Introducing the Trio of Hawaiian Teenage Royals who Introduced Surfing to the Continental United States

In the heart of California, the coastal town of Santa Cruz has a rich history with surfing that dates back to the late 19th century. The story begins with the Hawaiian royal siblings, who played a significant role in introducing the sport to the mainland United States.

In 1885, Princes David Kawānanakoa, Jonah Kūhiō Kalanianaʻole, and Prince Edward Keliʻiahonui arrived in Santa Cruz, marking the first surf demonstrations on the mainland U.S. This historic event was a precursor to Duke Kahanamoku's efforts to popularize surfing globally in the early 20th century.

The local boys at Seabright Beach took notice, and by 1896, they were using surfboards to ride breakers, imitating the Hawaiian princes, as reported by the Santa Cruz Surf newspaper. The mouth of the San Lorenzo river, before the construction of a harbor in the mid-1960s, was a surfer's paradise, offering easy and consistent swells.

The Hawaiian nobles fashioned their surfboards out of California redwood instead of native Hawaiian woods such as ulu and koa. This change in materials would eventually become the dominant surfboard material on the Hawaiian islands in the first half of the 20th century.

The surfing exhibition at the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History aims to highlight the history of surfing's introduction to the U.S., featuring surfboards from modern times that represent the evolution of the sport since the Hawaiian princes' visit. The exhibition also includes reproductions of the original surfboards from the estate of one of the princes, now housed at the Bishop Museum on Oahu.

Jim Ratcliffe's surfboards are also part of the exhibition, representing the heirs of the boards created by the Hawaiian princes. Brian Keaulana, a producer on the Apple TV+ series Chief of War, noted that the Hawaiian princes' visit to California and the subsequent adoption of redwood boards benefitted both people on the U.S. mainland and Hawaiians.

Today, participation in surfing continues to grow in the U.S., fuelled by youthful energy, broader diversity, and a growing appetite for outdoor, wellness-driven lifestyles. The Surf Industry Members Association's 2025 surfing report shows an 8% average annual growth in participation in the sport from 2019 to 2024.

The legacy of the Hawaiian princes lives on, not just in the waves they rode but in the countless lives they've inspired to embrace the ocean and the thrill of surfing. Their acts of "surf diplomacy," as Brian Keaulana calls them, are a famous story in Hawaiian culture and a testament to the power of sport to bring people together.

Introducing the Trio of Hawaiian Teenage Royals who Introduced Surfing to the Continental United States