In death, Duke looms larger than the 9-foot statue of him that graces the sand not far from where the beachboys and friends recalled the good old days.

"Duke was bigger than life," said Sandra Kimberly Hall, who was there signing copies of her new book, "Duke: A Great Hawaiian."

"His legend will only get bigger. He's one of those people who's known the world over by one name. There are very few of those."

Still, amid the levity at the restaurant and bar that bears Duke's name, more than one person noted that the beachboy line-up diminishes every year. The 17 weather-beaten icons who showed up yesterday numbered fewer than last year's crowd, and probably larger than next year's bunch will be.

Harry "Pop" Robello, one of the original Waikiki beachboys, died on April 26 at age 86.

Waikïkï beachboy “Chief” sits with buddies at Duke’s Canoe Club at the kickoff event for the annual five-day Duke’s Ho‘olaule‘a for the most famous beachboy, who taught many a Hollwood star to surf. Andrew Shimabuku • The Honolulu Advertiser

"I've seen a lot of friends go, but they're still with me out there in the water."

William "Billy" Pa, the youngest of the old-timers at 65, said it's up to the "youngsters" like him to keep the tradition alive. As long as there's a beachboy left, the party will go on, he said.

"What are we going to do here this year?" he asked rhetorically. "Same thing we did last year. Sit around and tell lies. Sit around and say, 'You're fat. You're losing your hair. You're getting older.' "

Not far away, senior beachboy and living legend "Rabbit" Kekai was holding court for a group of rapt listeners.

"I'm the last of the original gang," said Kekai, who at 83 still teaches surfing on a daily basis. He is one of the few who can say, "The Duke took me under his wing," and actually mean it.

Kekai, who took guys like "Gabby" Makalena under his own wing, goes all the way back to the romantic golden era of the 1940s and '50s, when beachboys routinely hobnobbed with famous Hollywood stars — some of whom he taught to surf.

"David Niven ... Gregory Peck ... Gary Cooper," he said. "You name all those guys. Red Skelton. But Gregory Peck was the best. He listened. He did what I said. He caught his own wave. He stood up. He was really cocky, but he did it."

There were a couple that got away. Bing Crosby wouldn't get in the water, Kekai said. He was about to teach Shirley Temple to surf, but Duke said he wanted to do it. Needless to say, Kekai didn't argue.

Ray "Atuck" Chang, 78, agreed that the late 1940s through the 1950s were the best years to be a beachboy.

"Boy, that was a great time," he said. "I was a kid, but I knew that's what I wanted to do. It was a great lifestyle. There wasn't a lot of money in it, but it was really a lot of fun."

Kekai said the best time to be a beachboy is right now — any decade.

He plans to be taking surfers under his wing when he's 100.

"I'm only 83," he said. "Got plenty left."