum of Hawaii is housed inside Battery Randolph, a former coastal artillery battery, located at Fort DeRussy Military Reservation. The museum's collection contains some World War II armor pieces, an AH-1 Cobra helicopter, and small arms indoors, as well as the battery itself...
- List of beaches in Oahu
- Magic IslandMagic Island (Hawaii)Magic Island is a small manmade peninsula in Honolulu, Hawaii, adjacent to Ala Moana Beach Park and the Ala Wai Yacht Harbor. The park on Magic Island is a popular local hangout where friends and families gather for picnics, frisbee, talk-story, and the occasional festival or drama performance...