From Tree to Mud to Board to Soul
The TreeThe 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 LifeThe 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.
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The Board & The SoulSurfboards, 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.
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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.
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FACE-TO-FACE Private Hawaiian Surfboard Building Clinics & Surf Retreats are NOW being offered! Please contact me for more information and potential options for learning and sharing aloha!
Kalai Papa Heʻe Nalu: A Four-Day Workshop |
Pricing |
Private Clinics are four hours daily ~ mornings or afternoons! Choose consecutive days or carve one day per week. |
Cost is based on wood desired & available for board building; Surf Retreats are 4 days & 3 nights, morning surf ~ afternoon carve! |
Papa He'e Nalu ~ Learn How to build a traditional-style Hawaiian Surfboard |
Albezia & African Tulip blanks are available for ~ $300 each ~ Blanks Measure: 6 to 10-feet long x 2" thick x 18" wide or wider. |
Discuss Surf History, evolution of the surfboard, & hear myths and legends of the Pacific Region. |
Other woods may be available as well but may cost more, inquire if you have a request. All blanks are soaked in the taro patch, fishpond, or ocean mud flats for debugging & curing. |
Leave with your own handcrafted Alaia surfboard or build one together with your family! |
Ask about catered Farm to Table meals for an additional price. One meal per clinic or all meals during a carving retreat! |
Half-Day Demonstrations, One-Day Carving Clinics, & Group Retreats (with or without accommodations) are also available. Contact me for scheduling & pricing. |
Do you want the Surf Professor to come to you? The clinic can happen at our Board Farm or at your location, provided the space is appropriate ~ plenty dust & noise from power tools! |
Coming from afar and need a place to stay during your clinic? Ask about on-site accommodations for an additional price. |
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