Hawaiian lava sledding (Hawaiian: heʻe hōlua, "sled surfing") is a traditional sport of the Native Hawaiians. Similar to wave surfing, heʻe hōlua involves the use of a narrow (12 ft/3.7 m long, 6 in/15 cm wide) wooden sled (papa hōlua). The sled is used standing up, lying down, or kneeling, to ride down man-made or naturally occurring courses (kahua hōlua) of rock, often reaching speeds of 50 mph (80 km/h) or greater. In the past, Hawaiian lava sledding was considered both a sport and a religious ritual for honoring the gods.
Famous quotes containing the word lava:
“We walk on molten lava on which the claw of a fly or the fall of a hair makes its impression, which being received, the mass hardens to flint and retains every impression forevermore.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)