Waterman

Matt Roush says...

Surf’s up on American Masters for an enthralling documentary profile of surfing and swimming legend Duke Kahanamoku (1890-1968). If you’ve never heard of him, you’ve probably never visited Hawaii, where tributes to the late sportsman are everywhere. Duke’s Olympics heyday as a five-time medalist was a century ago, which led to a stint in Hollywood (though his swimming rival and friend Johnny Weissmuller landed the role he coveted as Tarzan) and then as the face of Hawaii years before statehood, popularizing surfing in the U.S. and Australia with his exhibitions. An anecdote that could be its own movie recounts how in 1925, Duke used his surfboard to rescue eight fishermen from a capsized vessel off the California shore. Take that, Tarzan.

What's Worth Watching (May 10)