'Coconuts' Kennedy, M.Nii Senators and the Papa.

'Coconuts' Kennedy was one of the Papa's founding members. 'Coconuts' was so named because the local Mary's thought that his thick shock of brown hair reminded them of the husk from a coconut. 'Coconuts' relished his mantle and proudly wore his Corsairs cap perched at a jaunty angle of the back of his head with his husk profusely sticking out the front.
Back in '43, he and the Papa zipped around the Blackett Straights at dawn in the pre-light looking for ideal reef breaks when the combination of wind and tide would be right to drag out their logs. Jumping from the deck of the PT and paddling into the shelf, 'Coconuts' and the Papa would ride the South Pacific swell lines drawing elegant patterns across those shallow draws.
Sometime after, the Papa heard from one of his coastwatchers that 'Coconuts' was involved in some sort of a collision with a destroyer and that he totalled that plywood canoe of his and that when he was finally rescued, the government flew him home and made him President of the United States. Whew! the Papa thought, not bad for a surf bum who only ever wore a pair of trunks and one of the Papa's caps.

Many years later the Papa received a letter from 'Coconuts'.

Hey Pops,
Wish you were here. Have been hanging out at Malibu with a new set of cronies, Lawford, Monroe, Chamberlain. Nice folks! Surfs been cranking but miss our sessions together. Hope all is well. Have found some new trunks and thought you'd be interested. See attached,
All the best Papa,
Your pal JFK.

Ahh the M.Nii's, yes the Papa knows, seem to remember a blogpost on this very subject not too long ago. This new style is called The Senator and with a legacy linking my 'ol friend Coconuts to this product, the Papa thought that to do him justice he would purchase a pair. Contrary to any previous discussions this short is quite the happening style, dare I say the perfect vintage short and worthy of any poolside weekender rendezvous? After a few paddling sessions the Papa must also concede that it ain't a bad surf trunk either, possessing that most wonderful combination of good looks practicality and purpose.

As this magazine attests, 'Coconuts', had quite the adventure out in the South Pacific. God's speed Skipper and rest in peace my friend, the Papa's thoughts are with you.

Denim Hunters love the Papa.

http://denimhunters.com/2014/03/papa-nui/

Combat Corsairs Caps Now All Japan Manufacture.

The Papa knows caps. A lifetime under the Pacific sun has taught him a thing or two about being able to hunker down under a brim of substance and so with a generous adaptation of the WWII A-1 sun visor, the Papa introduces to his battalion, the Combat Corsairs Cap. Produced exclusively in Japan by special arrangement with the John Lofgren Clothing Factory this is quality as only the sons and daughters of Amaterasu can produce.

Limited to 100 pieces you can choose the colour of your cover, Beach landing brown or Jungle patrol green. Sizing runs from 57cm through to 61cm.

To support the Papa and his thrill thundering salute to the men of the South Pacific, Pay Pal the sum of $75 USD to rocket_ace47@hotmail.com and recieve a cap worthy of duty on any front plus free airmail shipping to any location on the globe

.

Papa Nui, never your standard 782.

* wholesale orders available on orders over 10 pieces, email the Papa.

Dazzle Kook Box.

For the love of  Kook boxes, hollowed out paddle boards in the style of surf pioneer Tom Blake. Particular kudos goes to the black and white stripe board reminiscent of US Navy dazzle pattern camouflage. The Papa is much inspired and will one day create the dazzle log to confuse the enemy at his favourite point break.

At the beach.

The Beach Battalion on R&R.

Papa's beach kit

The Papa is always working on adding to his beach kit and when occasion arises he busies local tailors with requests to make what is needed. Here then is summer's new additions. HBT helmet bag with PBY patch, HBT naval hat and a matching one in Japanese chambray.

Mini Simmons USN styling

The Papa is once again inspired!!

Papa Nui's pal, Mr Fishfry, has agreed to help the Papa shape a new board. The object of this activity is to expand on the Papa's facination with the 1940's and in particular the board designs of vintage surfboard guru, Bob Simmons. The period following World War II was a time of great experimentation in surfboard design and Simmons was one of those remarkable surfing free thinkers who during the war worked for the Douglas Aircraft Company out in Santa Monica. He applied to surfboard design the technology and materials that he was exposed to at the plant and in conjuction with his enlightenment via a US Navy publication by one of the finest US naval architects, Lindsey Lord, a PHD from MIT who did an intensive study on planing hulls, Simmons was able to introduce this unique hull idea to surfboard design. The Navy had sought an ideal width and length shape for quick lift, maneuverability and speed. Lord maintained the study was solid information and a new, not previously known, naval science. The book was full of graphs, complex equations and recommended a new material to strengthen lightweight planing hulls; fiberglass and resin. The form developed was simple parallelism, with an ideal length-width ratio number called aspect ratio, used in wing design...From experimenting with this new technology Simmons influenced surfings development like few have ever done. It has been said that the greatest single contribution to the evolution of the modern surfboard was the introduction of the light board by Bob Simmons.
Todays take on Simmons' revolutionary developments is the Mini-Simmons, a cut down board applying the same principals from the vintage aquatic US NAVY technology.
It is this little baby that has the Papa so fired up! Pictured below is a beautiful example pulled from Tristan Mausse's blog "Mini- Simmons World Religion" and shaped by Paulo Jacinto. Reader's of PAPA NUI SAYS... will be familiar with the Papa's 9'6" sea-log shaped by Dain Thomas of Sea Surfboards and appreciate the connection between this beautiful little Simmons and the Papa's invasion barge board he uses regularly.

Obviously given the Papa's particular take of surfing, the Olive Drab resin tint on this Mini-Simmons is a must. But to personalise it even further the Papa feels a wartime stencil print is in order.
This print is based on Jack Kerouac's US NAVY service during the war.
Now as the summer is fast approaching and the beach breaks beckon, the Papa must get busy. But what shorts to wear while riding the Simmons? Should it be the olive green Birdwells or the khaki Under water demolition team numbers?

Finally is there any more seaworthy hat to keep the sun off the Papa's brow than a drab version of a traditional Dixie cup!

40's lifeguards and the PAPA style

Its not every day you can find the one image that defines a concept, but with the investigative skills of my trusty friend, Mr Photo Hound, I believe that this single photograph is the one that best sums up Papa Nui. Taken at Barber Point Oahu Hawaii in 1943, this lifeguard is the personification of the Papa concept. From his mid green aviators to his US Navy underwater demolition team shorts the look is classic. Note around his neck he is also wearing an olive USN plastic survival whistle. The hollow wooden paddleboard looks like something Tom Blake would have made and probably did as this type of craft was the state of the art in 1930's 1940's surf rescue. My favourite thing however is the lifeguard chair with the Olive canvas shelter cover. Man I gotta me get one of those made so I can sit in the yard and survey the neighbourhood. Your safety is now in the Papa's hands.