{"id":117662,"date":"2020-05-10T08:00:01","date_gmt":"2020-05-10T18:00:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/?p=117662"},"modified":"2020-08-07T13:29:48","modified_gmt":"2020-08-07T23:29:48","slug":"masterson-polynesian-surf-culture","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/2020\/05\/10\/masterson-polynesian-surf-culture\/","title":{"rendered":"<abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> students surf, learn culture, earn academic credit"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading time: <\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 3<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span><div class=\"responsive-video-wrap-post\"><figure class=\"wp-block-embed wp-block-embed-youtube is-type-video is-provider-youtube epyt-figure\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\"><div class=\"epyt-video-wrapper\"><iframe  id=\"_ytid_29659\"  width=\"620\" height=\"349\"  data-origwidth=\"620\" data-origheight=\"349\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/j35gohY_JJ0?enablejsapi=1&origin=https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu&rel=0&autoplay=0&cc_load_policy=0&cc_lang_pref=&iv_load_policy=1&loop=0&fs=1&playsinline=0&autohide=2&theme=dark&color=red&controls=1&disablekb=0&\" class=\"__youtube_prefs__  no-lazyload\" title=\"糖心Vlog官方 students surf, learn culture, earn academic credit\"  allow=\"fullscreen; accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen data-no-lazy=\"1\" data-skipgform_ajax_framebjll=\"\"><\/iframe><\/div><\/div><\/figure><\/div>\n<p>It\u2019s midday in early March 2020 at Rainbows, a surf spot at the foot of the <span aria-label=\"Koolau\">Ko&#699;olau<\/span> mountain range on <span aria-label=\"Oahu\">O&#699;ahu<\/span>. About a dozen University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> at M\u0101noa students are demonstrating varied proficiency at riding some relatively small waves&#8212;from barely standing to almost dancing on a longboard. All are smiling and exuding a sunny vibe. Possibly because they are also earning college credit in the lab fieldwork portion of Anthropology 175 Polynesian Surf Culture.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I think that we\u2019re all just a really lovely cohesive group. Everyone is friends and everyone is really stoked to be in class,&rdquo; said <strong>Talita Stiles<\/strong>, a natural resources and environmental management major. &ldquo;We have many people in our class who have never surfed before and they\u2019ve gone out with a teacher that encourages them to not be afraid, and they\u2019ve all stood up&#8212;every single person in our class.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Meet Ian <span aria-label=\"Akahi\">&#699;Akahi<\/span> Masterson<\/h2>\n<figure id=\"attachment_117669\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-117669\" style=\"width: 300px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/manoa-surf-culture-masterson-300x169.jpg\" alt=\"masterson teaching class\" width=\"300\" height=\"169\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-117669\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/manoa-surf-culture-masterson-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/manoa-surf-culture-masterson-130x73.jpg 130w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/manoa-surf-culture-masterson.jpg 676w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-117669\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ian <span aria-label=\"Akahi\">&#699;Akahi<\/span> Masterson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>That encouraging teacher is <strong>Ian <span aria-label=\"Akahi\">&#699;Akahi<\/span> Masterson<\/strong>, a <a href=\"https:\/\/uhalumni.org\/windward\/story\/windward-cc-alumnus-ian-masterson\">Windward Community College  and <abbr title=\"University of Hawaii\">糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> M\u0101noa alumnus<\/a>, skilled surfer and surfing historian, who has caddied for Uncle Clyde Aikau during the contest formerly known as the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=8byPz6IDc2I\">Quiksilver Eddie Aikau Big Wave Invitational Surfing Competition<\/a>. He started developing and teaching curriculum for classes with titles like, &ldquo;Pacific Surf Science and Technology&rdquo; at Windward <abbr title=\"Community College\">CC<\/abbr> in 1999. Masterson holds a master\u2019s degree in Pacific Island studies and taught a 300-level course in ethnography at <abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> M\u0101noa in 2017. He also teaches non-credit courses in ocean safety and recreation as the workforce coordinator for the <a href=\"http:\/\/windwardcce.org\/hi-ocean-edu.htm\"><span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> Ocean Education Academy<\/a> at Windward <abbr>CC<\/abbr>.