The wave's as good as any day at The Wall. It's missing the palm trees swaying in the breeze and aging beach boys hustling tourists, but there is sand. Plenty of it. You'll find this wedge on the other side of the world, dug out of one of the planet's most inhospitable deserts. Noa Ginella, Wadi pool sliding outside of Abu Dhabi.
I found this on alaiasurfing.blogspot.com the other day when I was searching for some new surf inspiration... Check it out:
I was looking around for pictures of alaias, and I came across a Spanish wine called "Alaia." I have never had it, so don't know what it tastes like, but it's fairly inexpensive, so I imagine it is one of those earthy red table wines for which the Iberian peninsula is famous.
Anyhow, check out the label below. Obviously a slider doing the la-la. And, if you drink enough of this stuff, I am sure you can la-la without a board.
Back in April (2012), I decided to look
around the internet to see what’s really going on in the world of surfing. What
is the new trend? Is it surfing shortboards, longboards, SUPs or something
else. Honestly at the time I didn’t know what to expect. So I did a little
internet surfing and created the post called Gliders
and Riders that has a bunch of video clips of people riding some
interesting flotation crafts. Some guys were riding really small short wide
boards (Fish) and a few people were riding boards without fins (both foam
boards and wooden boards). That’s when I quietly stumble upon the Alaia
(surfboard).
www.surfscience.com defines the Alaia as follows:
Alaias
are thin wooden finless boards whose history traces back to the people of
Hawaii before the 20th century. The predominant material used
currently is Polonia which is light, extremely strong, and will not
delaminate or have problems from taking on water. Alaias will last a lifetime
if treated well and bring the rider back to a simpler form of surfing waves.
I did some more research and it seemed as
though it wouldn’t be that hard to make my own Alaia. There is lots of
information on the internet about all the steps it takes to shape an Alaia from
a bunch of sources. I did hit one snag- I didn’t know where to get Polonia
wood for my Alaia. I finally found a few sources on-line but they all seemed
pretty expensive to me (around $300 USD). I decided to go with a different
material (Pine wood) for two reasons. (1) Pine is a lot cheaper (around $30
USD) for the end size I wanted (6’ Alaia) and (2) I’ve never shaped anything out
of wood or foam before and I’d probably get pretty upset with myself if I ended
up trashing a $300 Polonia wood blank, but I wouldn’t even frown at messing up
a $30 Pine blank as long as I learned how to use the tools so that I could do
better on my next try.
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
I went to a few local Home Improvement places that carry
wood in search of my Pine Alaia blank, 3 different Home Depot’s and 2 Lowes. I
settled on a 6 foot blank that was ¾” thick (couldn’t find 1” thick blanks
larger than 3 feet).
I wanted my Alaia to have a familiar look and shape as my
7’4” Hybrid surfboard (the board that I’m most comfortable riding in all wave
sizes). I used some scotch tape and taped together six pieces of 8.5”x11” thick
blank paper to make a template of my 7’4” hybrid nose. Then I used some more scotch tape and taped together six
pieces of 8.5”x11” thick blank paper to make a template of my 7’4” hybrid tail
(from just above the fins).
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
I cut out my templates and traced out the nose and tail designs
on my Pine blank.
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
I was very happy with how things were looking so I cut out
my basic shape and smoothed out the wobbly parts (leaving a hard sharp edge).
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
I knew that there was some concave in the tail but wasn’t
sure how far it ran up the board so it was back to the internet for more
detailed instructions. I marked off a 6 inch concave on the bottom that was 1/4 inch deep (which would leave a 1/2 inch to stand on)...
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
I found a few more sites that offered more detailed instructions but that didn't seem good enough. I needed to touch a completed Alaia
board. I searched all my local surf shops and found an Alaia for sale at E.T
Surf Shop in Hermosa Beach for $695. I felt the rails and how the tapered from
½” at the rail to the thicker center. I touched the smooth concave bottom and
found the channel to be much deeper than I expected, but they used a 1” Polonia
so they could have more curves without compromising the overall structure
(wasn’t too thin).
I rushed home while the memories where still fresh in my
hands and went to work on shaping the concave and the tapered rails. I also
rounded the nose edge for a smoother transition (I hope).
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Totally stoked on my shape, I did a sanity check next to my
7’4” hybrid. Awesome!
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
I knew from the beginning that I wanted to add some art
work on my Alaia. After some deep thought I decided on the words ‘IQ TEST.’ I
figured I’d write it in a way that would make it hard to read like in graffiti
style or something like that which in part is like an IQ TEST in itself. I
flipped though one of my sketch books and ironically found exactly what I was
looking for on the first page, ‘IQ TEST’ written in ambigram along with my name
Eric J (J is my middle name initial) also written in ambigram were the words can
be read the same way from left to right even if the words are upside down (rotated
180 degrees). I thought up clever punch lines about my Alaia with the words ‘IQ
TEST’ on it like if someone wanted to try out my board then they would be “taking
my Alaia IQ TEST.”
