From Deep Forest to Deep Sea: The Celebrated Koa of Kona

The wao lipo is that forested region where the tallest trees grow and the deepest shadows fall… where the koa is the tallest of the tall, casting the deepest shadows of them all. The shadow that koa casts crosses the deepest seas, from the wao lipo to the kai lipo, the deepest, darkest sea.” - Hannah Kihalani Springer in “Growing Koa: A Hawaiian Legacy Tree,” 2003

Growing deep within the forest to gliding above the immeasurable depths of the ocean as a voyaging canoe, born out of Kona’s mauka landscapes are some of the largest koa trees. And with the presence of these immense hardwood trees, coupled with a sea ideal for fishing, gathering, and transportation, a community of skilled builders, fishermen, and paddlers emerged from Kona. This connection between mauka and makai was essential in cultivating waʻa, or canoe, culture and way of life here in Kona today, further strengthening our connections to the ʻohana waʻa around the world.

In this photo, Kai Opua Canoe Club races in Kealakekua Bay, circa 1929. Photograph by Tai Sing Loo.