From Tree to Mud to Board to Soul

The Tree 

The Tree is the living representation of a deity.
First one must find a suitable tree in Wao Akua and ask for permission to bring the tree down to the sea with an offering of kūmū fish from the sea, thus honoring the ancestors and acknowledging the balance and connection between all things in nature- from the mountains to the sea.

The Mud Is Life

The lipo/mud is the source of all life.  During the creation of a surfboard, one might bury it in the lipo to instill the carved tree with new life. At the same time, the process cures the wood and as it dries, it finds it's shape. In the Hawaiian creation chant called the Kumulipo, all life emerges from the pō, darkness. Again, in the duality of all things, we find balance in recognizing the oneness.

The Board & The Soul

Surfboards, papa heʻe nalu, are an extension of ourselves.  In this way, they acquire our mana and carry our soul into our future.  Thus, surfboards are special objects, heirlooms connecting us with our past and future. Guided by our ancestors whom are our our papa, ​our foundation, and through the self, we interact with the waves of energy moving through the universe--always positioning, flowing, striving. 

What Does Surfing Mean To You?

To the Surf Professor, surfing is riding the boundary of culture and nature.  The board is the vehicle upon which you express yourself in a body-centric manner on the wave, ka nalu, striving for success on the currents, ke au, of the sea. Mana is your ability to flow with the currents that abound in the universe. So, literally and spiritually, we surf through space and time. 

Hawaiian Board Building and Surf Retreat

5 Days 4 Nights	Pricing
Surf in the morning and Carve in the afternoon	Cost based on materials available for Board Building & chosen accommodations
Learn How to build a traditional Hawaiian Surfboard - Papa He'e Nalu	Includes cost of Activities, Meals 3x day, Ground Transportation, & Housing on beautiful Windward O'ahu (Air Transportation & Airport ride NOT Included)
Leave with your own handcrafted Alaia	Also included: cost for Wood Slab and Usage of Building Tools
On-site housing on beautiful Windward O'ahu	Private Day Clinics (no accommodations) and Group Retreats Available
Meals included: Farm to Table and local favorites	Each participant will leave with their own surfboard
Discuss Surf History, evolution of the surfboard, and hear myths and legends of the Pacific Region.	FOR MORE INFORMATION

The Board

The alaia board, which is 9 feet long, is thin and wide in front, tapering toward the back.  On a rough wave, this board vibrates (flexes) against the rider's abdomen, chest, or hands when they rest flat on it, or when fingers are gripped into a fist at the time of landing.  Because it tends to go downward and cut through a wave it does not rise up with the wave as it begins to curl over.  Going into a wave is one way to stop its gliding, and going onto the curl is another.  - John Papa Iʻi