alaia board
A thin, round-nosed, square-tailed surfboard, used by commoners and royalty alike in pre-20th-century Hawaii, and updated over 100 years later as an offshoot of surfing's retro movement. The original alaia was generally made of koa wood (sometimes breadfruit or wiliwili), and was the most suitable type of board for riding the steep, fast-breaking waves common to the Islands. Of the 13 premodern b...
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Postmodern AlaiaSubscribe to view
Waikiki, early 1900sSubscribe to view
Alaia shaper Tom Wegener. Photo: Nathan OldfieldSubscribe to view
Modern alaia surfboardSubscribe to view
Engraving of 19th century surfers riding alaia boardsSubscribe to view
Dan Malloy surfing an alaia, 2007. Photo: Jim MartinSubscribe to view
Postmodern Alaia
Waikiki, early 1900s
Alaia shaper Tom Wegener. Photo: Nathan Oldfield
Modern alaia surfboard
Engraving of 19th century surfers riding alaia boards
Dan Malloy surfing an alaia, 2007. Photo: Jim Martin