The Martucci family of Long Island, N.Y., stood in a five-person-deep line on Friday waiting to take their picture in front of the bronze statue of the late Duke Kahanamoku, the iconic surfer who broke Olympic records and racial stigmas to put his Waikiki playground and Hawaii on the map as a world-class water destination.

"He made Waikiki famous," said Joe Martucci, who has family in Hawaii but grew up on the East Coast. "It wouldn’t be the same without him."

Martucci and his wife, Maureen, said they were psyched to learn that their visit coincided with the annual Duke’s OceanFest, which began Saturday and will run through Aug. 25.

"Whenever you learn about the history of Hawaii, Duke is always mentioned," Maureen Martucci said. "We’re going to try to take the kids."

Tens of thousands of tourists and locals are expected to turn out for the nine-day festival, which since the early 2000s has created opportunities for people to compete in ocean sports and has raised funds to support local education.

Organized by the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation as an offshoot of successful local efforts to get the U.S. Postal Service to issue a Kahanamoku stamp, the event also increases awareness of the importance of perpetuating the culture of Waikiki and of Kahanamoku’s legacy far beyond his 1968 death.

"The stamp was released on Aug. 24, Duke’s birthday, and that was the inception of everything," said Chris Colgate, OceanFest co-chairman and Oahu regional manager of TS Restaurants, whose portfolio includes Duke’s Waikiki, an oceanfront restaurant, gathering spot for surfers and Kahanamoku photo museum. "From the start, we’ve drawn a huge cross-section of people from around the world. However, interest has grown and today about a third of the participants are from out of state."

Sean Dee, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Outrigger Enterprises, said the event will bring 2,500 athletes from around the globe to test their skill at some of the ocean sports Kahanamoku enjoyed such as longboard surfing, paddleboard racing, swimming, tandem surfing, surf polo, beach volleyball and stand-up paddling.

"It’s not as big as the Hono­lulu Marathon, but I think there’s a lot of potential for some of OceanFest’s events to bring visitors into the state," Dee said. "We’re building on the lifeguard competition by reaching out to our colleagues in Japan, New Zealand and the U.S. mainland."

He said the Outrigger chain has long supported the event, which it values for reasons other than just tourism potential.

Onlookers, who will gather along a picturesque length of Waikiki Beach, also can gain a deeper appreciation for the waterman culture that sets Hawaii apart from other sun, sand and surf destinations.

Some might recognize Kahanamoku, who won six Olympic medals and was the first inductee to both the International Swimming Hall of Fame and International Surfing Hall of Fame, as the "Father of International Surfing" and one of Hawaii’s greatest athletes. However, Kahanamoku’s story has relevance even for the many residents and tourists who have never picked up a surfboard.

Known as Hawaii’s original "Ambassador of Aloha," Kahanamoku is credited by many as setting the standard for local hospitality.

"Duke represented everything that was good and everything everyone dreams about … he was an Olympic athlete, a movie star and a real hero. He once saved eight men in Newport, Calif., during heavy surf, " Colgate said. "This event, which brings in the surviving beachboys, lets people have a glimpse of that time in Waikiki that was so romanticized and gives us a conceptual idea of how to perpetuate his legacy.

"It’s not just a surf contest or a swim meet or a paddleboard race. It all ties back to the ocean and to Duke and to the beachboys. It’s about giving them respect and preserving the culture that they started."

To that end, this year’s event also will serve as the debut of the centennial edition of "The Surf Riders of Hawaii," which is believed to be the first book about surfing and contains one of the earliest known surfing images of Kahanamoku. Only about eight of these historic treasures, which were handmade and self-published in the early 1900s by A.R. Gurrey Jr., remain.

However, Kauai-based artist Tim DeLaVega has made a new edition. Festival-goers will have a chance to see DeLaVega present his creation at Duke’s statue from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Friday.

"We feel that if we don’t show our history, we’ll lose it," said OceanFest co-chairman Jim Fulton.

In addition to broadening the sense of place for locals, the festival also increases community spirit by uniting some 150 local volunteers and a host of major sponsors, including the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority, Kona Brewing Co., Wai Koko Coconut Water, Outrigger Hotels and Resorts, Capital One 360, Hawaiian Airlines, Duke’s Waikiki, Mobi PCS, AccesSurf, Barefoot Wine & Bubbly, the City and County of Honolulu, Tiki’s Grill & Bar, Honolua Surf Co., Hawaiian 105 KINE, Surf News Network, This Week Magazines and the Honolulu Star-Advertiser.

Kahanamoku was all about giving back to the community and the event that bears his name reflects this, Fulton said.

Net proceeds raised by OceanFest will be donated to the Outrigger Duke Kahanamoku Foundation to fund annual college scholarships and athletic grants to Hawaii residents and nonprofit organizations that compete in water sports and volleyball.

"This year the foundation awarded $150,000 in scholarships and grants," Fulton said. "Altogether, the event has given out $2 million to 1,349 individuals."

A new event this year, the Duke Kahanamoku Keiki Surf Fest, will involve about 140 kids, ages 4 to 13, throughout the day today.

For more information, visit www.dukesoceanfest.com.