Fred Hemmings has some stories to tell. He’s like that one relative you’re happy to see at holiday dinners because you know he’ll keep things interesting with his anecdotes.
Like the time he went rat hunting with Buffalo Keaulana.
Or the time one of the wealthiest women in the world invited him to her house for dinner.
Or when he was clearing brush at his house and a tree fell on him and he was rescued by a homeless man who lived in the bushes.
On his Facebook page, Hemmings often shares stunning vintage surf pictures of the legends of the sport with anecdotes about where they were when the photo was taken, what ocean conditions were like that day, and jokes about the clothes they’re wearing. Hemmings’ stories are always told first-person because he was there right in the middle of the action, traveling with Duke Kahanamoku, paddling the Molokai channel with a traditional koa paddle, surfing the “swell of the century.” But he tells these epic tales with a relaxed wit and a healthy dose of self-deprecation. He’s not always the hero, and when he is, he’s often surprised about it.
That style of storytelling led to the title of Hemmings’ new memoir, “Local Boy,” published by Legacy Isle Publishing, an imprint of Watermark Publishing. Hemmings gathered some of his favorite anecdotes and photos into an album of memories and observations that reads like you’re hearing him telling tales at a family party.
“Between the lines, it is about how fortunate I am to call Hawaii home,” Hemmings said. “The last 70 years have seen so much wondrous change. My roots are in an older, slow and modest Hawaii.”
Hemmings, 71, was a state legislator for 10 years and Republican candidate for lieutenant governor, and there are stories of his time in politics included in the memoir. But the stories that stand out are of his glory days of surfing and his friendship with the great Duke Kahanamoku. In one passage, Hemmings recalls watching a man excitedly approach Kahanamoku and ask, “Duke, do you remember me? I met you when I was 3 years old.”
“Duke looked at the man in the eyes and with a smile said, ‘Nice to see you again.’ That was Duke Kahanamoku. The old guy’s face lit up like he had just received a great gift, which he had. The man had wanted to be recognized and Duke had recognized him. Although I surmise that he did not remember a 3-year-old boy he’d met years before, Duke gave him the gift of recognition. That was the character of Duke Kahanamoku. That’s how he treated everybody.”
Hemmings is often called upon to give speeches about the history of surfing, and he says he’ll speak to any group that wants to hear stories from “Local Boy.” Like the time he cut off his toes while doing yardwork. Or the time he was mowing the lawn and fell off a retaining wall onto his newly healed hip replacement. He has many tales of yardwork calamities and big-wave adventures, the kinds of stories local boys love to tell.
The book will be in stores Dec. 17 or can be ordered online at fredhemmings.com.
Reach Lee Cataluna at 529-4315 or lcataluna@staradvertiser.com.
