HISTORY

The Bear started riding Paipos in early 60s out Cronulla Point Here is a an original Paipo home made by Wayne Munroe “We used to ride prone then kneel then spin around do a bum stand” Paul remembers. He rode this  custom Paipo knee board pictured below  at Shark Island.

 Thats Paul in the lip at The Point mid 60s

No wetsuits, no fins no slick or leash not to mention splinters from the Paipos.

Back in the day before wetsuits, leashes and swim fins a wooden self made Paipo was all it took to get these 2 Englishmen stoked on wave riding.

1874 observation of Ancient Paipo riders at Waikiki

 The surf here is fine and as the water is deliciously warm, bathing becomes here a luxury indeed. 
I saw at this place for the first time, that famous sport of the natives, ” surf bathing.” 
As the Pacific Ocean has here an uninterrupted sweep from the south of several thousand miles, the swells roll in with prodigious force, dashing the water into immense snowy fleeces. 
The native takes a small plank a foot wide and a few feet long, and by adroitly diving under the approaching waves, at length works his way far out to sea. 
Watching his opportunity on the approach of an unusually heavy surf, he dextrously flings himself into it a little forward of the crest, slightly inclines the board to receive the forward impulse of the water,and with the speed of the wind rushes toward the shore, enveloped in a fleecy foam and spray. 

Paipo (pipe-oh) is a Hawaiian word designating a short or small board. 
 Also known in Hawaiian as kioe, a body board, or belly board, from 2-to-4 feet long, ridden in the prone position.The Hawaiian paipo board was the ancient equivalent of today’s bodyboard or “boogie board.” Hawaiian paipos were  made of either breadfruit or wili wili. It measures 12 1/2″ at the nose, 9 1/2″ at the tail and is 56 1/2″ long. Its bottom is convex, with shaped rails, nose rocker and slightly concave deck. The drawing below was from from 1851 showing ancient Polynesians having fun in the Shorey.