Surfboard Discussion Forum: Is The Alaia Legit?
josh hunter
- November 14 2008
- 39 comments
Recently Surfing Magazine announced the coveted “Shaper Of The Year” honor would be bestowed upon Tom Wegener, a shaper best-known for his finless, wooden board design known as the Alaia. The decision has opened up all kinds of debate concerning the progression of the modern surfboard. While many argue that riding an ancient Alaia makes you about as progressive as possible, others feel it’s nothing more than a fad; citing that new technologies trump the primitive boards. Transworld Business wants to know what you think.
Here’s Some background info from Wegener’s Web site:
Surfing in the ancient style on a finless wood board has been overlooked for many years now. In Hawaii the board was called alaia. In Japan it was called itaka. There is evidence of early surfers riding this style from all 
around the world but in the early 1900’s this style vanished. I visited Hawaii’s ancient surfboards in the Bishop Museum in 2004 and was very impressed by the craftsmanship and the beautifully subtle shapes of the boards. I went back to Australia and made some replicas and I was amazed at how much fun they were to surf. My enthusiasm was contagious and soon my friends were riding them too. It has been several years now since I started riding them and my shapes have gone through many evolutions. …. In my experience, I have never known a surfboard to be as successful as the Alaia. Everyone who tries one really enjoys the lively feeling of the board.
Regardless of whether you think it’s the most progressive thing in the world or the lamest, there’s no argument that they look tough to ride. With guys like Rob Machado and Dave Rastovich riding them, there seem to be more and more of them showing up in the line up, but does that make them a legitimate alternative to the conventional surfboard, and, perhaps more importantly, are they progressive?
Thoughts?
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November 14th, 2008 at 5:48 pm
Are we going to start selling loin cloth now instead of boardshorts too? Come on! The Alaia fad will last about as long as slap braclets or pogs … kids!
November 14th, 2008 at 11:21 pm
Gotta say, I have to give it to Surfing for having the balls to go with Wegener for this. It’s clearly not a advertising/marketing based award like it has cleary been in past years.
Some say it’s a fad or a trend, but there are a lot of groms and really solid surfers in my area who are building their own Alaias and going out and figuring them out and having a blast. It’s taking surfing back to what it really about, going out and enjoying the waves. It almost forces you to give up any arrogance and attitude you may have because they are so humbling to ride.
It’s a good antithesis to where board design has been going lately, to super high-tech boards and massive marketing.
Good timing too with Musica Surfica coming out. As far as finless boards not being progressive, Derek Hynd has been blowing some minds lately taking the finless thing on a more performance based route. Check out Hynd at Jbay on a finless foam board:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3du0vEJM5yY
November 16th, 2008 at 2:16 pm
It’s about time,let’s see if the Alaia can ignite fresh sales in surfing like Banana Traction has done for snowboarding!!
November 16th, 2008 at 2:46 pm
I wouldn’t call a design that died 100 years ago progressive.
November 17th, 2008 at 1:49 am
Hmmmmm…. I have many opinions about this but will tame my urges down. First of all, I have to completely oppose the, “Progressive” definition. Simply does not apply. These boards, no matter the historical content, are narrow, way short and if they hit you across any bone you are in for serious pain. Forget about getting smacked in the noggin because you may become fish food floating face down. Lose it on a close-out and you have a lethal weapon headed toward the swim zone.
Rasta, Rob and the Malloy’s (pictured) are amazing free surfers and get to travel to the best waves in the world to ride (even on THIS board). Those guys could make a fast food tray look like a shred stick. Riding the Alaia at your local break will be extremely frustrating and difficult for a typical, modern surfer.
Besides, are you going back to computing using MS-DOS? I think not. The Alaia would equate to using modern technology to clone fossil fuel DNA and create a dinosaur for a pet.
Kudos to Wegener because I have experienced his Alaia and it is a beautiful thing but he isn’t making these boards with a chissle and rock.
Just my opinion, but the Alaia is a niche item that few can afford (other than admiration) and even less could enjoy riding. Now, if you were to craft one yourself with your own hands, maybe getting stranded on that desert island would make a ton of sense.
November 17th, 2008 at 6:25 am
Agreed.
November 17th, 2008 at 6:31 am
It the same thing as No boarding, it is nothing new but it’s an evolution to what snowboarding was orignally like, however not many people with out the skills will try it and may get seriously hurt in the process.
In my opinion they should have given it to Grain surfboards out in Maine if they wanted to go on a old school tip with a contemporary twist.
November 17th, 2008 at 10:29 am
Can I get one made from Tuflite?
November 17th, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Yeah, Surfing ruled that issue! Its good to point out how the Alaia is progressive. It also sucks that the article seems suggest that Rusty, Merrick, Biolas, Nev and the Firewire dudes have all been wasting their time trying to make surfboards that are performance driven.
I guess we should all start driving Pintos or maybe we should all start watching 8″ black and White Tvs.f
The Alaia is nothing more than a trend. Like fixed gear bikes and little dudes who wear tight clothes and rock shitty mustaches from the 70’s.
Well done Evan Slater. Well done.
