Tom Pōhaku Stone
Tom Pōhaku Stone paddles out to the break on his favorite surfboard – not a modern, fiberglass board, but a board he built with his own hands. Stone is an educator, craftsman and former pro surfer. He’s obsessed with reviving and perpetuating lost aspects of Hawaiian culture, like perfecting the art of crafting papa he‘enalu (surfboards) in the traditional Hawaiian way.
About a quarter mile from shore, he takes off on a small, playful wave. Tom wears his traditional malo, and seeing him surf here at Kahana Bay can make you feel like you’ve been transported 1,000 years back in time.
Tom Pōhaku Stone shaping a surfboard.
Why is surfing so special to Native Hawaiians?
Standing on a board originates in Hawaiʻi. Surfing is who we are as native peoples. We come from the ocean, we love to surf waves. We surfed waves for generations, and we surf waves still. And that's what those boards are about, it's about being able to constantly ride the waves of time. It's an endless wave that never stops."We’re not land people, we’re ocean people."
How did hand-crafting surfboards start for you?
I was a pain-in-the-butt kid, right? And I so wanted that beautiful shiny fiberglass board. And we come from a family that just didn't have that kind of money. My dad, he said he'd take care of it. He got a piece of wood, he cut it out. Started carving it in the traditional way.But at the end of it, I just looked at the board and told my dad I hated it. And in his anger, he just took the board, broke it, lit it up in the fire pit and burned it. And that's actually the number one regret I've ever had, and I've only had a few.
That was an awesome thing my dad did for me. I'm glad before he passed away that I really had the opportunity to express that to him. That I began to go down this pathway, that he had given me that gift, and that he saw the boards I made and he was pretty ecstatic. He was happy.
“When you stand up on a wood board, it's like listening to a beautiful symphony playing that's just soothing to your soul.”
What’s it like riding a traditional wood board?
When you stand up on a wood board, it's like listening to a beautiful symphony playing that's just soothing to your soul, and you just embrace it. It's a harmonization between the wind, the motion of the water, the breaking of the wave. I'm not in this time era, or this time point or era. I'm out. I'm in another place. And I love being in that place.
Why is carrying on what you’ve learned so important to you?
This isn't my knowledge, this is my kūpuna's (ancestors) knowledge that they gave to me and now my kuleana (responsibility) is to give to those that want to carry it on. That's what's important, passing that tradition on.Browse Hawaiʻi Adventures
Our award-winning tour company is passionately committed to providing you with immersive and [...]
Captain Bruce is the first company to offer Kaneʻohe Bay Sandbar Tours on O’ahu, starting in 1983. [...]
Set sail from Keauhou Bay aboard our spacious 45 ft yacht "Hoku Nui". Keep a watchful eye out for [...]
Hawaii Lifeguard Surf Instructors is proud to offer the only surfing classroom on the island for student [...]
Nicknamed the "Garden Island," Kauai's stunning natural beauty includes the rugged Na Pali Coast and the [...]
This East Oahu attraction is a place to enjoy the company of dolphins, monk seals, sea lions, rays, [...]
Coral Crater Adventure Park is a 35-acre outdoor adventure center located in West Oahu. The park [...]
Explore marine mysteries as you dive over 100 feet below the sea with Atlantis Submarines Kona. See a [...]
Discover the hidden Kaua'i with Safari Helicopters. On their Kauai helicopter tours you'll find a remote [...]
Based in Honolulu, Waikiki, and Waianae, on Oahu, and Kona on the island of Hawaii, we specialize in [...]
Kilohana Plantation is a historic landmark and premier visitor attraction offering visitors and locals a [...]
KapohoKine Adventures is your source for the best Hawaii Adventure Tours and Volcano Tours from both [...]