waves of green

surfing just got a little bit greener with maui's eco-friendly alternative to traditional surf wax. the ingredients of wet women surf wax are 100% biodegradable which means it will completely break down with no worries of harmful toxins being sucked up by the ocean and its inhabitants.

the packaging hits the all important 3 r's and is made of 30% recycled steel and, even though the container can be tossed in the recycling bin, wax refills are available to keep the tin continuously filled for many years to come.

morgan fisher and jordi llore, the socially conscious minds behind the product, jumped through a few extra hoops so that their surf wax could be cradle to cradle certified (which is a movement to promote ecologically intelligent design so once a product is at the end of its lifecycle it does not just get carted off to the landfill to waste away over the centuries).

the online shopping cart is currently being upgraded however wet women surf wax is stocked at a handful of surf shops on maui.

{via treehugger}

aloha new york

more buzz! this time around from honolulu jewelry designer catherine weitzman who is expanding her company's presence in nyc and on the lookout for a girl (or guy) friday. if you live in the ny area and have what it takes to run the new cw showroom and be their in-house pr whiz, email me at aloha [at] hapahale [dot] com to get the full scoop.

ring a ding ding

a few weeks ago, i wrote about big island jewelry designer heather anne nelson who recently buzzed me with news of the debut of playful new rings to her collection. each ring features a cluster of colorful stones like citrine, jade, amethyst, blue quartz, etc. wrapped around flexible wire.

heather's jewelry is always priced right and to sweeten the deal even more, she is currently offering 25% off to the first buyer of each stone style at her etsy shop.

happy shopping!

hina adventures

 

the saturday travel post is back after an unintentional hiatus just in time for summertime!

today is all about hina adventures, a company owned by two local girls which specializes in cultural eco tours of oahu. one of the coolest things about hina is that both travelers and locals are welcome to join them on one of their many explorations around oahu. this is a very good thing since i know more than a few kama'aina who would enjoy learning more about all the historical hot spots that are literally in their backyard but may not know where to begin.

hina owners ena & uluwehi spent many years as eco guides and their backgrounds include stints as a vatican tour guide and voyaging to rapa nui. their passion for the islands really shines on their super informative website which is filled with field notes about the various sites to give you a sneak peek of what you can expect on your adventure.

there's a tour for everyone whether you want to stargaze, pay your respects at an ancient heiau, or scout the island's terrain on a custom hiking adventure with the safety & knowledge of an experienced guide. and for the socially conscious traveler, twice a month hina offers their ho'olaulima community service project/tour where you get to roll up your sleeves and help maintain one of the island's sacred sites.

{update | jan 2010: alas, hina adventures shuttered last summer}

last minute mother's day finds

my apologies for the late notice but tomorrow evening brings yet another chance to find your mom lovely handcrafted accessories (jewelry and handbags, natch) while supporting local indie designers. enjoy a more relaxed shopping environment complete with pupus and drinks and talk story with the designers from paradisus, meleana & lotus8.

details:

• when: thu, may 10th from 5:30p to 8:30p
• where: 2911 pacific heights road
• rsvp required via akemi [at] myparadisus [dot] com