Duke’s OceanFest Returns to Waikiki With Expanded Surfing and Paddleboard Competitions

Duke’s OceanFest, Waikiki’s premier ocean sports festival honoring the legacy of Duke Kahanamoku, will return August 16-24 with an expanded lineup that adds professional stand-up paddleboard racing and a new youth division for surfers under 16.

Now in its 25th year, the week-long festival features longboard surfing competitions, outrigger canoe races, a swimming relay across Waikiki Bay, and beach volleyball tournaments. All events are free to spectators and take place along the stretch of Waikiki Beach fronting the Duke Kahanamoku statue.

“Duke was about making the ocean accessible to everyone, and that’s still the heart of this festival,” said event director Sandy Keahi. “Adding the youth surf division ensures we’re investing in the next generation of Hawaiian watermen and waterwomen.”

The professional longboard competition will serve as a qualifying event for the World Surf League’s longboard tour for the first time, elevating the event’s international profile. Prize money has been increased to $50,000, split equally between men’s and women’s divisions.

New this year is a cultural village near the statue featuring Hawaiian craft demonstrations, lei-making workshops, and talk-story sessions with veteran watermen who knew Duke’s generation. The Outrigger Canoe Club and Hui Nalu Canoe Club will host free introductory paddling sessions for visitors.

The festival traditionally draws over 40,000 spectators across its nine days, generating an estimated $8 million in visitor spending. The opening ceremony on August 16 will feature a Hawaiian blessing and a paddle-out tribute to Duke, who introduced surfing to the world from this very stretch of beach over a century ago.