Olympian swimmer Duke Kahanamoku and New York garment company, Cisco, collaborated and created a Duke Kahanamoku sportswear collection in 1950. This collection was distributed to better stores across the country.
This short-sleeved shirt showcases one of the most popular pastimes in Hawai‘i: deep-sea fishing. A fishing boat armed with baited poles and eager fishermen take to the Pacific Ocean, likely off Kona on the Big Island, in search of that big catch. Jumping out of the water is the prized Pacific blue marlin, or kajiki (Japanese) or a‘u (Hawaiian). These fish can get as large as 1,600 pounds in round weight and are always line-caught from trolling boats and longliners. But there are other boats in this wide ocean, including sailboats taking advantage of the blowing tradewinds. The palm trees only add to the relaxing vibe of this shirt.
