Leleo Kinimaka is providing three handcrafted Alai’a boards for a silent auction at the KLA 5th Wave Celebration in July.
These boards are built from indigenous tropical hardwoods sourced from six separate forest locations across our Hawaiian islands. He described the work as, “a presentation of modern Hawaiian culture.”
Local and international galleries and shops have clamored for Kinimaka’s work to adorn their walls while reflecting modern, indigenous tastes.
Kinimaka is most proud of one of his boards on display in a museum in Washington, D.C. donated by the Lawson family of Honolulu. It is the representation of the life culture and the people of Hawaii.
Another board he made represented the “Conquests of Kamehameha.” Woods from the islands conquered were found throughout the board. However, he placed Kauai woods solely on the tailblock, illustrating how our island was a stumbling block to Kamehameha’s dreams of domination. That nine-foot story board creation was auctioned off for $21,800.
Kinimaka took up woodwork and construction after Hurricane Iwa.
“All us lifeguards, waiters, and surf instructors ended up in construction when people stopped showing up after that storm,” he said. “I learned carpentry and have been creating these boards ever since.”
He has completed over 52 boards made of curly koa, mango, milo, pheasant wood and more.
Kinimaka’s philospophy is simple: “The ocean and the land provide. This is how I’ve been able to feed my family. My grandfather was a surfer, and my dad was a beachboy in Waikiki during the 40s and 50s.”
Kinimaka has his showroom in Waimanalo, where he makes canoe paddles, surfboards, and decorative displays. Now in his 50s, he and his tandem surfing partner, Megan Talibus Anderson, took fourth place in the International Tandem Surfing Association’s ratings. He has crossed the treacherous Kaiwi Channel between Molokai and Oahu 24 times on a variety of watercraft.
For the KLA 5th Wave, Kinimaka is busy making a board that will be part of a dream package auctioned off by Mayor Bernard Carvalho Jr. There will be a replica of Kauai inlaid on the board specifically for the event.
The live auction package also includes roundtrip airfare to Oahu, and three nights at the Hilton Hawaiian Village, and threenights at the Turtle Bay Resort on Kawela Bay. The top bidder will also receive VIP passes to the annual Surfer Poll awards at Turtle Bay and VIP tent passes to the Pipemasters Contest on Oahu’s North Shore.
For more information about the KLA 5th Wave event go to Kauailifeguards.org or call Chantal Zarbaugh for a table or individual seating for the feast and fun July 27 at the Kauai Marriott Resort and Ballroom, 651-8913.
The Kauai Lifeguard Association is a nonprofit that works in conjunction with the County of Kauai’s Ocean Safety Bureau to help save lives.
