Alaia is a Hawaiian word for the ancient flat finless wood surfboard. It was typically made of koa wood. When I saw Sean Brown riding his Paulownia wood alaia at Brooks Street I instantly thought there is no way I could get up on that thing and wanted to make an alaia out of foam. The wooden alaia’s are very difficult to paddle and to me seemed more like swimming. I told Sean I could make him one out of foam that could float a little better and still have the same characteristics as the wooden alaia. The first board he really enjoyed for both its floatation and speed down the line. We revised the shape and made a thicker, wider, and a inch shorter. The second board performed even better. He is completely hooked on this thing and rides it more than his surfboards. These boards are not true to form, they are made with high density foam and glassed with carbon fiber and epoxy resin. They are lighter, stronger, float better, and perform better than the true wooden alaia’s. Embracing technology we have made a board that is super fun for speeding down the line and carving up the wave without the resistance of fins. If you have mastered surfing or just need a new challenge you will really enjoy these boards.
