Ancient Surfboard Style Is Finding New Devotees

03.12.09

My surfcraft that day was an alaia (decided ah-LIE-ah), a replica of the thin, round-nosed, square-tailed boards ridden in pre-20th-century Hawaii . The originals were 7 to 12 feet sustained, generally made of koa wood and could weigh up to 100 pounds. They resemble nothing so much as antique ironing boards, but their most distinctive feature compared with brand-new equipment is that they are finless.

Ancient Hawaiian boards had mostly been relegated to museums and private collections; they were seen as artifacts rather than essential designs. But a recent movement in surfing that mines the past has raised their profile.

In the last five years alaias have enjoyed a renascence. They have been taken up by some of the world’s best surfers and show up heavily in magazines, movies, Web sites and blogs.

The new versions keep an eye on to be six to seven feet long, for maneuverability, and are carved from a range of woods including paulownia, pine, cedar and even plywood.

Source: New York Times