Cocoa Beach, FL September 10, 2026 – The U.S. East Coast has a long and important surfing story – one that stretches from Maine to Florida and includes generations of surfers who have shaped the sport, its culture, its competitions and its communities.  And there may be no better person to symbolize the connection between surfing’s history and the East Coast than Hawai’i’s legendary Duke Kahanamoku.

Duke is widely regarded as the “Father of Modern Surfing.”  His influence reached around the world, but his story on the U.S. mainland has a particularly important East Coast chapter.

In 1912, following his return from the Stockholm Olympics, where he won several swimming gold medals, Duke rode waves in Atlantic City, New Jersey, his first surfing on the U.S. mainland.  Thereafter, he returned to the East Coast many times and helped establish surfing as part of the coastal culture that we know today, including in Virginia Beach.

On Monday, August 31, the Hall of Fame celebrated surfing’s history and a remarkable connection with Atlantic Park Surf with the unveiling of an exact replica of the famous wooden “Duke” board ridden by Duke Kahanamoku.  The board is displayed next to the entrance to the WRV Pro Shop inside the park.

The board itself is a beautiful piece of craftsmanship.  It was shaped and finished by Bill Simon, constructed from old-growth curly redwood, and donated to the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame by Mike “Miggs” Migliorisi.

The board carries the names and induction years of the men and women who have been honored by the East Coast Surfing Hall of Fame – connecting Duke’s legacy with the generations of East Coast surfers who followed him.

A special thanks goes to Monty Dise and Grateful Funds for their generous donation that helped make this permanent display possible.

Our sincere thanks also go to Brittany Baer-Albert and Donna MacMillan-Whitaker of Venture Realty Group and Tracy Derring of Atlantic Park Surf for their support and belief in the project and to Nate Stevens, the General Manager of Atlantic Park Surf for embracing this collaboration.