Honouring the Source

Wawa is a Muizenberg-based brand making wooden surfboards that pay homage to surfing’s Polynesian forefathers, celebrate ocean spirit and champion sustainable design.

WORDS Steve Smith PHOTOS Supplied

For Wawa Wooden Surfboards founder Cobus Joubert, the ocean has always been both playground and teacher. His earliest memories are of bodysurfing the waves of Plettenberg Bay – carefree days that sparked a lifelong connection to the sea. “They were the happiest place for me as a kid,” says Cobus, “and a welcome escape from working holidays involving the harvest of pears, apples and peaches on our family farm under a hot Klein Karoo sun.” That rhythm of water and wave would shape his outlook and his craft.

While studying at Stellenbosch, a sports injury nudged him from windsurfing to surfing, igniting a fascination with the surfboard as an object of design and emotion. By 2000, he shaped his first board – a challenging but formative experiment that led him away from the conventional materials of polyurethane, carcinogenic polyresin and fibreglass towards wood, a medium that felt more alive, more sustainable and more connected to surfing’s origins.

A decade later, he joined forces with Andrew Strode and David Hidi to form Wawa, named after the Brazilian name for an African timber known as obeche. The brand quickly gained recognition for its beautiful wooden boards inspired by ancient Polynesian-style alaias (surfboards), paipos (bellyboards) and body-surf handslides, reimagined for modern riders. Cobus talks to us about the inspiration and unique manufacturing process behind Wawa’s timber products.

A deep connection

“Centuries ago, the first Polynesian surfers carved their boards from native timber, guided by instinct, respect and a connection to the ocean. At Wawa, that spirit lives on. From day one, we’ve been shaping our boards from locally harvested Erythrina, agave, cypress, stinkwood and kapok – each alaia and paipo carved from solid timber, each grain telling its own story. No two boards are ever the same; their artful patterns are as unique as the waves they ride.

“Driven to blend performance with sustainability, our craft evolved. Enter Paulownia – a fine-grained, lightweight, water-resistant timber now grown along South Africa’s eastern coast. Each board we create is wrapped in Paulownia, over a core of recycled foam with cork rails, the result of more than a decade of refinement. It means the boards are strong, have stiff flex, are easy to repair, and offer a hydrodynamic quality unique to a timber surface, and custom board shapes that perform and last.

“At Wawa, we draw inspiration from the craftsmanship of the great board shapers who came before us. Legends like Bob Simmons, Joe Quigg, Steve Lis, Skip Frye, Larry Gephart, Louis Greco, Dick Brewer and George Greenough, as well as South Africans Mike Larmont and Brian O’Donnell, continue to remind us that every curve tells a story.”

Old school, modern tech

“Old and forgotten surfboards, most of them soft tops bound for the landfill, find new life in our workshop. Stripped, cleaned and reshaped, they’re reborn beneath layers of wood and cork – transformed Wawa-style into something beautiful, functional and enduring.

“After 15 years of shaping foam by hand, we’ve digitised most of our designs. Our trusted CNC partner cuts the raw foam shapes with precision, following the digital blueprints we’ve refined over years of experimentation. Once the cut or shaped blanks return to our workshop, the real artistry begins – the woodwork and cork detailing that bring warmth, texture and individuality to every board.

“The Paulownia timber, light yet resilient, forms the body of the board, its fine grain alive with subtle patterns that shift and deepen with time. Along the rails, carbonised and natural cork trace clean lines of contrast – an elegant nod to the retro pin lines of 1960s and ’70s surf craft, when surf culture was raw, rebellious and full of discovery.

“The nose and tail are finished in hardwood for strength and endurance, giving each board a sense of permanence against the ever-changing sea. Some riders choose a wash of watercolours, painted to echo the ocean’s moods – muted blues, sunlit ambers, the pale green of a breaking wave. “Over time, the timber will take on a patina all its own – a living signature of salt, sun and session. No two boards will age in the same way.”

And that’s the inspiring story of Wawa Wooden Surfboards, where each piece is a fine balance of craftsmanship and conscience, art and utility – a brand born from saltwater, sawdust and an enduring respect for the sea. | wawa_surfboards

Don’t forget to sign up to our weekly newsletter for the latest architecture and design news.