Surfboards from invasive tree stems offer a habitat-restoring plastic alternative

Date: August 23, 2023

Country: United States minor outlying islands

Application

• The project utilizes invasive tree species to create sustainable and eco-friendly surfboards.

Description

Architect Joey Valenti and master woodmaker Eric Bell began producing wooden surfboards in 2022, selling them through the Bizia Surf shop in Oahu, Hawaii. Rather than shipping wood in from a distant forest plantation, the founders decided to use a more local and restorative feedstock: the albizia tree, an invasive species introduced to the islands from indonesia. 

Pathway Description:

The wood and bark of the invasive tree species are harvested and then processed into a usable material. The material is then combined with a bio-based resin to create a durable and sustainable composite material.The composite material is then molded and shaped into the desired form, such as a surfboard.