November 17th, 2008 at 7:35 pm
alaia doesn’t fall into the same category as what we generally call surfing (shortboarding) so its stupid to award the guy with the ’shaper of the year’ honor when surfing magazine is for shortboard riders predominately
longboarding, stand-up, bodyboarding, bodysurfing, and alaia are all forms of wave riding which i have nothing against but comparing alaia to shortboarding is like apples to oranges. machado and rasta are gifted surfers who can ride any form of craft but alaia doesn’t help their surfing progress in performance terms
the mag should have awarded a shortboard maker
November 17th, 2008 at 7:41 pm
As a board shaper I agree they should have given it to a normal shortboard shaper. They should support our industry. The shaper of the year issue is our time to shine and a guy that doesn’t even sell his boards in america took the spotlight with his ‘traditional’ logs. it’s all hype and the pros are riding them as a novelty
November 17th, 2008 at 9:00 pm
It appears that not one of the readers who have already posted have actually ridden an alaia.
Try one and you will feel the rush all over again. The excitement of pearling a few times, followed by a successful ride is astonishing. The extreme flatness and flex of the deck is deceiving and almost appears to be reverse rocker. I had the pleasure of riding one for about an hour and I can think of nothing else. The only way to describe it is fantastic.
It doesn’t help that Rob can do roundhouse cutbacks on his and most people couldn’t paddle hard enough to catch a wave. The guys who are really excelling could ride a 2X4 if they tried.
I’m not sure if Tom should have received the coveted award, but he is definitely on to something. He also stepped way out of bounds to challenge all that we have come to believe is true about surf boards. I consider this tangent: Progression.
November 18th, 2008 at 9:06 am
The “next Al Merrick” is on point. “Ing” blew it by not supporting whats true to the industry and sport of surfing especially in these rough times. Alaia is a novelty and we’ll see how long this fad will stick around. Support your local shaper…
November 18th, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Lawless, That video clip is rad. Thanks! I interviewed Maurice Cole about two weeks ago and he was telling me about seeing Derek doing this at J-Bay … pretty crazy!
November 18th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
I make my own alaias. It is shotboarding, but more technical. TheDude says: alaias are progressive. End of discussion.
November 19th, 2008 at 6:32 am
Next thing you know they will be made in China. Support your local shaper! Mine is Stuart D’Arcy environmentalist, killer surfer, all around good bloke and knows how to use a planer! Shaper not a Scraper! cough cough JS
November 19th, 2008 at 9:05 am
the Dude is right ; ride what you like , like what you ride brother ! It all beats getting blown up in senceless war !
November 20th, 2008 at 11:56 am
Rode one yesterday with Chris Del Morro…super fun, like riding a skimboard kinda. Working on the video right now…
November 21st, 2008 at 6:30 am
are u guys serious? i mean the speed is amazing and so is the wave but these 360ies… i dunno. spongers do that no?
December 16th, 2008 at 5:38 pm
alaia = sick
shortboarding = sick
longboarding = sick
bodyboarding = sick
waves = super sick
yeeeeee
December 16th, 2008 at 11:49 pm
Awards don’t really mean much. Tom Wegener is a generous and enthusiastic surfer and shaper. I’m sure there are hundreds of other shapers who also deserve recognition.
I shape and ride Alaia’s and I personally couldn’t care less if nobody else is into them. They’ve injected a new level of fun into my surfing. Some people will try them and not get it. Some won’t even try. But a few will get it and their surfing will be all the richer for it.
How anyone can question the validity of any surfcraft is beyond me.
December 25th, 2008 at 12:32 pm
the time has finally come for all of us to vote for charles webster baer of bend , oregon , usa , for president of earth
http://charleswebsterbaer.com
.
January 15th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
I think all of you guys who scoff at the alaia need to remember that a few years back a little thing called the longboard started making a comeback after years in obscurity and look how far they have come with them now. Remember when shortboards first came to our local breaks. Most of us can think back to our own little experiments. I’ve bought so many different types of boards over the years that it’s insane. It’s about the glide Fellas. Experimenting and trying something new is very progressive , even if it’s a rebirth of an ancient design. I can’t wait to see where the Alaia will take us next.
January 28th, 2009 at 1:32 pm
I shape and ride alaia’s and I want to put things into perspective.
Lets put these old boards to the test.
It comes down to this: respect your elders. Only a fool does not listen to his elders.
The ancient hawaiians designed boards and surfed for hundreds of years.
Do you think our last hundred years of surfboard “progression” compares to their hundreds of years of progression? I don’t think so.
They refined their designs and thoroughly tested them in the best surf on the planet. Do the math. They were on to something and many of us have closed the door on all that R&D.
Nothing is wrong with technology, but something is wrong with shoving the wisdom of the fathers of our passion aside just to be progressive. That’s foolish.
Whatever. Surf what you will. The pure feeling of having a ball in whatever waves sets you apart from everybody else. While others are caught up in spraying kooks and getting frustrated at everything you are in a completely different place, in a completely different mindset.
We shouldn’t disrespect the ancient Hawaiians by disregarding their ideas. They knew what they were doing.
