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thrum's almanac : surf-riding, 1896 |
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TREES AND MODE OF CUTTING
There were only three kinds of trees
known to be used for making boards for surf riding, viz.: the wiliwili
(Erythrina monosperma), ulu or breadfruit (Artocarpus incisa), and koa
(Acacia koa).
The uninitiated were naturally careless, or indifferent as to the method of cutting the chosen tree; but among those who desired success upon their labors the following rites were carefully observed.
Upon the selection of a suitable
tree, a red fish called kumu was first procured, which was placed at its
trunk.
The tree was then cut down, after
which a hole was dug at its root and the fish placed therein, with a prayer,
as an offering in payment therefor.
After this ceremony was performed,
then the tree trunk was chipped away from each side until reduced to a
board approximately of the dimensions desired, when it was pulled down
to the beach and placed in the halau (canoe house) or other suitable place
convenient for its finishing work.
FINISHING PROCESS
Coral of the corrugated variety
termed pohaku puna, which could be gathered in abundance along the sea
beach, and a rough kind of stone called oahi were commonly used articles
for reducing and smoothing the rough surfaces of the board until all marks
of the stone adze were obliterated.
As a finishing stain the root of
the ti plant (Cordyline terminalis), called mole ki, or the pounded bark
of the kukui (Aleurites moluccana), called hili, was the mordant used for
a paint made with the soot of burned kukui nuts.
This furnished a durable, glossy
black finish, far preferable to that made with the ashes of burned crane
leaves, or amau fern, which had neither body nor gloss.
Before using the board there were
other rites or ceremonies to be performed, for its dedication.
As before, these were disregarded
by the common people, but among those who followed the making of surf boards
as a trade, they were religiously observed.
There are two kinds of boards for
surf riding, one called the 'olo' and the other the 'a-la-ia', known also
as 'omo'.
The olo was made of wiliwili - a
very light buoyant wood - some three fathoms long, two to three feet wide,
and from six to eight inches thick along the middle of the board, lengthwise,
but rounding toward the edges on both upper and lower sides.
It is well known that the olo was
only for the use of the chiefs; none of the common people: used it. They
used the a-la-ia, which was made of koa, or ulu. Its length and width were
similar to the olo, except in thickness, it being but of one and a half
or two inches thick along the center.
BREAKERS
The line of breakers is the place
where the outer surf rises and breaks at deep sea.
This is called the 'kulana nalu'.
Any place nearer or closer in where
the surf rises and breaks again, as they sometimes do, is called the 'ahua'[,
known also as 'kipapa' or 'puao'.
There are only two kinds of surf
in which riding is indulged; - these are called the 'kakala', known also
as 'lauloa', or long surf, and the 'ohu', sometimes called 'opuu'.
The former is a surf that rises,
covering the whole distance from one end of the beach to the other. These,
at times, form in successive waves that roll in with high, threatening
crest, finally falling over bodily.
The first of a series of surf waves
usually partake of this character, and is never taken by a rider, as will
be mentioned later.
The ohu is a very small comber that
rises up without breaking, but of such strength that sends the board on
speedily.
This is considered the best, being
low and smooth, and the riding thereon easy and pleasant, and is therefore
preferred by ordinary surf riders.
The lower portion of the breaker
is called 'honua', or foundation, and the portion near a cresting wave
is termed the 'muku' side, while the distant, or clear side, as some express
it, is known as the 'lala'.
SURF COAXING
During calm weather when there was
no surf there were two ways of making or coaxing it practiced by the ancient
Hawaiians, the generally adopted method being for a swimming party to take
several strands of the sea convolvulus vine, and swinging it around the
head lash it down unitedly upon the water until the desired result was
obtained, at the same time chanting as follows:
" Ho aei ho ae iluna i ka pohuehue,
Ka ipu nui lawe mai.
Ka ipu iki waiho aku."
METHODS OF SURF RIDING
The swimmer, taking position at
the line of breakers, waits for the proper surf.
As before mentioned the first one
is allowed to pass by.
It is never ridden, because its
front is rough.
If the second comber is seen to
be a good one it is sometimes taken, but usually the third or fourth one
is the best, both from the regularity of its breaking and the foam calmed
surface of the sea through the travel of its predecessors.
In riding with the olo or thick
board, on a big surf, the board is pointed landward and the rider, mounting
it, paddles with his hands and impels with his feet to give the board
a forward movement, and when it receives the momentum of the surf and begins
to rush downward, the skilled rider will guide his course straight, or
obliquely, apparently at will, according to the spending character of the
surf ridden, to land himself high and dry on the beach, or dismount on
nearing it, as he may elect.
This style was called 'kipapa'.
In using the olo great care had
to be exercised in its management, lest from the height of the wave - if
coming in direct - the board would be forced into the base of the breaker,
instead of floating lightly and riding on the surface of the water, in
which case, the wave force being spent, reaction throws both rider and
board into the air.
In the use of the olo the rider
had to swim out around the line of surf to obtain position, or be con-
veyed thither by canoe.
