This Asian American & Pacific Islander Heritage Month, gettyarchive tells the stories of pioneering figures from across sports, politics, and the sciences. Swipe through our gallery here, with full captions provided in our first comments.⁠⁠ For more leaders from AANHPI communities, follow our bio link.⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠ 1. The father of modern surfing, Duke Kahanamoku popularized the ancient Hawaiian sport after it was near eradicated by foreign missionaries in the 19th century. An all-round athlete in the water, “the Duke” competed in several Olympic Games as part of the US team, taking home both gold and silver medals.⁠⁠ In 1914 the Native Hawaiian headlined the first-ever surfing exhibition in Freshwater Beach, Sydney, Australia – forever altering the country’s cultural landscape.⁠⁠ Kahanamoku’s impact was far-reaching; saving the lives of eight capsized fisherman in a daring surfboard rescue in 1925, he also acted in a number Hollywood movies of the 1930s and ’40s. Named a State of Hawaii Amba...