These Eco-Friendly Surfboards Are Made from Invasive Trees
Bizia Surf sources unwanted albizia wood to make alaias and other hand-crafted boards.
Bizia Surf in Wahiawā offers surfboards made entirely of albizia, an invasive tree that’s common in Hawai‘i.
When co-owner Joey Valenti was going to school at UH Mānoa, he studied the efficacy of building with albizia. His thesis project was building a house entirely made of albizia wood that was displayed near the corner of Metcalf Street and University Avenue from 2018 to 2021.
Valenti says Bizia Surf sources unwanted albizia wood from removal projects and partners with other organizations to restore native ecosystems.
Chris Miyashiro, below, is a board shaper who specializes in creating alaia, one type of traditional Hawaiian surfboards, including those made with albizia instead of native woods.
Alaia can be made faster than surfboards made with foam, fiberglass and epoxy because they are solid – not hollow – and fairly flat, so “there’s not a lot of rocker in them,” Valenti says, referring to the bananalike curve of the board from nose to tail.
His goal is to put these albizia surfboards on the market, giving people a unique option for a more environmentally friendly board.
