Surfboard

A surfboard (papa heʻe nalu) made of a single piece of wood with the front end rounded and the back end straight. The upper and lower surfaces are flat. The initials J. W. A are carved into the bottom near the front above a rectangle made from a separate piece of wood, possibly a repair.

Throughout Hawai’i, surfing (heʻe nalu) was a widely practiced recreational activity. Hawaiian surfboards (papa heʻe nalu) were made from carefully selected tree trunks using stone adzes, smoothed with coral and stone rubbers, stained with plant-based dyes or soot, and sealed with kukui oil. After being used, they were dried, wrapped, and stored indoors.

Three principal board types were recognized: the shorter alaia, commonly made from koa or breadfruit wood; the longer olo, often exceeding fourteen feet and typically crafted from lightweight wiliwili wood for chiefly use; and the smaller paipo, designed to be ridden prone against the chest. In practice, surfers paddled beyond the breaking zone, selected incoming waves, and rode the wave face shoreward, steering by shifting body weight or trailing a foot in the water. Mastery of larger olo boards in powerful, well-formed waves, in particular, required exceptional balance and control.