A Word From the Artist

I grew up in a simpler time for Hawaiʻi, in a family of sailors. Most days of my youth were spent running around freely in the busy boat cavaliers of Waikiki where I was surrounded by a passion for true craftsmanship. The possibilities of wood as a medium fascinated me and I would find myself in awe with the intricate wood joinery techniques used by master craftsmen on sailboats.

 As I got older, the Hawaiian renaissance period of the 1970s sparked a deepening interest in Hawaiian culture. I pursued Hawaiian studies at University of Hawaiʻi where I became inspired by Kihoalu (Hawaiian Slack Key guitar playing) and canoe paddling. My early days of woodworking were filled with ukulele building and experimentation around paddle shaping.

 Despite a lifelong passion for music, it was in building paddles that I found my calling. After thirty years of exploring shape, wood type, and joinery style I have reached “paddle nirvana”. I let the wood show me the shape of the paddle blade, as after all this time I have found that the different curls and grains can have a mind of their own.

 It brings me joy to perpetuate values of slow, quality craftsmanship in a world that can’t seem to slow down. I look forward to the journey to come as I continue to swim in the deep sea of paddle crafting and thank you for joining along.