What you are looking at is one of the coolest things I've ever seen. It's a surfboard fence in Pe'ahi, Maui. The same Pe'ahi that is home to Jaws. One of my studio mates went to Maui earlier this year and knew I'd love it, so she brought me back some photos. Thank you, Mary Alice!
So how did this fence come to be? Donald "DJ" Dettloff and his family live on this farmland in Maui, and it was a huge storm with gale force winds that prompted him to secure his quiver a bit better. It was then that inspiration struck and the fence was born. The fence goes around half of his property. Many of them were donated by friends and neighbors, others show up mysteriously on his driveway. Some were scavenged from the old Makawao dump. How many boards are there? Roughly 400.
DJ told the Maui Time Weekly that when he receives boards in fair condition, he'll fix them up and loan them to young local rippers. He goes on to say, "I'm not a painter. I can't dance or sing, but I am an artist, and this is my art. This wasn't easy, but I love it."
6 comments:
As you probably know, architects use the word "vernacular" to discuss how design fits into it's environment. Even though surfboards are made (mostly) of petrochemicals and the setting for the fence is so natural, there's still an appropriate vernacular here with the shapes of the boards, the sense of their (former) use, and the polynesian/ocean-oriented environment. Really inventive and cool. Thanks for posting.
David
Hi David, I actually didn't know that, about architects using the word vernacular. Your comments are always so welcome, insightful & appreciated. Thank YOU. Have a great weekend!
I wouldn't be able to have that fence. I'd much rather surf them, broken beaten or whatever. Still a beautiful thing to see though.
Got your photos, stoked on them and going to work digitally with them. If you like the result we could then do one 'for real'.
All the best,
SM x
That is indeed a cool fence. Love the new banner too!
Rad!
super cool!
we have some friends on oahu who have tons of old boards like this at their somewhat hidden family compound and i am so sad i have not take pictures of them yet. when we get back there in december i will for sure go get some shots like this, these are great!
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