Black Ops Birdwells.

Birdwell's are quite simply the best surf trunks on the beach, hands down, no argument and I won't even debate it, there is no point, you either know it or you don't.
But now there's a new attitude in Santa Ana and Birdies are taking their brand to the world. Social media posts, a blog page and a positive engagement with their customers means that the Birdwell family are taking their first tentative steps into the 21 century. There's even a new styling afoot with some of their trunks, narrower cuts, shorter rises and button flys, subtle additions that make their offering broader and dare I say groovier.
But for me it's their special projects that are catching my attention, especially so the new woodland camouflage release. The Papa has always been an advocate for custom Birdies in camo patterns but the Santa Ana crew have really outdone themselves with this addition to their product line, two ply nylon, button fly, tab closure for minor adjustments and best of all total black ops hardware. Black woven Birdies label, Black laces, black grommets and black buttons, its clandestine surfing at its best!

Surfing, Hot Rods and the aesthetics of Foam and Glass

On the coasts of Southern California, surfing and cars has always been synonymous. In the earliest photographic history of the region there is always the inevitable image of the jalopy loaded with planks parked by the beach side.


During the late 50's early 1960's this was more prolific than ever. Hot rodding and surfing went hand in hand as can be referenced in the beautiful portfolio of photographer Leroy Grannis.( see Rodders Journal #9 )


Pioneer surfer and shaper, Dale Velzy was a classic example of the cross fertilisation of these two genres. Velzy up till the time of his recent death always pursued his interest in cars when the swell was flat. This fabulous legacy is continued today with the likes of logger and shaper Tyler Hatzikian. Tyler is an avid advocate of this tradition and many of the aesthetic elements of Hot rodding permeate his artistic approach to the finishing of his boards. His store at El Segundo California is a testament to this fact. His front window features the most decoratively beautiful sign writing. Here we see his name executed with flourish in what appears to be gold leaf outlines filled with the most gorgeously flamboyant psychedelic 60's paisley fill that pays direct homage to Hot rod decorating of the same period. Tyler is drawing direct parallels for us that are imbued with a legacy and soul that draws inspiration from our rich ocean side history.


As an entity who is also much inspired by all things visual, The Papa draws much pleasure from Tyler's unique take and outlook and encourages his readers to explore options off the beaten path from the generic single layered glass jobs and homogeneous surf craft.
Michelangelo was credited with saying, 'Where there is no hand, there is no heart", and applied to the craft of surfboard manufacturing this resonates louder than ever.


In the tradition carried on by these two influential and significant surfers we should try to approach our outlook with a renewed and rekindled interest in the art of design, shaping and glassing. By viewing our next purchase with a sense of history and appreciation we ensure that there will always be an avenue open for those unique artists who continue the evolution of our sport. Drawing parallels from the past to the present encourages us all to arrive at a place of deeper understanding, belonging and appreciation of where we are and how we got there.

Introduction to Papa Nui.

Like us all I am inspired by many things. Since day one, my Father has been a most dominating force. Jack was a veteran of World War 2 and he served the better part of those years campaigning in the South Pacific. Naturally as a child I was awed by my fathers exploits and adventures in the island jungles and so over the years I grew to develop a significant appreciation of his generations acomplishments. Along with this came a great love of history, especially the war years and especially the conflicts in the Pacific region.
This interest permeates my world and influences much of how I view things. As you come to know me through this blog you will see how this plays out into my thinking and my approach and outlook on things. But for now my interests are Surfing, Art, Fashion and Music.

I like history, military, aviation, old hollywood movies, junking, interiors, cooking, south pacific, Japan, beachcombing and underwater love. Musically Im drawn to the Clash and the Blue Hawaiians, Alfred Aholo Apaka, the Whys, Dizzy, Wes Montgomery, Slim Gallard, Machito, Lee Perry, Jimmy Cliff, Big Youth, Burning Spear, Johnny Lee Wills and the Japanese Motors. I love the asthetics of America from the 1930's -1960's and for fashion Ive always spent my dollars on vintage garments from American thrift stores while on junking trips across the States.

At one time or another Ive been very active in Skateboarding and Surfing, have lived abroad in London and Tokyo and have worked with some big name fashion labels, here and overseas.
My desire for this blog is to network some of my thoughts and see what comes back. I have long term goals around things Id like to do and would love the opportunity to meet like minded individuals who could help me put a spin on things and perhaps encourage me to make some of my ideas a reality.