The HONU board story

If you are familiar with the Honu brand, you may have started to notice that there are reasons behind each and every name we use, even down to the colours. And it doesn't take long to understand where each of the board names comes from, like Bondi or Byron, as we explain it right there on the page.

But if you have ever wondered why we name our products and colours like this, read on. Not only will we dive deeper into the motivations behind the philosophy and names themselves, but you will also gain some deeper insight to what makes us folks at Honu tick.

Why Place Names?

When going through the re-design and re-launch of the brand, several ideas were on the table. Bodies of water, turtle and fish names were also considered. The thinking behind iconic locations came from our founding beach Bondi. It is where the brand was launched more than 20 years ago and has a culture and vibe that is truly unique. And so it was Bondi Beach that is so special to the brand that formed the basis of all our board names in the future.

How Do We Choose Them?

The basic idea is that the board's design matches the conditions that are found at the location. If you were going for a paddle on Bondi Beach, take the Bondi as this is our Surf orientated board. Heading up to Byron Bay, take take the Byron so on and so forth. The Airlie is an exception to this as a smaller board designed for kids or quite small people in general.

More About Each Board's Name

Byron

Named after Byron Bay in New South Wales. Byron Bay is located on unceded land of the Bundjalung Nation of the Arakwal, Minjungbal and the Widjabul people who have lived by the coast for at least 22,000 years.

Early european industries in the area included logging, farming and whaling up until 1963.

But the Byron Bay it is famous for and the one we are probably most familiar with is the more recent Byron Bay where sustainability, simple living and a connection to the ocean and outdoors are a core part of the community's DNA.

Hippies live alongside surfers and those who seek out a more natural, sustainable life. It is a place where you might do yoga in the morning before eating a healthy vegan breakfast, then longboard surfing in the afternoon before a sunset drumming session.

And this is why our allrounder board is called the Byron. Versatile and ready to do anyting. And when you're in Byron Bay you could end up doing just that... Anything!

Bondi

Bondi Beach...Our spirit home.

"Bondi," originally "Boondi" is an Aboriginal word that has the same meaning as the word "surf" in English. The first record of "bondi" by European-Australians was made around 1900. It describes the "noise made by sea waves breaking on the beach".

How cool is that!

The modern Bondi Beach has a vibe that has to be experienced to be appreciated fully. Open-air gyms with beautiful, fit people working out. Water full of surfers. Pros up the Southern end, newbies or (kooks) up the northern end and thousands of swimmers in between.

The community is famous for banding together to stop certain things like changes to the beloved Pavillion or to get other things happening like sculptures by the sea or the annual kite-flying festival. Bondi always has something on, and the atmosphere is electric 24/7.

And so you're going to Bondi, you're going surfing and that is why the Honu SUP designed for surfing is called the Bondi.

Sorrento

Not to be confused with the Southern Italian seaside town, our Sorrento is in Victoria town with distant views of Melbourne City. Sorrento is similarly a small seaside village that is now a weekend destination for many Melburnians looking for a stunning getaway from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Situated at the very tip of the Port Philip bay and on a slender peninsula, Sorrento has calm relaxing bay water and beaches just 1.5KM from wild beaches and open water on the opposite side of the peninsular.

So Sorrento became the namesake of our touring board because when we are going to Sorrento, we like the idea of paddling out through the headlands of Port Phillip bay around the coast and into the back beach.

Airlie

Airlie Beach is a coastal town in the Whitsunday region of Queensland. Know to many as one of the best gateway towns to the Great Barrier Reef, Airlie Beach is famous among backpackers and road trippers making their way up the Australian East coast.

Our naming convention breaks a little with Airlie. It was the size of the town being the connection between the idyllic village and our board that

What's Up With The Colour Names?

The colours are much easier understood. The names are simply a direct reflection of the inspiration for the colour.

The colours of the ocean on a 'Perfect Day'

The changing colours of a wave that is breaking. 'Surf Break'

The 'Bright Coral' colours found in the Great Barrier reef.

The wonder shades of green found on a 'Sea Turtle'

So this is why none of our colour names is blue, green or red. They are far more complex than that and have had much more thought behind them.