To swim out through the surf with
such a buoyant bulk was not possible, though it was sometimes done with
the thin boards, the a-la-ia.
These latter are good for riding
all kinds of surf, and are much easier to handle than the olo.
Various positions used to be indulged
in by old-time experts in this aquatic sport, such as standing, kneeling
and sitting.
These performances could only be
indulged in after the board had taken on the surf momentum and in the following
manner.
Placing the hands on each side of
the board, close to the edge, the weight of the body was thrown ,on the
hands, and the feet brought up quickly to the kneeling position.
The sitting position is attained
in the same way, though the hands must not be removed from the board till
the legs are thrown forward and the desired position is secured.
From the kneeling to the standing
position was obtained by placing both hands again on the board and with
agility leaping up to the erect attitude, balancing the body on the swift-coursing
board with outstretched hands.
SURF SWIMMING WITHOUT BOARD
'Kaha nalu' is the term used for
surf swimming without the use of the board, and was done with the body
only.
The swimmer, as with a board, would
go out for position and, watching his opportunity, would strike out with
hands and feet to obtain headway as the approaching comber with its breaking
crest would catch him, and with his rapid swimming powers bear him onward
with swift momentum, the body being submerged in the foam; the head and
shoulders only being seen.
Kaha experts could ride on the 'lala'
or top of the surf as if riding with a board.
CANOE RIDING-PA-KA WAA
Canoe riding in the surf is another
variety of this favorite sport, though not so general, nor perhaps so calculated
to win the plaudits of an admiring throng, yet requiring dexterous skill
and strength to avoid disastrous results. .
Usually two or three persons would
enter a canoe and paddle out to the line of breakers.
They would pass the first, second,
or third surf if they were 'kakalas', it being impossible to shoot such
successfully with a canoe, but if an 'ohu' is approaching, then they would
take position and paddle quickly till the swell of the cresting surf would
seize the craft and speed it onward without further aid of paddles, other
than for the steersman to guide it straight to shore, but woe be to all
if his paddle should get displaced.
It also notes that the 1896 edition features
...
" 1 Illust., 2 Photos, One is a
photograph of 3 boys paipo surf-riding."
I am unable to identify these two images.
Futhermore, the featured quotation (below)
is not included in the Finney and Houston extract ...
"In favored localities throughout
the group for the practice and exhibition of the sport, 'high carnival'
was frequently held at the spirited contests between rivals in this aquatic
sport, to witness which the people would gather from near and far; especially;
if a famous surf-rider from another district, or island, was seeking to
wrest honors from their own champion."
Tom Blake (1935) quotes extenstively from the article ( pages 44 to 47) and concludes ...
I can detect only one error in the
work.
That writer says the olo board of
wili wiIi was "two or three feet wide."
This makes the board too wide to
paddle comfortably and also too wide to give a good performance.
The width of the olo board was from
one to two feet wide, instead of from two to three.
I also infer, from that error, the
writer to be unfamiliar with the wiIi wili, or chief's board.
It is also evident from his writing
that the olo, or long thick board, was not made of koa and ulu, but of
only wili wili.
Therefore, Paki's
boards of olo design and made of koa are an exception and not the rule.
They really are too heavy to please
the average surfrider.
On the other hand, we have today
an enthusiastic and skillful surfrider, Northrop Castle, who has a board
weighing more than either of Paki's.
Castle's board weighs about two
hundred pounds, and he likes it.
Rather than finding the reported Olo width
questionable, this inconsistancy may be the result of ineffective translation
and/or transcription from the original source.
Possibly, the translation may have also
required the calcuation of the dimensions into feet and fathoms (approximately
six feet) from a different method of measurement.
Two traditional Hawaiian measurements were
(note these lack full Hawaiian punctuation) ...
po'ae'ae : 1. the distance from
the armpit to the finger tips of the outstretched arm. (Kalokuokamaile)
2. Armpit (PE). (Approximately
30 inches or 760 mm).
kiko'o : the distance between the
extended tips of the thumb and forefinger of one hand, used to measure
the depth of a canoe. (Emerson; PE) (Approximately 8 inches or
200 mm).
- Adapted from Holmes
(1993),
Glossary,
pages 172 to 179.
If these traditional measurements are substituted,
then the approximate dimensions would be 16 to 24 inches wide (two or three
kiko'o) and 90 inches - 7 foot 6 inches long (three po'ae'ae).
Existing ancient Alaia dimensions would
be close to this - but not for the Olo.
I
f Blake is correct in his inference that
the writer is "unfamiliar with the wiIi wili, or chief's board",
then
the accuracy of other aspects of the article may be called into question.
Also note that the report indicates the for the Alaia "a-la-ia ... length and width were similar to the olo except in thickness, it being but of one and a half or two inches thick along the center."
That is the only difference between these
designs is the timber and the thickness..
The Olo is made of "wili wili"
and the Alaia "of koa, or ulu."
The Olo is "from six to eight inches
thick", the Alaia "one and a half or two inches thick".
The reported length of the two designs
is identical, that is "three fathoms long (18 feet), two to
three feet wide."
