Keeping Score
DON'T you just love lists? As the century comes to a close, there seems to be a need to name the 100 greatest -- of everything. The 100 greatest Olympians, sporting moments, baseball players, golfers ... name it and there is sure to be a Top 100 -- as well as a Top 1000 -- reasons to debate. Who needs 100
greatest? Duke
was No. 1Just yesterday, someone e-mailed me with their list of the top 10 men's and women's volleyball players from the University of Hawaii. She asked me for mine -- which is more of a land mine than anything else.
Don't look for an answer anytime soon, at least not in this millennium.
The Star-Bulletin recently had an in-house request, asking for nominees for its Top 100 Who Made A Difference in Hawaii this century.
It made for great conversation at the water cooler, next to which the list had been posted.
Listed second, but No. 1 in my heart, is Duke Kahanamoku. Hawaii's first Olympian was a man who influenced the world in a number of ways, from surfing to swimming to the aloha spirit.
My husband's late grandfather often spoke of his fondness for Kahanamoku. The two traveled briefly in the same social circles and shared a common bond of being U.S. Olympians.
Admiral P.D. Stroop, my husband's grandfather, said he admired Kahanamoku's warmth and genuineness.
"You could tell he didn't have a mean bone in his big body," the admiral once told me. "He had big hands that went with a big heart.''
I'VE always thought the ultimate compliment would be to be an answer in a New York Times crossword puzzle. Or maybe to be a category on Jeopardy or have a website named for you.
How about a stamp?
The U.S. Postal Service is on the verge of issuing one in Kahanamoku's honor, decades after it was supposed to be done. It is sad that his widow, Nadine, didn't live to see it happen.
We spoke occasionally, usually during an Olympic year or when her husband was being honored posthumously. She would usually close our talk with "Would you check on the stamp?"
The decision will be made this fall. Hopefully, Duke will continue to have his (post)mark on the next century as well.
If you happen to be in Waikiki tomorrow, don't forget to drop by his statue. And say "Happy Birthday.''
It's No. 109 for the Surfer of the Century and Hawaii's No. 1 athlete.
Maybe it's all this talk about the end of the century that has me feeling old. That and seeing the sons of some good friends start high school this week.
Can it really be 30 years since I was in their position? It hardly seems possible. But grey doesn't lie.
Times have certainly changed since 1969, not necessarily for the better. While computers and the Internet are definitely a plus, it just seems our children are forced to grow up too quickly and deal with the realities of life way too soon.
One thing that remains the same is that anticipation of starting a new adventure.
I could see it in the eyes of Cord Anderson the other day. He and twin brother Brad are headed off to Santa Clara, where the Iolani graduates will be the only freshmen on the Broncos' varsity basketball team.
So to Cord and Brad, to new high school freshmen Shawn and Chris, and to the other wonderful young people embarking on a new journey in life, have a safe and happy trip.
And remember to slow down every once in a while. Trust me, the next 30 years will be gone before you know it.
Cindy Luis is a Star-Bulletin sportswriter.
Her column appears weekly.
