Dean Edwards was just doing what he does, but when you make your living as a surfboard artist, the efforts can take you to places as wild as your imagination.
In this case, the inspiration came from the Big Island when people were in need.
“I take inspiration where I can find it,” said Edwards, a 30-year Big Island resident who lives near Honokaa, “and I was watching Ikaika Marzo on social media, informing all of us about the fissure 8 breakout, so I just started playing around with a red and black design; I was thinking, ‘Lava Day,’ or something.
“In talking with my wife (Monique Chevallier-Edwards), it just sort of came up, the vibe that day, that week, was about the volcano, the lava, and its impact,” he said. “We realized most of my friends, many of my clients (Surfboards by Dean Edwards), live down in the lower Puna — Pahoa area, damn near all my friends were affected in some way or another.”
One thing led to another and Edwards talked to his friend Stan Lawrence at Orchidland Surf Shop — they both make boards, often together — and in a snap they organized a raffle to help the recovery efforts.
“We felt we could contribute, that a lot of people were helping in ways that they could at the time and this was something we could do,” Lawrence said. “The idea was ‘Let’s have a raffle and see what we can raise.’”
Lawrence arranged a spot in his shop and sold raffle tickets for $20, with Marzo being among the first to enter.
“He came in tossed down $100 and said he would donate the board to someone if one of his tickets was purchased,” Edwards said. “His ticket didn’t get pulled but he was so helpful in the campaign.”
Last week on the Pomai and Loeka morning show on KWXX, the winning ticket purchased by Robin Gleason was pulled. Gleason had bought two tickets and for those $40, received a glorious 6-foot, 4-inch board worth $650. The raffle raise $1,160 to support relief efforts, not enough to rebuild the community but an example of how a little help by individuals can make a difference.
“It’s just something you do to help the community,” Lawrence said, “and the surf community here truly needs help.
“Over the years, the lava has damaged a lot of the best spots,” he said. “We lost Kapoho Bay, Secrets, Bowls, Shacks and Coconuts, all of them good surf spots that were extensively used, but right now we are down to one spot — Honoli’i, and the use it’s getting is way up from the time before fissure 8 started going off.”
County crews are working to cut a road through the lava to make Pohoiki accessible once again as the surf is still there, but the boat ramp has been covered and will take some work to replace. Black sand is prevalent throughout the area.
“Give them some time,” Lawrence said, “and we will get that surf spot back, but in the meantime, Honoli’i is our only spot, it’s a good one, but it also the only one right now.”
It’s rare but not unusual for Edwards to do a painting on a board. In the past, he’s done Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles on boards, and there have been others, but this one is a little different.
“I’ve been doing this for 50 years,” Edwards said, “and when people want artwork, it’s usually to be displayed as an art piece as opposed to a daily board, but I’m told this one is being used daily and that makes me happy.”
And the efforts of Edwards and Lawrence have also brightened the day in some small way for those impacted by the lava.