This does not correspond with any
other report, or an existing example, of the Alaia.
Further consider ....
Given the reported length of an Olo (and Alaia) in this report is apprroximately 18 feet ("some three fathoms long"), then the technique of kicking ("impel") with the feet at take-off would appear highly inefficient and does not correspond to contemporary experience.
Details in the report on Trees and the Mode of Cutting deserve further consideration.
1. "The uninitiated were naturally
careless, or indifferent as to the method of cutting the chosen tree."
Were the "uninitiated" those not of the
royal caste?
Were they a majority?
2. "The tree trunk was chipped away from each side until reduced to a board approximately of the dimensions desired (a billet), when it was pulled down to the beach and placed in in the 'halau' (canoe house) or other suitable place for its finishing work. "
billet - Crude timber or polyurethane foam block from which a board is shaped. Common usage ‘blank’.
Timber source ;
The comment "it was pulled
down to the beach" , is devoid of practical information.
As discussed below the account does not
indicate a required curing period either before of after transportation.
The account of the finishing process that
follows does not indicate a curing or seasoning period.
While cutting and shaping the board from
freshly cut green timber would be easier work, the result would probably
be a board prone to splitting and warping, as well as being significanlty
heavier than a cured board.
No available early surfboard building reference accounts for the need for a curing time.
For canoe construction, Holmes
(1993)
notes...
"Menzies observes that rough hewn
canoes, 'after laying some time ... to season, were dragged down in that
state to the seaside to be finished ' ". Page 38.
Expanding on the process he adds...
"Usually the log was left to season
in a shaded place 'on logs to prevent it from warping' , anywhere
from several months to several years.
This served to minimize the
tendency of 'koa' to split, check or crack." Page 40.
One would expect that successful surfboard construction would require an intial felling and rough shaping into a billet, followed by a a similar extended seasoning period.
3. "Upon the selection
of a suitable tree, a red fish called kumu was first procured, which was
placed at its trunk.
The tree was then cut down, after
which a hole was dug at its root and the fish placed therein, with a prayer,
as an offering in payment therefor.
Before using the board there were
other rites or ceremonies to be performed, for its dedication.
As before, these were disregarded
by the common people, but among those who followed the making of surf boards
as a trade, they were religiously observed".
Although detailed and explicit, Thrum's
often quoted account of the required religious ceremony closely resembles
more detailed reports relating to canoe construction.
See Holmes
(1991), pages 30 to 42..
Certainly the report by "a native of the Kona district of Hawaii" is of a long past era', is it tainted by the more extensive formal ceremonies associated with the canoe builders?
And, were such reported ceremonial actives reserved only for craft that had specific cultural significance?
4. "The tree trunk was chipped
away from each side until reduced to a board approximately of the dimensions
desired ".
This corresponds with most similar construction
notes of the period, howerver some technical considerations may have insight.
1. Shaping a board from a round log is a lot of work, although this would not be a major impediment to a skilled adzeman.
2. Such a method does result in a massive loss potentially valuable timber, producing a large pile of woodchips or shavings.
3. Canoe builders selected trees that best
replicated their intended designs, those with bends or curves that allowed
for the shaping of significant rocker into the craft.
If surfboards were built along the similar
principles, then we would expect similar design features to be exhibited
in the surfboard design.
This assumes that minimal rocker was not
simply a design preference.
4. Indeed, if the board was shaped from
an individual log, there is no technical reason why the design could not
even include a keel or fin.
This assumes that such a feature on the
bottom would not be considered as significantly increasing the potential
danger - a reason given by some finless riders in the 1940s.
Some pre-contact paddle blades have small
extensions on their tips (their pupose is unclear), illustrating that such
design features were possible.
5. If surfboard design and construction can be related to another Hawaiian maritime products, then it more closely resembles the production of paddles, rather than canoes.
My connention, based only on cognitation,
is that paddles and surfboards were probably shaped from timber beams,
split from logs using a combination of wedges, adzes and hammers.
I would note that..
1. Splitting the timber on site would
greatly assist transport to the coast.
2. Splitting the timber would maximise
the timber available from a log.
3. Pre-contact boards feature a minimal
rocker (contrast canoes) that would appear to fall within the parameters
of a split beam.
4. Although I can not confirm that Hawaiians
used split timber in any other form of construction, I am assuming that
a technology that was able to split stone to construct fine edged tools
was also able to successfully split timber.
5. Split timber would have a faster seasoning
process, which may and allow a more regulated loss of moisture producing
a lighter board and a reduction in the tendency for future splits or cracks.
6.Split timber would be structurally stronger,
improving potential board life.
XXXXX
| home | catalogue | history | references | appendix |
Background and historical significance
of KA NUPEPA KUOKOA
by Joan Hori, Hawaiian Collection
Curator,
Special Collections,
Hamilton Library, University of Hawaiÿi at Mänoa
http://libweb.hawaii.edu/digicoll/nupepa_kuokoa/kuokoa_htm/kuokoa.html#intro