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
My mental Alaia swell was building and with my growing enthusiasm I
did some more data gathering and put together a new post called ‘The
Concrete Jungle Has Eyes for Alaia.’ I really believe that the Alaia
revival will define a new generation of surfers. There are so many great
surfers in the world today and I’m really happy to be part of the classical
progressive group that is emerging that enjoys a wider range of wave sliding
toys.
After finishing up the art work on my Alaia I went back to
my notes on how to seal it. It turns out that there are lots of ways to do it
and went with using lots of coats of boiled linseed oil
with a day to dry in between coats. One the problems with using Pine instead of
using Polonia is that Pine soaks up oils (or water) way more than Polonia
(which I hear naturally repeals water). I think the first coat that I applied
was thin and so it turned out that I needed to apply even more coats.
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
Eric Cedeno - Alaia IQ TEST Surfboard 2012
I can't wait to take it out for an IQ TEST drive... I'll keep you posted.
My buddy Cliff and I headed out to 26th Street Manhattan beach to surf after work on tuesday 8-14-12. It was a really nice sunny day and even though the surf looked super small maybe 1-2' and no so great we happily decided to go out anyway. I had brought a few boards with me as usual (6'10" mini log, 7'4" hybrid and 7'6" bear board). I picked the bear board this time for a couple of reasons: (1) its about three inches thick and made of epoxy which makes it light and very buoyant and that means its easy to catch waves earlier an that is a major plus in small beach breaks. (2) I also wanted my friend Cliff to give that board a try. He's in the market for a new medium size board and I figured it would be good for him to give the bear board a test drive.
Most of the beach was black balled (no surfing allowed) but we snuck out there and surf in the least populated area north of the 26th street tower. I quickly picked off a few fun ones and was surprised at how warm the water was. I guess I really didn't need my spring suit after all. It was nice to just get wet and have fun. After a few more waves I asked if Cliff wanted to try out my board and of course he agreed. Cliff is a good surfer, he's a little rusty right now but I know he'll turning heads again before you know it. I took off my lease and passed my 7'6" bear board over to him and he slid off his 5'10" twin fin Zippy Fish (no lease) and passed that over to me.
I've never ridden a board that small before. It looked like it was a four foot board and I knew it was going to be challenging. I figured it would be a lot like riding an alaia, which I haven't done yet either but heard its fun but tricky. My goal was just to stand up on the thing. I managed to catch a wave right away and before I knew I was on fire - catching everything that roll up. The surf was improving with the high tide push and I was taking full advantage of it. I tucked into a few sloppy barrels and laughed a lot as I pumped down the lines that I found. After a while I even got a few quick turns in and understood why Cliff likes these boards so much. Cliff got some fun ones on my bear board and I'm glad that we both got to try something new.
Here's a quick recap of the last few weeks of me surfing...
Monday July 30th (2012) Torrance 1-2':
I took a good look at the surf but with the rising tide it just wasn't worth it. Although if I had an Alaia I would have gone out... I need to make one.
Tuesday July 31st (2012) El Porto 1-3':
Small but super fun. I rode my 7'10" noserider and had a blast on these little waves.
Wednesday August 1st (2012) El Porto 1-2:
Dumpy and closing out...Not as good as yesterday, but I got free parking so I took out my 6'10" first then traded up to my 7'10" as the tide filled in. It was ok, but just not as good as yesterday.
Imagine your surfboard defining your place in society. In Ancient Hawaii, it did and in a way it still does. Most of time it is really dependent on the surf break that defines the hierarchy. At places Old Mans in San Clement the top dog is the longboarder, then shortboarder and finally bodyboarders. I'm pretty sure body surfers don't even exist there and all the SUP riders are all down the way at Dog Beach. At Haggs (Haggerty's) in Palos Verdes (south Los Angeles) the top dog is the shortboarder and that's pretty much it. SUPs, Longboarders, bodyboarders, body surfers and anyone else that wants to surf there will pretty much end up in a fight if they decided to paddle out into the line up when the local shortboard crowd is out. At EL Porto (Manhattan Beach) it's more about style and looking good on whatever board you are riding and there is a pretty good mix of all types of wave riders in the water like most of the SouthBay beaches.
