Thanks to Keone Downing (DowningSurf.com) for identifying the man in these photos posted here earlier as Harry Robello.

Robello was one of Waikiki’s famous beachboys during the post-WWII period.

A Google search turns up quite a bit of information, including the photo (below) with Duke Kahanamoku from a 1963 recording session. Robello is behind Duke’s right shoulder (behind and to the left in the photo).

According to a 2008 Star-Bulletin story, the Robello family still offers beach services in the same section of Waikiki Beach.

Here’s the story of those 1947 photos as recounted by the woman’s son, who now lives on the mainland but earned a Ph.D. from UH-Manoa

“My mother is from Santa Barbara, so she grew up on the beach. The photo was taken during a trip she took to Hawaii following graduation from high school. She went on to UCLA, got married and raised five children while living on both the West and East coasts. My father passed away in 2001, she remarried in 2003 and move back to Santa Barbara, where she still lives.

This picture resurfaced this past Christmas as I brought my own family (wife and five children) back to Hawaii (we lived here from 90-94 when I earned my PhD from UH). My oldest daughter is 18 and at the last minute I thought it would be fun to have her recreate the scene from the 1947 photo for my mother’s 80th birthday. I went to Waikiki on Christmas day and talked to the folks who run the surfing concession there. The folks on the beach couldn’t think of anyone there at Waikiki who would be up for the job.

I told them about the photo but didn’t have a copy with me at the time. They were trying to speculate as to who it could have been as they didn’t think there were many surfers giving tandem rides back then.”

But now, mystery solved.