Friday morning, February 22, 2002, I climbed out of the ocean after an excellent Maui dawn session on the North Shore. Sitting in his van checking it was Duke. He greeted me, and we took to conversing. Soon I asked Duke if I could interview him for the DogMan Chronicles, and he readily agreed. Duke supplied the paper and pen with which I took notes for this interview. My only regret is that I didn't get any pix of Duke, nor his trusty and well travelled surf van. So I'll substitute a few pix of the North Shore location at which we rendevouzed. Sorry Duke, look for me at this same spot next Winter in February, and we can do chapter two. I promise not to forget the pix the next time! As usual, click on the thumbnails to open a larger version in a new window.

Duke is a dedicated family man; he speaks of his children with pride emanating from the glow in his eyes. He's lving his life in paradise, but it's no Garden of Eden. Duke is resilient, having worked through different times, jobs and business on several islands. He speaks sincerely, is readily friendly, and genuinely interested in meeting and getting to know others. My usual practice for interview columns is to give the person interviewed the right to review and suggest changes to the column before I put it on PWR. When I offered this to Duke he demurred, saying "I trust you." He had only just met me minutes before.

DM: How did you come to Hawaii and when?

Duke: I've spent the last 30 years living on the Hawaiian Islands. I left Santa Barbara in 1968, and arrived on the North shore of Oahu with only my VW van, my Australian sheep dog, and my surfboard.

DM: Do you remember anything about that board?

Duke: Sure. In those days, everyone was a backyard shaper. I stripped the glass from a Hanson board, shaped it into a 7'6" potato board intended for surfing Rincon, and brought it to Oahu.

DM: Where did you live on Oahu?

Duke: At first I lived on the North Shore with six other people from Galveston, Texas. I cannot clearly remember what I did besides surfing and drugs. However I did work in contruction in Honolulu, and as a stable hand.

Note from DM: These days Duke is sober and quite religious. Obviously the drug thing is in the distant past. But he still surfs!

Another note from DM: This is a choice I too have made in my own life. At one time I could both take drugs and surf. One magic day a dramatic choice became completely clear to me: I could take drugs, or I could surf; I could no longer do both. It took me about one microsecond to make a decision. You get one and only one guess which choice I made.

DM: Doesn't sound like a very stable life style, how did you evolve out of it?

Duke: No it wasn't very stable. But I had an interest in nutrition and health foods while still in Santa Barbara, and I dropped out of the surf scene to pursure this. I met an organic gardener in Pupukea, became his student, and learned about growing, eating, and living healthy.

DM: You mentioned that you soon moved to Kauai from Oahu. How did that occur?

Duke: One of my friends moved to Kauai. Once he was settled on the Garden Isle, I visited and we surfed all the spots. It was mellow, uncrowded, and friendly. People cooperated in the lineup and I fell in love with Hanelei Bay.

Six months later I moved to Kauai and lived there for the next seven years. On Kauai I got married, had our first child.

DM: Tell me more about your family.

Duke: Well, while I was on Kauai I converted and became a Jehovah's witness. My wife and I have six children; the eldest is 27 years, a child by my wife's previous marriage. The whole family are Witnesses: no smoking, no swearing. And by the way, everyone surfs.

DM: Did you move to Maui after Kaui?

Duke: No, from Kaui I moved to Molokai. My former mentor from Pupukea had settled four acres on the East end of Molokai with a running stream. When I arrived, he met me at the airport and we shared a coconut and pineapple lunch.

He took me to a private compound on Molokai tha appeared to be paradise. From this property upcountry I could look down a lush valley all the way to the ocean. At the bottom of the valley is Rock Point, a perfect left break.

Note from DM: At this point in the interview, Duke quoted Bob Dylan, "Don't go mistaking paradise for that home across the road."

Duke: But my mentor from Pupukea wasn't as much fun to be with on Molokai. The property required hard work, and an austere lifestyle. I was itching to go surfing. Finally the guy pulled a loaded gun and shot a feral cat who had "invaded" the property.

So the next day I left, headed for the Valley Isle. I came to Maui in 1979, and have been here ever since. I opened one of the first health clubs on Maui in 1981.

DM: What business are you into these days?

Duke: These days I'm a solar salesman. I got into this from a seed planted a long time ago. The founder of Blue Blocker sunglasses moved to Maui, and now publishes the Kihei Times. He told me "anything to do with the environment" was going to be a good business choice. Then a recommendation from Maui Electric came my way, steering me toward Allen's Plumbing. It was a natural fit. So far I've sold two systems, and am working on ten more leads.

DM: You're obviously a people person, why do you like sales?

Duke: I'm not an eight-to-five person. I've done the routine, but it's not my nature. The ability to be free, to come and go as I want means a lot to me.

DM: Back to surfing, what board do you ride these days?

Duke: I ride an In Deep board shaped by Dwayne Ignacio, a Maui shaper. It's 9'4" with a single fin and a rounded pin tail. I also have an 8'5" Mark Angel pintail. It's a semigun and a thruster.

DM: When do you find time to surf?

Duke: Since the longboard resurgence, breaks on Maui are packed with kooks. Surf ettiquette is a lost art. If there's even a ripple there are at least 10 people on it. So I look for windows of opportunity. I always have my board with me in the van, and I'm ready to paddle out at a moment's notice.

Note from DM: I found this approach to surfing describes Duke's approach to life. He develops ideas for long periods, and he keeps his eyes and ears open. He talks with folks around him, meets new people, and when the window of opportunity presents itself he is ready to take advantage.

DM: Can you describe the surfing on Maui?

Duke: Maui is a challenging place to surf. The island is plagued by wind, tide, swell direction and geography. In the Winter months the North West swell hits the island and makes for good waves. But the Summer South swell is blocked by Lanai and Kahoolawe. A West swell is blocked by Molokai and Lanai.

The tides and the winds often ruin the surfable waves, even when there is swell. It can be discouraging to surf Maui, because there is just not enough wave time.

On Kauai you can surf everyday. Swell from any direction has an open path to the island. Since Kauai is basically a round island, it has good exposure to every swell.

DM: Any final words for the those that will read this?

Duke: Sure. Anyone considering coming to Hawaii should have a healthy respect for the locals who have struggled long and hard for what they have. Respect the land, the ocean, and appreciate these islands that are paradise. The Hawaiian people are genuinely friendly and the islands are truly blessed.

DM: Thanx for your time and thoughts. Maybe we'll split a peak before I have to leave for the mainland.

Note: Weather, swell and schedule conspired against this. I didn't see Duke again on that trip to Maui. When I return, hopefuly next Winter, I'll give him a call and try again to share some waves with him. I've met few surfers as sincere, friendly, and spiritual as the Duke of Maui.

CU Out There,

DogMan