I surprised and pleased to learn yesterday that paddlers from the Waikiki Surf Club are wearing shirts honoring my father, John Lind, during the current canoe racing season. My dad was one of the club’s founders and served as its first president, among other things. He died in October 2010.

The shirt features a photo of him taken on the beach in front of the old Waikiki Surf Club clubhouse next to the Moana Hotel back in the late 1940s or early 1950s.

The Waikiki Surf Club was born just about the time I was, and in many ways I grew up in its shadow. On my dad’s list of life’s priorities, I honestly think I was somewhere just a notch below the WSC, so I know he would be very pleased by this honor.

Here’s what Luana Froiseth, daughter of co-founder Wally Froiseth, said about the shirts in an email:

We do a members shirt every year starting the regatta season. It is usually a design that is chosen from a member of the club. When Mike Tongg passed we did an “Aloha to Uncle Mike shirt”, as we did with Aulani Kauhane, who was our secretary for 20 years.

We could not pass your dad without giving him the honor that he so much deserves. Everyone in the club was told of what he did for Waikiki Surf Club and felt very proud to wear our members only shirts.

I had so many comments about the shirt from people who new him. And when asked who we were dedicating our season to, I told them he was one of our founders and 1st president of the club. They all felt that they had learned a part of history of WSC.

We are the ones to be honored to have had your father as a founder of Waikiki Surf Club.

My thanks to the members of the Waikiki Surf Club for remembering my dad in this way.