Ko e Tufunga Tāpapafānifo [Material Art of Surfboard-Making] Mo e Faiva Fānifo [Performance Art of Surfing] ^Featured

Fai ‘e Palōfesa Hūfanga Dr ‘Ōkusitino Māhina
Professor of Art, Culture and Critical Anthropology
Vava‘u Academy for Critical Inquiry and Applied Research [VACIAR] &
Tonga International Academy [TIA]

Na‘a ku talanoa he ‘atikolo 23 ki he taha ‘o e ngaahi lea Tonga heliaki [poloveape / paloveape / fakatātā] fihi, loloto mo mālie ko e: “Si‘i femolimoli‘i, lahi takitaha kai” [“In scarcity we share, in plenty one is free to eat”]. Neongo ‘oku ngali fehangahangai ‘a e si‘i femolimoli‘i mo e lahi takitaha kai, ‘o hangē ‘oku fakatokolahi ‘a e mu‘omu‘a ka e fakatokotaha ‘a e muimui, ka ‘oku na fakatou fakatokolahi lōua pē, ‘o femolimoli‘i fakatokolahi pē he‘ene si‘i pea to e takitaha kai fakatokolahi pē he‘ene lahi. ‘Oku mahino mei he lea heliaki mā‘uhinga mo faka‘ofo‘ofa ni na‘e tufunga / fatu ‘a e fakakaukau mo fakangāue ko ‘eni ki he tā-vā ‘o e faingamālie / faingofua [mahu] mo e faingatāmaki / faingata‘a [honge] fakatou‘osi, ‘o taumu‘a hono vahevahe fakapotopoto mo taau ‘a e koloa ke tofu.

‘Oku ‘i ai ‘a e fa‘ahinga ‘e tupu‘a ‘e ua ‘o e ‘aati fakaTonga ‘oku fekau‘aki mo e fānifo, ‘a ia ko e tufunga mo e faiva, ‘o ‘iloa ko e tufunga tāpapafānifo [material art  surfboard-making] mo e faiva fānifo [performance art of surfing], ‘a ia kuo na mole fakatoulōua, ‘o ma‘u ia ‘e he ngaahi fonua kehe ka e tefito ki he Uēsite [‘o tu‘umalie fau ai ‘a mamani ka e siosionoa pē ‘a Tonga]. ‘Oku hoko ‘a e mole ‘o e tufunga tāpapafānifo mo e faiva fānifo ‘a e to e mole ‘o e ‘ilo [knowledge] mo e poto [skills] ‘oku fa‘oaki he fonua [culture] mo fetu‘utaki / tu‘uholoaki he tala / lea [language] hono tufunga ‘a e papa fānifo [surf board] mo hono faiva ‘oku ui ko e faiva fānifo. ‘O ka fiema‘u ke fakakake mo fakaake ‘a e ongo ‘aati tupu‘a ni ‘oku mā‘uhinga ke to e fekumi mo fekeli ki he ngaahi ‘ilo mo e poto loloto mo mālie ‘oku ke i ma‘u ‘e ha kau Tonga.

‘Oku makatu‘unga hono tufunga ‘a e fuo mo e uho ‘o e papa fānifo he ngaahi ‘ilo mo e poto faka‘enisīnia tupu‘a fekau‘aki mo e mātangi [aerodynamic] mo e vai / tahi [hydrodynamic]. ‘Oku ngalingali ko e ‘uhinga ia na‘e ui ai ko e fānifo ko hono fōtunga hangē ha fo‘i nifo [tooth] ‘oku tu‘u ai ‘a e taha ‘oku faiva, ‘o mafola hono ongo nima hangē ha kapakau ha manu ‘oku puna he angi ‘a e mātangi mo fāfā he ngalu / peau ‘o e vai / tahi. ‘Oku tefito heni hono faiva ‘a e papa fānifo, ‘a ia ‘oku kamata he akefua / molefua ‘a e peau / ngalu mate ‘o hoko ko e peau / ngalu mo‘ui ko e kamata ia ke fasi / pā ‘a e ngalu / peau. ‘Oku tupu leva mei he‘ene fasi / pā ‘a e peau / ngalu ‘ene fakamata / fakaava [spiral, vortex-like], ‘o hū leva ki ai ‘a e taha mo ‘ene papa ‘o kamata ‘ene faiva fānifo.