<\/p>\n<p>Masterson\u2019s Polynesian Surf Culture class is about much more than the fundamentals of being able to safely approach the ocean, paddle out and successfully surf back in. He wants his students to gain a culture-based sense of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> and to recognize the importance of the environment. He imparts his considerable knowledge both in the class and on the beach.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It\u2019s the experiential learning that is really the important vehicle,&rdquo; Masterson said. &ldquo;Going to the places, the mythology comes alive. The real wind blows&#8212;the wild <span aria-label=\"Ahiu\">&#699;&#256;hiu<\/span> wind of Kahana. The sea that wears away at <span aria-label=\"Kaaawa\">Ka&#699;a&#699;awa<\/span> where we go surfing at Rainbows.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<blockquote><p>Going to the places, the mythology comes alive. &#8212;Ian <span aria-label=\"Akahi\">&#699;Akahi<\/span> Masterson<\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Not all Polynesian Surf Culture students are novices. <strong>Dorian Ashmore<\/strong>, a <abbr>糖心Vlog官方<\/abbr> M\u0101noa sophomore from San Diego, California, majoring in elementary education, has been surfing since he was 10. He catches wave after wave, moving up and down the longboard, flashing some fancy footwork. Of course, the Friday surf labs are his favorite part of class.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;I feel like you are really missing out if you go to the University of <span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span> and you are not taking a Polynesian Surf Culture class,&rdquo; Ashmore said. &ldquo;It really has opened my mind to things I just did not know about surfing.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2>Let\u2019s go surfing!<\/h2>\n<p>Masterson calls surfing &ldquo;<span aria-label=\"Hawaii\">Hawai&#699;i<\/span>\u2019s gift to the world,&rdquo; noting various legislative initiatives to create a state commission for what has become a $10-billion global industry. Prior to the pandemic, surfing had been scheduled to debut as an olympic sport in Tokyo this summer.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;So here we are in the cradle of surfing for our globalized world, and we should lead the way in educational endeavors,&rdquo; Masterson said. &ldquo;Really, truly we have all of the pieces and the pathway to do a concentration in Hawaiian surf studies, to perhaps even go on and do certificates in competencies or even an entire undergraduate program in all the aspects related to surf studies.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;The future is very beautiful and positive. E <span aria-label=\"hee\">he&#699;e<\/span> ana k\u0101kou. Let\u2019s go surfing together.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><em>&#8212;By Kelli Trifonovitch<\/em><\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_117668\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-117668\" style=\"width: 676px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/manoa-surf-culture-1.jpg\" alt=\"masterson and surfing students\" width=\"676\" height=\"541\" class=\"size-full wp-image-117668\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/manoa-surf-culture-1.jpg 676w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/manoa-surf-culture-1-300x240.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/05\/manoa-surf-culture-1-130x104.jpg 130w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 676px) 100vw, 676px\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-117668\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">(From left) Ian <span aria-label=\"Akahi\">&#699;Akahi<\/span> Masterson, Dorian Ashmore, Talita Stiles, Kelly Hussey, Shona Ortiz, Ben Zahniser<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ian <span aria-label=\"Akahi\">&#699;Akahi<\/span> Masterson teaches Polynesian Surf Culture in class and in the water.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":16,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25],"tags":[90,679,137,71,9,66],"class_list":["post-117662","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-academic-news","tag-alumni","tag-alumni-recognition","tag-anthropology","tag-uh-community-colleges","tag-uh-manoa","tag-windward-community-college","entry","has-media"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117662","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/16"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117662"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117662\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":124576,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117662\/revisions\/124576"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117662"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117662"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.hawaii.edu\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117662"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}