According to him, this historical Hawaiian surfcraft--which resembles a flat piece of wood--may be the key to one of surfing's next big leaps in modern board design. A Palos Verdes native, Tom gained ...

Other than balsa wood, paulownia wood is the lightest known timber. Native to Southeast Asia, paulownia wood comes from sustainable plantations. It is the fastest growing hardwood in the world.

The art of playing in harmony with the ocean is something Native Hawaiians have done for centuries. It’s called surfing nowadays, but the ancient Hawaiians said he’e nalu, or “wave sliding.” It was ...