Whether you're a rider or not, everyone has seen someone do Shaka (or Hang Loose). You know, the sign of the hand with the thumb and little finger stretched, the other fingers bent 🤙... Yes like Barack below! But where does it come from?
Not a gliding sport escapes, this sign of the hand is omnipresent among riders. It means "It's fun" - "Hi" - "We're having fun", he's breathing the cool attitude. And it's up to Hawaiians. For them, it’s cultural, it’s used and abused in all situations: "thank you", "I beg you", "it goes", "after you", "Hello"...
I searched several sites and found no formal origin but rather a lot of legends about the creation of Shaka. One thing is sure, it comes from Hawaii 🌎. Small compilation
- A first Hawaiian legend says that a worker, name of Hamana Kalili, lost three of these fingers in an accident while working in a sugar refinery on Oahu Island 🏝, index, middle finger and ring finger. He would then work on loading the trains 🚞 and his sign to tell the driver that everything was fine would have been the origin of Shaka.
- A second story puts us on the trail of the surfer whose three central fingers were crunched by a shark during a surf session.
- Another staged the Spanish settlers who to offer or ask the natives to drink their thumbs to the mouth and bend the other fingers.
In short, it is obvious that we will never know exactly how this sign was born, but we all agree that it is the Hawaiians who are at the origin and it is a little theirs Carpe Diem. It is filled with the spirit of the Aloha who preaches the good word : be relaxed, take your time and enjoy life 😁
It has now been adopted by all x-trem sports enthusiasts (nautical or not elsewhere) even if originally it was the surfers 🏄 who used it.
If now you see someone wiggle their hand with their thumbs and little fingers stretched, you may be able to blow their nose and ask him if he knows where it's coming from.
I did my best to write this article but I’m not a Hawaiian, so if you find fault, I could make corrections and additions, thank you!