Telling Hawaii’s Stories, One Hand-Carved Surfboard at a Time
By Will Higginbotham from the NEW YORK TIMES
Photograph by Jake Michaels
Leleo Kinimaka grew up in Kauai, where the Pacific Ocean provided routine and rhythm to his days. “I’d wake up and I’d go surfing all day, maybe swim or canoe,” he recalled. “I’d only come home for lunch.”
It’s fitting, then, that the Hawaiian native, still vibrantly athletic at 61, has carved out a career as a woodworker whose creations — primarily the intricately designed surfboards known as alaia boards, which have been used by islanders to shred waves for centuries — both reflect his upbringing and celebrate his culture.
On a recent weekday, Kinimaka was in his light-filled studio, which is nestled in the verdant Koʻolau Range on Oahu, shaping a piece of wood with a planer that sent wood chips flying. Half a dozen finished boards rested against a wall, their lacquer shimmering in the morning light, but what immediately caught the eye were the intricate patterns embedded in their facades.
The natural landscape of Oahu often provides inspiration for Kinimaka’s surfboards. Photograph by Jake Michaels