Okay, so maybe Alaias are the new SUP. Yet another hawaiian wave sliding form has been adapted and evolved to fit modern surfing. Tom Wegener was announced Shaper of the Year for 2009 by Surfing Magazine, for his reintroduction of the ancient hawaiian board. You Tube videos of pros and everyday surfers ripping on these 1" thick planks are now populating the internet faster than Starbucks in a strip mall. But how hard is it to surf one of these, let alone paddle into a wave?
Actually, it's kinda hard.
Enter the "Alaia-Lite". Our friend and shaper from the Big Island, Gary Young, came up with this version of an eco-tech, high-performance Alaia. Gary, aka the godfather of compsand construction, has been building sandwich construction boards long before Surftech created the "Tuflite". The Alaia-Lite has a foam core, wood sandwich construction, made of locally harvested and reclaimed wood from Hawaii. No fiberglass is used whatsoever. All-in, a 6'6" weighs as little as 6 lbs, shedding much weight from its solid wood cousins.
The goal here was to make an Alaia that would actually float, making paddling and wave catching a little easier. Alaias open up a whole new approach to surfing. They're finless, which means you can go really fast, making sections and surfing in shallows. Surf it laying down, standing up.....crappy beach breaks, super fast points, small lake waves. You'll have fun no matter what the condition.
Entropy is stoked to offer Gary's Alaia-Lites here in California. Get in touch, and we'll hook you up, or let you demo one.