‘Oku kamata ‘a e faiva fānifo mei he fasi / pā ‘a e peau / ngalu ki hono huufi he‘ene fakamata / fakaava ki he‘ene peau / ngalu tuku ‘oku fai ai ‘a e toka‘one, ‘o tefito ai ‘a e lau ‘o e kai. ‘Oku kamata ‘a e mālohi ‘o e peau / ngalu he‘ene fasi / pā, pea tupulaki ‘ene mālohi, ‘o tumutumu he‘ene fakamata / fakaava [eye / hole], ‘a ia ‘oku fasi / pā hono [peau / ngalu], ‘a ia ‘oku ne fakatupu ai ‘a e ma‘ahi, ‘o fa‘a lahi ai ‘a e tafia. ‘Oku ‘i  ai ‘a e ngaahi lea mālie ‘oku ma‘u mei he faiva ni, ‘o hangē ko e, tu‘u ke ma‘u he ko e ngalu ‘e fasi, heke / hele ‘i he ngalu, ngalu fānifo, toka‘one, pā ‘a e ngalu [‘o hangē ko ‘ene ‘asi he lea ko e, pā‘āngangalu, ‘a ia ‘oku ‘uhinga ki ha me‘a ‘e fuoloa, ‘o hangē ko e fa‘a tali fuoloa ‘a e faiva fānifo ki ha fasi / pā ‘a ha pea / ngalu] mo e ngalu tuku [‘a ia ko e peau / ngalu faka‘osi pea toka‘one / hake].

‘Oku ngāue‘aki fakatoulōua pē ‘a e peau mo e ngalu he lea Tonga, ‘a ia ‘oku na ‘uhinga tatau, ‘o hangē ‘oku motu‘a ange ‘a e lea ko e peau he lea ngalu, ‘a ia ‘oku lahi hono ngāue‘aki he faiva fānifo. ‘Oku to e lahi pē ‘a e ‘asi kehekehe ‘a e lea ko e ngalu, ‘o hangē ko e ‘utukalongalu, ‘a ia ‘oku ngali ‘uhinga ki he kakalo ‘a e peau / ngalu he‘ene fasi / pā he ‘utu, ‘utumoengalu, ‘o ngali ‘uhinga ki he fasi‘anga mo pā‘anga ‘a e peau / ngalu he ‘utu, ngalumoetutulu, ‘o ngali tuhu ki he tutulu / tulungia ‘a e falevaka he fa‘a fasi / pā ‘a e peau / ngalu he houfonua ‘a e ‘utu [mato, liku] mo e fakatau‘au ‘a e folau kalia. [‘Oku to e ‘iloa pē foki ‘a e ‘utu ko e ‘utu‘utu mo e mata‘utu’utu (‘o to e ‘uhinga pē ko e ‘ava‘utu‘utu), ‘a ia ko e fakafelavai pē fakahoko mo fakamavahe ‘a e fonua mo e tahi].

‘Oku to e ‘iloa foki ‘a e peau / ngalu mālohi / fefeka ko e peau / ngalu ta‘ane, ‘a ia ko e peau / ngalu tangata, ‘o hangē ko hono ui ‘a e peau kula [red vave] ko e peau ta‘ane. ‘Oku ‘ikai foki ke lanu kula / kulokula ‘a e fa‘ahinga peau ko ‘eni ka ‘oku ‘uhinga ki he tupu ‘a e ivi / teke [energy / force] ‘oku vaka mai he peau mei he ‘uli‘uli[lōlō] ‘o loto ‘o e mo‘ungaafi mo e kilisitahi / moana ‘uli‘uli, ‘o ‘asi ki he fukahi tahi / vai he maama / kula ‘aho‘aho ‘a e la‘ā [‘a ia ‘oku loloto, mālie mo tuha fau ange ia hono ui ko e tsunami, tidal waves or seismic sea waves]. ‘Oku ‘asi ‘a e mālohi mo e fefeka ‘a e peau kula ko e peau ta‘ane he‘ene fakamata / fakaava, ‘a ia ko e me‘a kotoa pē ‘e hū ai ‘oku pau ke nuiki mo haveki, ‘o hangē pē ko e hū ha me‘a he fakamata / fakaava ‘a e matangi [mata / ava matangi (eye / hole of the wind)] mo e afi [mata / ava afi (eye / hole of the fire)], ‘a ia ko e feitu‘u ia ‘oku mālohi mo fefeka taha ai ‘a e ivi / teke.

Ta u toki hoko atu,
‘Ofa fau mo e ‘ānau ma‘u.