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Diaranson 14 Juli 2021

Olympic surfing exposes whitewashed Native Hawaiian roots

(AP) — For some Na- even if I’m not wearing the
tive Hawaiians, surfing’s flag on my sleeve. I’m wear-
Olympic debut is both a ing it on my heart.”
celebration of a cultural
touchstone invented by Tatiana Weston-Webb, a
their ancestors, and an ex- white woman who grew up
tension of the racial indig- in Hawaii and will surf for
nities seared into the his- her mother’s native Brazil
tory of the game and their at the Olympics, said Native
homeland. Hawaiians deserve more rec-
ognition but rejected the idea
The Tokyo Summer Games, that they are disrespected.
which open July 23, serve as
a proxy for that unresolved “I don’t think that they’re be-
tension and resentment, ac- ing overshadowed,” Weston-
cording to the ethnic Hawai- Webb said. “It just depends
ians who lament that surfing on how you look at the situ-
and their identity have been ation.”
culturally appropriated by
white outsiders who now Fernando Aguerre as presi-
stand to benefit the most dent of the International
from the $10 billion industry. tory professor who is Native the world’s best waves on said Walter Ritte, a longtime Surfing Association, the
Hawaiian. their very own turf. Native Hawaiian activist. Olympic governing body for
“You had Native Hawaiians “There’s no doubt that the surfing, pledged to honor Ha-
in the background being White settlers first arrived on An infamous brawl involved control is not here in Ha- waii and Duke Kahanamoku,
a part of the development the island in the 1700s, bring- a trash-talking Australian waii.” the godfather of modern
of it and just not being re- ing with them disease that surfer named Wayne “Rab- surfing, during the Games.
ally recognized,” said Isaiah nearly wiped out the Native bit” Bartholomew, who was The effort to take back surf- Like many surfing industry
Helekunihi Walker, a Ha- Hawaiian population, con- battered and humbled by the ing’s narrative is why sover- leaders, Aguerre, who is from
waii historian and activist. quest to take over the land locals. The surfing world’s eignty activists applied for Argentina, invokes the leg-
“There’s an element of them and its bounty of natural re- reverence for Hawaii and a Hawaii Kingdom nation- end of Kahanamoku often,
taking over. That’s when sources, and racist attitudes Native Hawaiians was ce- al team to compete at the even noting that he named
there’s no more aloha.” that relegated the Indigenous mented. Bartholomew would Olympics. Their longshot re- his son after the Native Ha-
population to second-class go on to run the Association quest hinges on the fact that waiian icon.
The Indigenous people of citizenship. of Surfing Professionals, an they say there was no ratified
Hawaii traditionally viewed earlier iteration of the current treaty that ever formally dis- Kahanamoku was an Olym-
the act of stylishly riding Though it was three Native pro league. solved Hawaii’s autonomy. pic swimmer who won five
ocean waves on a board for Hawaiian princes who first The United States annexed medals and introduced the
fun and competition as a showed off surfing to the “I treaded lightly in light of Hawaii in 1898 after the sport via surfing exhibitions
spiritual art form and egali- mainland in 1885 during a what they went through be- overthrow of the Hawaiian in places like California, New
tarian national pastime that visit to Santa Cruz, Califor- cause there was an internal- monarchy by U.S.-backed Jersey, Australia, New Zea-
connected them to the land nia, white businessmen are ization that this is something forces in 1893. land and Europe. He lobbied
and sea. credited with selling surf- that was stolen from them,” the IOC at the 1912 Summer
ing and Hawaii as an exotic said Richard Schmidt, who A statement from the Inter- Games in Stockholm to in-
White European settlers who tourism commodity for the was among the white Califor- national Olympic Commit- clude it in the Olympics, and
first learned of the sport wealthy. That trajectory has nian pro surfers on the scene tee, which has ignored the re- was the ultimate waterman,
when they arrived to the is- since manifested into a pro- in that era. “You’re never a quest, noted only that appli- whose legacy also includes
land both vilified and capital- fessional sports league largely complete surfer until you cants must be an “indepen- popularizing flutter swim-
ized on the sport. Christian fronted by white athletes. prove yourself in Hawaii.” dent state recognized by the ming kicks and spreading the
missionaries disapproved international community.” concept of lifeguarding and
of the nudity on display, yet But the Native Hawaiians Yet critics say the business water rescue to the masses.
white businessmen later ran never gave up their sport and and branding aspect of the This geopolitical dynamic
a whites-only surf club on by the 1970s, there was a full- sport and lifestyle largely re- will be on display when Ca- “Everything we do has a con-
Waikiki beach. blown racial clash around mained white-centered. rissa Moore and John John nection to Hawaii. I think
surfing with well-document- Florence are in the surf zone it’s impossible to detach Ha-
Today, white people are still ed fights in the ocean. The is- “When surfing started to to compete for the U.S. waiianness from surfing,”
seen as the leaders and au- sue pitted Native Hawaiians become really popular, that Aguerre said. “The ocean
thorities of the sport glob- and some white residents triggered money and that Neither is eager to discuss doesn’t really care about hate,
ally, as surfing’s evolution is who grew up among them triggered business people and their views on the matter war or governments. Surfing
now a legacy shaped by white against the white Californian things we’d never thought but they are two of profes- is that way, too.”
perspectives: from practically and Australian surfers who we’d have to deal with as sional surfing’s biggest stars
Native Hawaiian birthright sought to exclude locals from people who surf in Hawaii,” who have long competed Didi Robello, a descendant
to censured water activity, under the Hawaii flag in the of Kahanamoku, said none
and California countercul- pro league, as the World Surf of his family members have
ture symbol to global profes- League recognizes Hawaii as been contacted to participate
sional sports league. a “sovereign surfing nation.” in any Olympic celebrations.
Moore as the reigning female He said his grand-uncle’s
Imagine if the Hollywood world champion is also the name and legacy are exploit-
version of yoga became an only Olympic surfer who is ed, which has become a great
Olympic sport, and by de- ethnically Hawaiian. source of pain for the family
fault overshadowed its roots because the trademark rights
in India, whitewashing the “The hurt and the wounds go to the Kahanamoku name are
original cultural flavor into a back really far,” Moore said. owned by outsiders.
white Californian trope. “I usually compete under the
Hawaii flag all year with the “We’re getting ripped off,”
“It’s the paradox and hypoc- WSL...For me, that’s not a Robello said. “It’s embarrass-
risy of colonization,” said huge focus right now. I think ing.”
Walker, a BYU-Hawaii his- that I can still represent both,