Handcrafted work which is kind on the environment.
From management expert to the founding of an ecological surfboard brand.
Diving into nature – literally.
Durable, natural and fair: surfriders who care.
Balsa wood is the lightest type of wood and was already in use a thousand years before the Inca empire and was used for transport floats in South America. And that's also the reason behind the name Kun_tiqi: the sun king Kun tiqsi Viracocha is a historical figure in South America. As his tribe had to leave behind the continent, he used floats in balsa wood to flee. The balsa wood which Kun_tiqi uses comes from a family-run business from the coastal region of Ecuador. A major advantage is that balsa wood grows fast. Within three to four years, the plant can grow to a height of up to ten metres. The wave-riders in wood offer further advantages: "During manufacturing, there are no toxic substances produced and the boards are durable and robust. Plus, they offer more stability when surfing because the wood absorbs the unevenness of the waves especially well."
The art of shaping – in 4 steps to a sustainable balsa wood wave-rider:
1. Plantation: sowing of balsa seed in the greenhouse in Ecuador. After three to four years, the trees are big enough to fell. By cutting them into blocks, they can be worked on more easily. | |
2. Preparation of the blanks: in the tropical climate, the blocks need two to three months to dry. The lightest ones will be worked into a hollow blank. After cutting to size, crosspieces are used to form a sandwich which is then glued together. | |
3. Shaping: the next step sees the shaper bring the blank into shape. As part of this, the surface is initially planed so that it is smooth. Then the board can be sawn to size and shaped with the plane. Finishing touches are made with the hand plane and sanding board. | |
4. Laminating: the boards are laminated with ecological resin. A UV-catalyst is added to the linseed oil which then allows the resin to be hardened within a few minutes using ultra-violet light. As the wood is already breakage and pressure resistant, a single layer of fibre-glass mat is sufficient. The final stage is the addition of two further layers of the ecological resin to ensure the stability and durability of the board. |