Please don’t comment about this topic until you surf one for your your self.
January 29th, 2009 at 9:49 pm
I saw Machado and (I think) Chris Del Moro riding alaias today at Seaside. (Check my post for a full report: http://leucadiasurfblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/machado-alaia-sighting.html).
It was really interesting to watch how FAST the boards were compared to normal shortboards. Granted, this was in mushy conditions, which are probably what the alaia is best suited for.
I had never seen alaias ridden in person, only in video and in stills. Now that I have seen them ridden, I am convinced that they are fun and rippable. Machado and crew looked like they were having the most fun out there; the shortboarders had to pump, pump, snap to get anything done.
The biggest issue, in my opinion, is that to purchase an alaia costs about $600. For that, I can get a nice thruster or a nice used LB. Still, I’ll probably shell out within the next couple of months.
May 8th, 2009 at 10:52 am
who cares if its a fad - if people are finding a way to have more fun in crappy conditions, or in decent conditions for that matter isn't that the point. We do this surfing things b/c it's fun and it makes us feel good. If the alaia fad puts a smile on some peoples faces than we are all the better for it. Add to that the fact that it's challlenging, uses a material that is drastly less environmentally caustic and you can understand the appeal.
Yes - you can pay $600 for one, or you can spend $250 and buy enough material to make two of them plus enough left over to make a paipo for someones kid. Leave the foam and fiberglass to the real pros - get a block plane, some sand paper and a few other basics and go for it.
July 17th, 2009 at 4:13 am
ive been really curious about trying an alaia board, theres a shop here in SD that sells wegners for like $600, theres no way im going to do that, they also sell the blanks for $250, even that seems steep for a piece of wood
next time im by home depot im going to look around for cheap wood options
as far as progressive vs tradition, i wonder what modern surfboards would look like today if the alaia had been what the duke was riding, im currious to see how people will take the alaia and adapt it and develop it, maybe people will start throwing fins on them or making them hollow or out of plastics
or maybe it is just a fad, even if they are i think they are pretty wall pieces to say the least
August 8th, 2009 at 5:07 am
I think Alaia's will connect with some surfers and not others. What is required to connect is a love of surfing, the ocean and the environment. Sure you're never going to get vertical or get air but they are not just a plank of wood. Wegner has spent several years working on designs, contours, rails and outline to get a really functional board. He is now moving this to his other boards. Is it progressive? I'd say yes in that over several years he has gone from a plank to understanding and implementing very good design. Who else has done the same journey of discovery over the last few years. I dont think my shortboards have changed that much over this time.
As for Alaia's I purchased a blank for $120. Shaped it myself after an awesome journey of research and discovery. No impact on the environment and this will last till the day I do. In the same time I will own numerous shortboards all destined to end up with a short life and landfill. I would never dream of shaping a PU board. With this I can and had my 3 year old with a sanding block helping.
Again some will get it others won't. Stop bitching as it has hardly changed your life that a man who has dedicated his ambition to creating Alaia won an award. Serious.
August 30th, 2009 at 6:18 pm
alaias look like a ton of fun. what else matters?
December 1st, 2009 at 7:52 am
Are Alaia's progressive? Not in my opinion, or I should clarify…only as progressive as the surfer you put on it..The Alaia is a step back, a "return to the roots" so to speak…Talk to any surfer who has ridden one, and they will tell you of a rekindled stoke, like discovering surfing all over again…like learning over.
I am in no way knocking the Alaia, nor am I knocking Wegner an a shaper, but the Alaia is not a progressive surf craft…on a flip side, I believe that it will spark progression in peoples surfing, and I am certain it has inspired and been a vehicle for progression in Wegner's shaping…To me an Alaia is the regression that is sometimes necessary for progress…sometimes we must step back or back track in order to move forward.
Would trading in my pirrelli tires for stone wheels be progressive in the world of driving? Hell no, but it may spawn a world of progression in my drifting style of driving…Is it ligit? Hell yeah, and I'm sure to many it's inspiring…Will you see them being surfed in the Dream Tour? Not a chance, however free surfing them in the off time would no doubt make the boards the do ride in competion feel like a scalpel in comparison… All I can say is to each their own, fad maybe, but fads, much like history, ofter repeat themselves, or have a way of sneaking back up on you. I love to surf, and so long as I'm in the water, I'm not too particular about what I'm riding…That being said… big points for GREEN! Check out Eco Stoke Surfboards, 100% reclaimed or naturally felled handcrafted hollow surfboards. And no matter what you ride, spread the stoke. ecostokesurfboards.com
December 6th, 2009 at 2:54 am
Fixed gear bikes are only a trend among hipsters who saw messengers riding them and thought that it looked cool. New York bike messengers were riding fixed gear bicycles because they were easy to maintain and repair and were well suited to the requirements of the job once the necessary skills had been acquired. They are also a lot of fun…if a bunch of hipster idiots who don't know how to ride a bike properly acquire these bikes as accessories and then walk them down the street with their girlfriends, looking around to see if anyone's looking at them, that should reflect poorly on the person, not the bicycle. I should think that the same applies to the alaia.