Kauai History and Surfing
Ancient Hawaiian people did not consider surfing a mere recreational activity, but rather they integrated surfing into their culture and made it an art. They referred to this art as heʻe nalu or wave sliding. The art began before entering the mysterious ocean as the Hawaiians prayed to the gods for protection and strength to undertake the powerful mystifying ocean. The technique of sliding on a wave was popular with men and women of all ages in early Hawaii. Then (same as now) surfers found it hard to resist dropping everything when the waves called. Their excitement peaked in the winter months when big surf came to the Islands and they even had an appropriate word that referred to a state of being stoked, or emotionally excited about something – hopupu.
Early Hawaiians used four main types of boards:
paipo or kioe – 2 to 4 feet (for children)
alaia or omo – 8 to 10 feet
kiko`o – 12 to 18 feet
olo – 18 to 24 feet (for royalty)
Surfboards used by ancient Hawaiians measured five inches thick, and weighed up to 160 pounds. The most common wood used was koa or wiliwili which was particularly buoyant. The extremely long olo was thick in the middle, thinner towards its edges, buoyant, and good for catching large rounded swells. The olo board allowed the rider to catch a cresting wave before it actually broke and the ride could continue long after the wave flattened out. Though these boards couldn’t turn quickly and required stamina and strength to paddle out, the very long rides they afforded are why they may have been reserved for ali`i. Alaia boards were approximately eight feet long, wide at the nose and tapered toward the stern. Alaia were good for skilled surfers riding rough waves. More maneuverable than olo, they were better for steep, fast-breaking surf and wave conditions along rugged coasts. When the surf was up, they would ride the waves on anything handy, even banana trunks. Hawaiians surfed in canoes as well as on boards, using twenty foot long single canoes with an oversized, heavy paddle for steering.