So where do the Alaias wave riders fit into the hierarchy? Good question, I'll get back to you on that in a few more paragraphs. Better yet lets start with this: what is an Alaia?
www.surfscience.com defines the Alaia as follows:
Alaias are thin wooden finless boards whose history traces back to the people of Hawaii before the 20th century. The predominant material used currently is Polonia which is light, extremely strong, and will not delaminate or have problems from taking on water. Alaias will last a lifetime if treated well and bring the rider back to a simpler form of surfing waves.
Alaias will vary in size from five feet up to ten feet in length and from 15” to 19” in width. They are very thin boards, typically ranging in thickness from ½ inch to 2 inches. According to Tom Wegener’s web site, tomwegenersurfboards.com, the rail’s hard edges act as a long fin when it bites into the wave and “the gentle curves on the bottom hold the board into the face of the wave.” The board’s light weight allows it to accelerate quickly down the line and it is usually sealed with oil, making the Alaia very slick and fast in the water.
Surprisingly, flex plays a large role in an Alaia’s performance. The thin shape allows the rider to manipulate the board’s rocker on the wave to generate more speed or facilitate turning. On his website, Wegener explains that the nose of the Alaia can be pushed down when in trim or catching the wave. This reverse rocker makes the board faster. Conversely, the nose of the board will be pulled up when turning. This makes the board turn quicker and project out of the turn when it relaxes back to its original shape. The result is a very lively board that is best ridden with a controlled slide in the wave’s pocket.
Back to the basics of riding... Using what's available...
I think this guyANTHONY RODIERsummed up the Alaia surfing experience:
Alaia surfers represent an open minded approach to chasing moving water, experiencing the flow, the velvety feel and the utterly perfect trim lines of the ancient Alaia. Welcome and please enjoy as we try to communicate what it is about these boards that is so pure, addictive and so very exciting. We hope to provide information and dare to educate so hang on, in a low crouch stance. Mega shakas to Tom Wegener, who without his rediscovery of these boards and subsequent undying passion for them, we would still be thinking no fins, no fun.
The Ancient Hawaiians called them ALI’I
The ruling class had its own board made of its own wood, the olo. 14’ to 18’ in length, not only was the olo a bigger board, but it was constructed of the more buoyant wood of the wili wili tree and further defined the class separation of kapu.
The ali’i even has their own breaks, and under kapu, any attempt by a commoner to paddle out among the elite was punishable by, among other things, death (much like todays heavy localism at places like Lunada Bay where people outside of the local social class will be beat up but probably not killed).
Surfboards were sacred, their construction ritualistic. Kahuna would search for just the right tree, sacrifice fish as an offering to the gods and stand guard over the specimen overnight under prayer.
Only after successful completion of the ritual, could the tree be felled, and once it was cut down, more sacred behavior was practiced by the kahuna.
Finer shaping was done with blocks of coral and stone..
First the board was rough-shaped with an adz. Then, the wood was shaped and planed with blocks of coral or stone. Once shaped, it was applied with a finish, such as the root of the ti plant or the stain from banana buds. The board was then treated with kukui oil to give it a glossy finish.
When the surfboard had met the kahuna’s approval, it underwent a final ritual of dedication, and only then was it offered to the sea.
So back to that question from earlier... Where do the Alaias wave riders fit into the hierarchy? I think Alaias riders will be the first to bridge the gap between Longboards all the way to Bodyboarders. Alias wave riders will be the new classical progressive group to emerge and may end up defining a generation. First because they are not so easy to stand up on so not everyone will be gravitating towards these as much as they might to SUP (Stand Up Paddle) boards which are super easy (and no waves a required on a SUP).
Who knows maybe one day surfers will be able to to ride both a SUP and an Alaia... Like this guy:
Here's another perspective of this guy in action:
Alaias are finless kind of like a bodyboard and I think all those good bodyboarders that can do drop-knees and 360 spins while will have a huge advantage riding Alaias boards, much like a Jamaican bobsled team they could take the world by storm.
Drop Knee Bodyboarding
Alaia cutback
Longboarders will excel due to their knowledge of trim and smooth style.
Shortboarders will be able to pull insanely complicated combination maneuvers that will be difficult to judge against the normal shortboard standards in a contest. I'm really looking forward to seeing someone complete on an Alaias in a standard shortboard contest.
Here are a few examples of Alaias in action:
Alaia Building, Riding, Sliding
So try to make one... Here's how:
Alaia Shaping Time Lapse - J Sun Alaias
Respect Wood: Build an Alaia
Alaia shaping part 1
Next step Learn how to ride one... Here's how from Transworld Surf:
Finally the last thing to do is go out and have fun. Make the best of whatever your local surf break has to offer.
Prepare to turn heads as you become a pioneer of the classical progressive group that is emerging and may end up defining a generation or at least inspiring one to try a wider range of sliding toys.
