rodndtube.com's (OLD) MyPaipoBoards Forums. Reading but no posting on the OLD forums.

[HIpaipo]

Reading the paipo interview articles got me thinking of how I got into paipo boarding, and wondering how it all started for everyone else on the forum.

I'll start-
My first experiences riding a board of anysort was a morey bodyboard in the 90's. Like all kids here in hawaii that came after the Boogie Board Era, I would play by the shore, catching the soup by pushing off the bottom when the wave came (like British Bellyboarding) at White Plains Beach. After growing up to the age of about 11, and getting tired of occasionally getting drilled into the sand face first (the result of not bottom turning), I moved on, going out to the line up with my Morey Bodyboard from Costco, and my old pair of blue and black Duckfeet I used for snorkeling. It was out in the lineup, in slightly more serious waves, I learned the concept of bottom turning.....the hard way. However, I could never dive the bodyboard really well, and one day at White Plains stands out: I had just caught a wave and was headed back out to the line up(because there are no channels at White Plains to go back out through, you must dive under every wave on the way back out) and a seemingly endless set came in, I kept diving and kicking forward, only to get pushed back. The set finally ended, and I eventually got back to the lineup. This went on until I was about 14 and a half years old, and I saw my mom and dad's old guitar pick style paipos when my dad and I were cleaning out the garage. I asked about it, and he told me it was an old skool bodyboard. I handled it, noticing how heavy and thin it was. I was skeptical, and thought it would never work. Curiosity got the better of me, and I brought my mother's paipo with us one day we went to the beach. Paddling out felt odd, and everyone looked at the board trying to figure out what it was (I love when people do this ). I tried for a couple of waves, and missed them, but I didn't give up, and finally caught one. I was amazed by the speed once I got on the wave, and when my ride finally ended, I noticed how easy it was to dive under waves. I was hooked. I made a wood board for me a couple of months later (my "bullet" board), and currently at the age of 16 still have and ride my "bullet" board and a HPD SR flex paipo, and usually ride at White Plains, Big Rights, Cunhas, and The Wall(Walls).
_________________
" NO SCARED UM, GO GET UM! "

[bgreen]

HIpaipo,

I'll see if I can find something to add. I'mmore interested in your parents paipo riding. When did they first surf paipo and what were the boards they kept? Do they still surf?

regards

Bob

[rodndtube]

HIpaipo,

Great testimonial! I've added your story to the "OTHER INFO ON PAIPOS" section on the home page -- first addition there in quite some time since I have been slacking and because there are so many paipo-related blogs out on the Internet these days compared to 10 years ago. Awesome. Good to see some young blood carrying the tradition and love of the paipo forward.

I also share an interest in your parent's history in paipo boarding as we move forward and attempt to capture some of this information. Maybe you can help us with an "interview?"
_________________
rodNDtube
"Prone to ride"
I love my papa li`ili`i

[OG-AZN]

Hipaipo, you're lucky to have parents that both paipo/surf. My dad grew up in Waikiki in the late 40's- early 50's and rode paipo & longboard; but he gave it up long before I was born. When I was growing up, my parents usually discouraged my surfing activities and I had to sneak out to the beach a lot. That's how I got into paipo riding though. I didn't have my own board a lot of the time, so I had to either bodysurf or borrow a friend's board. When I went to intermediate school, I got to take woodshop class and used that opportunity to make my own paipo and handboards. This was during the early 80's, and you could still see paipo riders at many spots around O'ahu. My first paipo board (3/4" plywood) was just copied from what I saw the older guys riding. Later, in highschool, I started to combine bodyboard inspired elements into my woodshop paipos. Up until I graduated from high school, I split my surfing time between bodysurfing, bodyboarding & paipo riding. The spots I rode paipo at back then were usually Base, Makapu'u, Bomburas, Panics, Publics, & Cunhas. After highschool, my paipo riding faded away in favor of bodyboarding, kneeboarding , & longboarding. Finally got back into paipo building & riding this past summer in Norcal.

[HIpaipo]

Thanks for the story addition, and my parents still like to go to the beach, but my father has a foot problem he got about 2 years ago called Charcot foot, where his foot fractured-or something like that. Consequently, his left foot has a bulge on the side, and he can't walk on uneven surfaces (like sand) or hard surfaces (like tile floors) barefooted for a long time. He has managed to fit into his old UDT Duckfeet fins, and used my HPD paipo at the wall one day, so he wants to get back out in the water. He also just finished a paipo board for himself. My dad was more of a spearfisherman in his younger days, but would occasionally paipo when there was waves. My mom was more of a scuba diver, and I don't think she paipoed at all before they met, because my dad said they used their boards at the Wall when they had an appartment in town. There boards are still in the garage, but are not in the best condition, as they have scrapes and dings all over them, as well as the wood splintering on my dads board. My dad also made his board in woodshop class, and it's too bad they don't really offer that class at any more in schools
_________________
" NO SCARED UM, GO GET UM! "