We have a fun little story to share about our voyage through time.
Our Tiki symbol comes from the ancient fun loving Inca god-king Tiki Vichara. In Thor Heyerdahl’s Kon Tiki memories he said to have travelled from Peru to Polynesia to save his people. Upon arrival, he was named the God of wind and water.
The exciting part is that the art of surfing arguably came from Peru and was further practised by the South Americans that came to inhabit Tahiti and later the Hawaiin islands.
Norwegian Thor Heyerdahl successfully drifted 4600 miles on a balsa raft from Peru to Tahiti in 1947 to prove his theory, yet still, most anthropologists are sceptic to his findings. But have a look a the art from Peru compared with Tahitian art, lastly try one of the ancient Peruvian surfboards.
Our original Tiki drawing is from New Caledonia, showcasing fun and courage on the water.
The Starboard name is the innovative quality assuring part of our brand’s culture.
The word Starboard comes from the old Norse word styri, meaning “rudder” and boro meaning board, then ‘the side of a ship”. in sailing terms crafts give way to other crafts on Starboard tack. There are some Norwegian international roots in this story knowing that Arendal, where Svein Rasmussen was born, once was one of the largest shipbuilders in the world. That Svein’s Norwegian street address is Kittelsbukt 32 and that the world’s largest marine protection and indemnity insurer is Kittelsbukt 31 is another assuring coincidence.
We enjoy creating shapes, arts and colors. Reflections of us, the people of Starboard.