Paipo board made in the mid 1930s

Object Details

Description (Brief): Balsa wood Paipo board made in the 1930s with the fin added in the 1950s. The board is small and oval in shape with a fiberglass surface added probably when the fin was added in the 1950s. The Hawaiian word, Pae Po’o means to surf head first, which Captain Cook and his crew witnessed when they arrived in Hawaii, in 1778. Watching the “native” men, women and children riding these boards on their belly or on their knees must have been quite a sight for the sailors who sailed into the shores of Hawaii. These smaller boards were easier to ride than the larger, heavier boards of the time which only the strongest of warriors and the greatest of leaders were chosen to ride. This board is the great grandfather of the Morey Boogie Board and has brought joy to ‘surfers’ for centuries.

1930s

Physical Description: wood, balsa (overall material)
Measurements: overall: 54 in x 21 in x 6 in; 137.16 cm x 53.34 cm x 15.24 cm

See more items in: Culture and the Arts: Sport and Leisure; Snow & Surf; Sports & Leisure

National Museum of American History

GUID (Link to Original Record): https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ng49ca746b2-628c-704b-e053-15f76fa0b4fa