Artist-Inspired Handplanes

Rheanna Morgan's Handplane Art

In August, Slyde Handboards announced a talent contest in search of America's next surf artist. Many entered and ultimately, our Facebook friends chose Hawaiian native Rheanna Morgan. With a blank Slyde handboard as her canvas, Rheanna Morgan created Ma Kai Roots.

This is a vibrant piece inspired by Hawaii's sunsets, the ocean, the sparkle of the moon and stars on the water, and lush trees. The artwork evokes a sense of connection between the trees and ocean, colorfully capturing the flow and unity of nature.

To grab a piece of handboarding history check out Rheanna’s beautiful creation in our store.                                      

Artist Biography

Rheanna Morgan was born in Kealakekua on the Big Island of Hawaii. There she fell in love with the ocean. She later went on to become a Marine Science and Aquaculture major in Southern California. It was in first grade she realized how much she enjoyed the creative side of life. As she grew up, she expanded her artistic abilities in pottery, painting, interior design, & art history. Rheanna primarily grew up all over California, and also spent many summers in Alaska. After college, she was inspired to travel all over the world and came to understand the importance of all that life has to offer. 

She was finally able to pursue a dream of surfing the warm waters, and was determined to get back to her roots in the tropics. In 2010 she moved back to her hometown of Kona, Hawaii and is now able to integrate her love for the ocean and visual arts. Any chance she has to get wet, she is playfully surfing, free diving or paddle boarding. She is part mermaid in an American paradise: a place where she is able to truly experience the awe of our blue planet and continues to remember her love for drawling. The extreme beauty of her adventures brings a new perception to how detailed the world around us really is. Rheanna is an avid student in a world alive with color. Inspired by the calm observance of nature, she gives an abstract view of Mother Earth's magic through the eyes of an artist.