Hawaiian lava sledding ( Hawaiian: hee hōlua, "sled surfing") is a traditional sport of the

Native Hawaiians Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, First Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians) ( haw, kānaka, , , and ), are the indigenous ethnic group of Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaii ...

. Similar to wave

surfing Surfing is a surface water sport in which an individual, a surfer (or two in tandem surfing), uses a board to ride on the forward section, or face, of a moving wave of water, which usually carries the surfer towards the shore. Waves suitabl ...

, hee hōlua involves the use of a narrow ( long, wide) wooden

sled A sled, skid, sledge, or sleigh is a land vehicle that slides across a surface, usually of ice or snow. It is built with either a smooth underside or a separate body supported by two or more smooth, relatively narrow, longitudinal runners ...

(''papa hōlua''). The sled is used standing up, lying down, or kneeling, to ride down man-made or naturally occurring courses (''kahua hōlua)'' of rock, often reaching speeds of or greater. In the past, Hawaiian lava sledding was considered both a sport and a

religious Religion is usually defined as a social system, social-cultural system of designated religious behaviour, behaviors and practices, morality, morals, beliefs, worldviews, religious text, texts, sacred site, sanctified places, prophecy, prophecie ...

ritual for honoring the

gods A deity or god is a supernatural being who is considered divine or sacred. The ''Oxford Dictionary of English'' defines deity as a god or goddess, or anything revered as divine. C. Scott Littleton defines a deity as "a being with powers greater ...

Sleds

Papa hōlua are composed of a pair of runners and a superstructure (platform). The runners are made from hard native woods, traditionally that of kauila (''

Alphitonia ponderosa ''Alphitonia ponderosa'' is a species of Flowering plant, flowering tree in the family Rhamnaceae, that is Endemism, endemic to the Hawaiian Islands. It is locally known as ''kauila'', as is the related ''Colubrina oppositifolia''. Description ...

'' or ''

Colubrina oppositifolia ''Colubrina oppositifolia'', known as in Hawaiian, is a rare species of flowering tree in the family Rhamnaceae endemic to Hawaii. Description This tree reaches a height of . The trunk is coated in shredding gray-brown bark and the smaller ...

''), uhiuhi (''

Caesalpinia kavaiensis ''Mezoneuron kavaiense'' is a rare shrub or small tree in the genus '' Mezoneuron'' (pea family, Fabaceae), that is endemic to Hawaii. Common names include ''Uhiuhi'' ( the Big Island and Kauai), ''Kāwau'' (Maui), and ''Kea'' (Maui). It is thr ...

''), or māmane (''

Sophora chrysophylla ''Sophora chrysophylla'', known as ''māmane'' in Hawaiian, is a species of flowering plant in the pea and bean family, Fabaceae, that is endemic to Hawaii. It is highly polymorphic, growing as a shrub or tree, and able to reach a height of ...

''). The runners have up-curved fore edges, straight aft edges, and rounded lower edges. Crosspieces keep the runners apart. The superstructure, two rails smaller in diameter than the runners and spaced apart by pieces of

bamboo Bamboos are a diverse group of evergreen perennial flowering plants making up the subfamily Bambusoideae of the grass family Poaceae. Giant bamboos are the largest members of the grass family. The origin of the word "bamboo" is uncertain, bu ...

, sits on top of the crosspieces. The runners, crosspieces, and rails are bound together with

sennit Sennit is a type of cordage made by plaiting strands of dried fibre or grass. It can be used ornamentally in crafts, like a kind of ''macramé'', or to make straw hats. Sennit is an important material in the cultures of Oceania, where it is use ...

cordage. The rails are wrapped in white

kapa Kapa is a fabric made by native Hawaiians from the bast fibres of certain species of trees and shrubs in the orders Rosales and Malvales. Description and uses It is similar to ''tapa'' found elsewhere in Polynesia (the Hawaiian phoneme corre ...

cloth and the rail frame is covered in

lauhala ''Lauhala'', ''lau'' meaning "leaf" in the Hawaiian language, refers to the leaves of the hala tree ''(Pandanus tectorius)''. Uses The hala tree is of great cultural, health and economic importance in many Pacific Islands. The fruit of the tree i ...

matting.

Oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

from kukui (''

Aleurites moluccana ''Aleurites moluccanus'', the candlenut, is a flowering tree in the spurge family, Euphorbiaceae, also known as candleberry, Indian walnut, ''kemiri'', varnish tree, ''nuez de la India'', ''buah keras'', ''godou'', kukui nut tree, and ''rata ke ...

'') nuts coats either the course or the runners to provide lubrication.

Courses

A kahua hōlua foundation, which is made of rocks, is built in a depression on a hillside. The foundation is covered in packed-in dirt and an outer layer of pili grass (''

Heteropogon contortus ''Heteropogon contortus'' is a tropical, perennial tussock grass with a native distribution encompassing Southern Africa, southern Asia, Northern Australia, Oceania, and southwestern North America. The species has also become a naturalised weed i ...

'') or kō (''

Saccharum officinarum ''Saccharum officinarum'' is a large, strong-growing species of grass in the genus ''Saccharum''. Its stout stalks are rich in sucrose, a simple sugar which accumulates in the stalk internodes. It originated in New Guinea, and is now cultivated ...

'') flower tassels. Courses are wide enough for a single sled and are not sloped at the bottom. A skilled rider can travel on the course, reaching the flat portion.

References

{{reflist Hawaiiana Sledding Sports originating in the United States Indigenous sports and games of the Americas