Four influential figures in Hawaiʻi’s water sports — including one who calls Kauaʻi home — now officially are part of the Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame.
Five-time state outrigger canoe champ, 1976 U.S. Open Surfing champion and 1977 U.S. Open Tandem Surfing champ Lāʻola Lake Aʻea of the Garden Isle is a 2026 inductee, sporting — among those already mentioned — a long list of surfing and paddling accomplishments.
All were honored for their lasting contributions to the water sports community.
Lake Aʻea surfing and paddling accomplishments:
- 1976 US Open Surfing champion (Open division).
- 1977 US Open Tandem Surfing champion.
- Elite Waterwoman in surfing, canoe paddling and stand-up paddleboarding.
- One of 5 visionary wahine surfers who helped catalyze the first Professional Women’s Surfing Tour
- Former president, Kauaʻi Lifeguard Association.
- 5-time state outrigger canoe champ with Hui Nalu.
- World sprints gold.
- 4 Molokaʻi Channel championships.
She was also part of a group of pioneering wahine surfers who founded Hawaiʻi Women’s Surfing Hui, paving the path for women in competitive surfing. Lake Aʻea also put in years of effort to improve ocean safety on Kauaʻi.
“Lāʻola Lake Aʻea’s legacy reaches well-beyond her titles and historic firsts,” said the induction ceremony program. “She made space for women in the ocean, protected those who enter it and passes down the knowledge and aloha she received. In all of it, she honors the ocean that raised her.”
The 3 other 2026 hall of fame inductees:
- Marshall Rosa of Molokaʻi, who spent more than sixty years shaping Hawaiian canoe racing and surfski.
- Johnny Puakea of Oʻahu, honored for more than three decades as a coach, mentor and innovator.
- Harvey Chilton of Oʻahu, inducted posthumously for his impact on coaching swimming in Hawaiʻi for 45 years.
Many past Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame inductees also attended this year’s induction event, including Buffalo Keaulana, Fred Hemmings, Johnny McCandless, Jock Sutherland, Patti Paniccia, Archie Kalepa, Walter Guild, Laura Blears, Mark Cunningham, Mike Spalding, Kanesa Duncan Seraphin, Duane DeSoto, Kalani Vierra and Marc Haine.
Watch this year’s hall of fame induction on YouTube.
“Each of our honorees has achieved excellence at the highest levels, keeping Hawai‘i on the map and inspiring others. Yet their greatest legacy may be found not only in what they achieved, but in what they gave — sharing their knowledge, mentoring others and ensuring that the skills, traditions and spirit of Hawai‘i’s ocean sports endure,” said Hawai‘i Waterman Hall of Fame Chairman and Co-founder Bill Pratt. “That is the true essence of a Hawaiian waterman and waterwoman: to excel with humility, give generously and recognize that what we receive from those who came before us is both a privilege and a responsibility to pass on to those who follow.”
Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame was established in 2008 by the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation Board of Directors to honor legendary athletes with strong Hawaiʻi connections and who excel in water sports, leaving their sports and communities better than they found them.
The hall of fame celebrates role models and stories that reflect Hawaiʻi’s ocean culture.
“Congratulations to this year’s Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame inductees … whose lives and contributions reflect the excellence, dedication and aloha that define the Hawaiian waterman tradition,” said title sponsor ʻĀma OluKai Foundation Executive Director Matt Lindauer.
It is the mission of Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation to financially support people and organizations that perpetuate the spirit and legacy of Duke Kahanamoku. It has awarded 914 grants and 1,221 scholarships since its founding, totaling more than $4 million in community investment.
Lāʻola Lake Aʻea of Kauaʻi is one of the 2026 inductees into the Hawaiʻi Waterman Hall of Fame. (Courtesy Photo)- Lāʻola Lake Aʻea catches a wave. (Courtesy Photo: Hall of fame induction ceremony program)
The foundation’s work helps Hawaiʻi scholar-athletes, teams, events and programs in swimming, surfing, canoe paddling, kayaking, diving, water polo, sailing and volleyball, while also advancing water safety and access to water sports.
Visit the nonprofit foundation’s website or email to info@DukeFoundation.org for additional information, including past hall of fame inductees.
