|
Ian ʻAkahi MastersonThe Surf ProfessorThe Beginning.
The first board that I made was a kīko 'o crafted from Norfolk pine. It is fourteen feet six inches long by twenty-one inches wide by four inches thick, and weighs in at one hundred sixty-five pounds. Not having realized the dynamics of bearing down on the opposite rail to turn, I almost gave up. Later I learned more from a documentary called "Shapemakers" (2003), Dale Velzy describes the first time he had ever surfed a hot-curl surfboard, which is solid wood and has a rounded to vee bottom with no fin. He said that every time he tried to turn the board on the drop, it would go in the opposite direction, so instead of standing up right away, he dragged his body in the wave and yanked the board in the direction that he wanted to go , then stood up. I went back and tried it successfully. Still, ignorantly using kūku 'i oil that was manufactured for massage purposes, the board was slippery to stand on. Eventually I came to understand how the ancients were able to stick onto an oiled surfboard. Since then, I have continued researching, building, and riding these surfboards, and it has become a passion to build a relationship with each one of them. |
The Becoming.
I continued on as a USLA beach lifeguard for Water Safety at Kaneohe Marine Corps Base Headquarters for over ten years. I am guitarist and management for the roots reggae band Dread Ashanti. The band released an albums in 1992, 1996, and then again in 2015, this one featuring several of my songs that were authored for Pacific Islands Studies coursework in a class called Islands of Globalization. I received my Masters of Arts Degree in Pacific Islands Studies from the University of Hawai'i at Mānoa. Hailing from Ko'olaupoko, O'ahu this lifelong learner has spent over twenty years as an educator, ocean recreation and safety specialist, archeologist, and Hawaiian cultural practitioner. Since 1999, I developed and taught curriculum for courses in Pacific Surf Science and Technology, Polynesian Surf Culture, Pacific Islands Studies, Mythology of the Hawaiian Landscape, Environment History, and Sustainability at WCC. After 2004 I also taught Cultural Anthropology and Marine Science at Hawai'i Pacific University. When I am not on the farm with my family, fellow surfers and nature lovers might find me at different beach location on any Saturday of the semester with my Island Surfing Sites students, or hiking the trails with my Punahou Middle School keiki (children) during the summer for my Hawaiian SustʻĀĪNAbility course. I could even be found giving a surfing lesson somewhere out on the sea! You may also read about me in various publications like Hana Hou Magazine (Hawaiian Airlines) who published “Riding with The Professor!” My passionate teachings are place-based and founded on Hawaiian cultural concepts that are deeply rooted in nature, the spirit of aloha, and the belief that we are all comprised of one ‘ohana (family). |
The Future.
My practice is to engage students in their environment, stressing observation of natural phenomena and awareness of their cultural importance then (Indigenous understanding) and now (environmental awareness and global factors of change), thus bringing meaning to knowing. My philosophy is to inspire students to reach greatness and see the big picture by doing the research and studying hard--Ka ʻImi ʻIke, to seek knowledge. I follow Hawaiian ways of knowing and truly grasp the metaphor of the universal energy flow as a current in the sea, ke au. A "hei-au" is a place where we go to acquire mana, because it is a point on land that gathers this current. It is for us to understand this current as the tangible passing of space and time that requires us to actively engage with that flow--seek it out, to gain personal knowledge/empowerment, mana. Mana is acquired and inherited, and surfing was one way to acquire mana, thus riding a wave successfully requires great skill, strength, tenacity, and commitment, as does the learning process. In this way I am like the board, the vehicle upon which the student/surfer is enabled to ride the wave--but it requires their active engagement to ride the board correctly and land safely upon the shore. ʻE heʻe-ana kākou! (“Let’s all go surfing together!”) |
Credentials
Education:
Honors:
Training:
Qualification:
Traveled extensively throughout the Hawaiian Islands doing contract archaeology since 1987.
Highlights:
- Master of Arts Degree in Pacific Islands Studies, University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa, Honolulu, May 2010; thesis title, Hua Ka Nalu: Hawaiian Surf Literature; Surfing is a Hawaiian activity.
- Bachelor of Arts Degree in Anthropology, Magna Cum Laude, Hawaii Pacific University, Honolulu, December 2003. Certificates (15+ credits each) in Hawaiian Geography, Hawaii/Pacific Studies, and Organizational Change and Development in Cultural Perspective.
- Associate in Arts Degree, Cum Laude, Windward Community College, Kane`ohe, May, 2001. Coursework in Hawaiian Studies—geology, ethnobotany, culture, religion, language, and music.
- University of Southern California, Los Angeles, 1989-1990. Coursework in archeology, anthropology, oceanography, religion, and music.
- High School Diploma, Punahou School, Honolulu, Hawaii, June 1989.
Honors:
- Alpha Theta Kappa Chapter of the Phi Thetta Kappa International Honor Society for 2-year college students, member since 2001.
Training:
- State of Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources Certified Surf Instructor since 2001.
- DBA The Surf Professor, January 2005-present. Private Surf Lessons, Mentoring, and Coaching.
- United States Lifeguard Association KMCBH Agency Beach Lifeguard, 2002-2013.
- American Red Cross First Responder (2004); CPR, First Aid for the Professional Rescuer,
- Red Cross Lifeguard, and AED Training Certifications, 1999-Present.
- Red Cross Lifeguard Instructor 2015-present.
- Wilderness Medical Institute of the National Outdoor Leadership School Wilderness First Aid Certification, 2010.
- Open-Ocean Personal Rescue Craft Operator and All-Terrain Vehicle training, 2002.
- Certified National Safe Boating Council Boating Safety Instructor, 2010 & 2017.
- Safer Beaches Course, 2016.
- Practical Pool Management, 2016.
- Successful Grant Writing, 2017.
- BWRAG 2015-2017 - Big Wave Risk Assessment Group Conference & Training
Qualification:
Traveled extensively throughout the Hawaiian Islands doing contract archaeology since 1987.
Highlights:
- Primary Author of over a dozen archaeological reports published by Cultural Surveys Hawaii.
- Published freelance writer in several surfing and music magazines; Excellent public speaker.
- Extensive education in Hawaiian religion, culture, music, natural sciences, and basic language.
- Excellent management, logistics, production, word processing, and computer graphics skills.
- Sixteen Years of Curriculum Development at Windward Community College and Hawaii Pacific University in Ocean Recreation, and Surf Science, Culture, and Technology, both individual and team oriented with Faculty, Administration, industry leaders, and community members.
- Surfing Instructor and Consultant, and Ocean Recreation Consultant, 2001 to present.
- Active Waterman: proficient in reading, understanding, and adapting to weather and surf conditions; enjoy surfing, swimming, free diving, windsurfing, boating, fishing, hiking, cliff diving, and star identification.
- Competitive paddle boarder, Molokai to Oahu finisher, 2005.
- Surfed over 200 surfing spots worldwide including England, Ireland, Portugal, Jamaica, Mexico (Baha), China (Hong Kong), Aotearoa New Zealand, Guam, and the U.S.—Hawaiian Islands, California, Florida, Washington, New York, and Texas; beach safety assessments performed.
- Surfboard Collector with over 100 vintage surfboards, experience designing and shaping surfboards, knowledge in polyurethane and styrofoam, fiberglass, polyester and epoxy resins, bondo, and wood repairs; shapes wooden papa heʻe nalu using traditional protocol and materials.
- Enjoys singing and playing Hawaiian, reggae, and other music on ʻukulele and guitar.