The Hele Board Wrap is Born

Have you ever carried a Stand Up Paddle board?

If you have, then you know how hard it is. They weigh about 30-45lbs and are between 9-12' long. They usually have a 5 inch slot in the center if the board where your four fingers fit. So basically you crunch your fingers into this opening and carry the entire weight and length of the board with 4 fingers. It's tough, an sometimes impossible. If the wind picks up, it's not a good situation. You basically have to stop and rest the board on the ground until it's safe to carry again. 

My "ah-ha" moment was myself and my 2 young daughters waiting to  cross Honoapililani Hwy on Maui to get to Launiupoko Beach Park. It was a Saturday and there was surf, so the beach parking lot was full and we had to find parking across the highway in the overflow lot. The crosswalk at that intersection literally takes 6 whole minutes. As I stood there struggling to hold my paddle board, I noticed the beach bag on my shoulder. It was one of my newest designs (I'm a bag designer). I noticed the wide strap, then I noticed my beach towel in the bag and had an epiphany!!

What if I used the same strap I used to make the new beach bag and made it 10 times longer and sewed it all the way around a towel. Then I could wrap the towel around my 10 foot board, center it for balance, and carry it on my shoulder like a beach bag. 

That night I made my first Hele Board Wrap. 

I carried my board to my neighborhood beach the next morning and I felt like a celebrity. Everyone was asking me about it. Strangers were coming up and asking me where I got it. I knew I was on to something big.