From the Olympics to wave pools, overseas high-output manufacturing of surfboards to the funny tight neoprene suits we don in cold water, the modern world of surf is an interesting one. It’s a world that hyperanalyzes technique for points, and is rife with subcultures – all of which have a different understanding of “cool.” If only the Ancient Hawaiians of old who practiced surfing could see how far surfing has come. What would they think of it all? Perhaps they’d laugh at all of us and continue surfing the way they always have…
Craftsman Tom Pōhaku Stone explains in the video above that when he asked his father for a surfboard as a kid, his dad took a piece of wood and shaped him one. What Tom had in mind was a foam and fiberglass board that everyone else was riding, and when he told his dad he didn’t want the wooden board, his dad tossed it in the fire. Since, Tom has developed an appreciation for the traditional practice of shaping surfboards. And this short beautifully captures Tom’s devotion to preserving surfing’s roots.
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