WAIMEA — “Waterman,” the documentary celebrating surfer, Olympian and Hawaiian icon Duke Kahanamoku, returns to the Waimea Theater this Friday.
The 90-minute film, narrated by actor Jason Mamoa, was made with the help of Kaua‘i’s own Billy Pratt, a director and past president of the nonprofit Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation.
“Waterman” was first screened on Kaua‘i late last year, during the Hawai‘i International Film Festival. Now it’s back for a regular theater run.
“If you look at Duke, he is the greatest icon that we, as a state, have in Hawai‘i,” Pratt told The Garden Island last year. “Mind you, we’re talking about a 131-year-old individual. He has four statues or monuments in three different countries. I’m not so sure if (Muhammad) Ali or even (Michael) Jordan have that.”
The documentary features world champion longboard Duane DeSoto as Duke, and includes commentary from contemporary surfing legends like North Shore resident Laird Hamilton and Kelly Slater.
Carissa Moore, who won gold in the Olympics’ first-ever surfing competition last year, watched a rough cut of “Waterman” before making Olympic history.
“She said it certainly did inspire her,” Pratt said. “And she went on (to win) the very first gold medal ever given in the sport of Olympic surfing, a Hawaiian from the same bay as Duke Kahanamoku.”
For ticket information, visit watermanthemovie.com/tickets/ online.
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Scott Yunker, reporter, can be reached at 245-0437 or syunker@thegardenisland.com.
