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ancient hawaiian surfboards: 1941-1970

ancient surfboard design and construction
part 7: 1941-1970

7. REPORTS OF HAWAIIAN SURFBOARDS 1941-1970
In 1961, Tom Blake reprised some of his original work in a second book
A short note is included in the Foreward
The designing and building of surfboards was a highly respected profession. The making of a board was a prolonged job; first, the tree must be felled in the mountain valley, then laboriously carried home, shaped with stone adzes, allowed to season, then finished, and finally, launched. A good board was kept in the family for generations. Such a board was considered
to possess much Manu, or accumulated powers. , :::
When the storm waves were up, the young men took off for the beach; duties of tending the taro patch, carving the calabash and of hewing the canoes were neglected, until the waves subsided.
Foreward : Page 1

Two images accompany the following text
HISTORIC COLLECTION (Figure 1)
At the Bishop Musewn, secure in a vault-like room of heavy concrete along with countless other artifacts of early Hawaiian culture, is this collection of surf- boards. The prehistoric models show a clear-cut dis- tinction between the Alaia and those of 010 design. However, no examples of the 010 board made of Wili Wili wood are here, or seem to be in existence. Sev- eral of these boards are links in the evolution of de- sign from 1900 to the 1930 period. The museum has not room to display this full collection.
SURFBOARDS OF ANCIENT TIMES (Figure 2)
Of interest to every surfrider and on display in the Bishop Museum of Honolulu are these two authentic models of the Ancient Royal Hawaiians. The one at the left is an Alaia, made of wood of the Breadfruit tree. It is an inch and one half thick maximum, and weighs about 70 pounds and was used by the commoners of Hawaii. The Board on the right of a similar shape, called Olo, is about six inches thick at the center. Both boards have a convex top and bottom and fairly sharp edges. 1'he long one is made of Hawaiian Koa wood, but the chieftains favored a light, balsa-like wood called Wili Wili, native to Hawaii, but now scarce. This Olo model weighs 168 pounds. One made of Wili Wili wood might weigh 60 pounds. It is believed they were generally ridden in a prone position on big waves while the thin one has good steering qualities for small surf and was easily ridable in a standing position.
Page

Page 43.Page 43.Page 43.

ancient surfboard design and construction part 8

ENDNOTES
7. REPORTS OF HAWAIIAN SURFBOARDS 1941-1970

1000 The Alaia

The Polynesians arrived in Hawaii with an unequalled maritime knowledge and skills to the finest surfing location on the planet. Not only was there consistant swell and a tropical climate, but a previously untapped store of timber. Unihabited for X0000 million years, the Hawiian Islands had produced a massive store of surfboard building materials - trees large enough to build sixty foot canoes.

Dimensions vary between 6 feet and 12 feet in length, average 18 inches in width, and between half an inch and an inch and a half thick. The nose is round and turned up, the tail square. The deck and the bottom are convex, tapering to thin rounded rails. This cross-section would maintain maximum strength along the centre of the board and the rounded bottom gave directional stability, a crucial factor as the boards did not have fins.

Any discussion of the performance capabilities is largely speculation. Contemporary accounts definitely confirm that Alaia were ridden prone, kneeling and standing; and that the riders cut diagonally across the wave. Details of wave size, wave shape, stance and/or manouvres are, as would be expected, overlooked by most non-surfing observers. Most early illustrations of surfing simply fail to represent any understanding of the mechanics of wave riding. Modern surfing experience would suggest that high performance surfing is limited more by skill than equipment. It is a distinct probablity that ancient surfers rode large hollow waves deep in the curl - certainly prone, and on occassions standing.

By 1000 A.D these principles were confirmed...
13. Large waves are faster than small waves.- a larger board is easier to achieve take off.
14. Steep waves are faster than flat waves.- a smaller board is easier to control at take off.
15. Control is more important than speed
16. Surfboards are precious.

1300 The Olo

Very large boards whose use was restricted, by tradition, to royalty. This may have been due to a heirachical social structure, but it would also to restrict access to certain surfing locations and to the largest available trees. Although there are reports that wlli willi was the preferred timber, the only two examples from this period are koa. As in the case of the Alaia, it's light weight of made it unlikely that willi willi boards would survive until the 20th century. The only other known example, acquired from the collection of Prince Kuhio in 18xx, is imported pine.

There are no contemporary accounts of how the boards were ridden, but it is most likely that the design was specifically for riding large swells on outside reefs, rather than on breaking or curling waves. In 1961, Tom Blake suggested that the Olo may have been ridden prone.

In the 1920's, Tom Blake and Duke Kahanamoku reproduced the design in a hollowed version to radically reduce the weight. See #5xx, below

This third set also includes a photograph of a selection of four surfboards and the caption ...surfboards, ancient and modern. .. The long board at the left is one of Chief Paki's and of olo design. It is made of koa wood over 16 feet long, 6 inches thick, with convex top and bottom, 18 inches wide and weighs 168 pounds. The next board is of ancient alaia design, made of wood of the breadfruit tree; it is 12 feet long, 20 inches wide, 1 Yz inches thick down the center and weighs about 50 pounds. The third board is Duke's, built around 1910 and representing the style of board in vogue until 1929. It is made of California redwood, 10 feet long, 3 inches thick, and 23 inches wide and its weight is 70 pounds. The last board to the right is the new stream-lined hollow design which is now gaining favor at Waikiki beach. I t is 12 feet 10 inches long, 22 inches wide maximum, 5Yz inches thick maximum, and weighs 44 pounds. It is slightly covex on the bottom. -Photo by Hosoka
Illustrations, Third set, Plate , between pages 48 and 49.
The image, right, is as reproduced in the 1983/1985/1996 reprint of Hawaiian Surfboard, retitled as Hawaiian Surfriders 1935.
The image crops the tails of all the boards and the nose of Paki's board.
The white scar appears to be a tear in the page from which the later edition was copied.

Image left
Bishop Museum Surfboard Collection, circa 1959.
Photograph: Star Bulletin.

HISTORIC COLLECTION (Figure 1)
At the Bishop Museum, secure in a vault-like room of heavy concrete along with countless other artifacts of early Hawaiian culture, is this collection of surf- boards.
The prehistoric models show a clear-cut distinction between the Alaia and those of Olo design.
However, no examples of the Olo board made of Wili Wili wood are here, or seem to be in existence.
Several of these boards are links in the evolution of design from 1900 to the 1930 period.
The museum has not room to display this full collection.

Image right
Alia board and Paki's Olo, Bishop Museum Collection, circa 1959.
Photograph: Star Bulletin

SURFBOARDS OF ANCIENT TIMES (Figure 2)
Of interest to every surfrider and on display in the Bishop Museum of Honolulu are these two authentic models of the Ancient Royal Hawaiians.
The one at the left is an Alaia, made of wood of the Breadfruit tree.
It is an inch and one half thick maximum, and weighs about 70 pounds and was used by the commoners of Hawaii.
The Board on the right of a similar shape, called Olo, is about six inches thick at the center.
Both boards have a convex top and bottom and fairly sharp edges.
The long one is made of Hawaiian Koa wood, but the chieftains favored a light, balsa-like wood called Wili Wili, native to Hawaii, but now scarce.
This Olo model weighs 168 pounds.
One made of Wili Wili wood might weigh 60 pounds.
It is believed they were generally ridden in a prone position on big waves while the thin one has good steering qualities for small surf and was easily ridable in a standing position.

ancient surfboard design and construction part 8