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For those of us that know Meg and Dave Chun, the words could not be more true. There are few people more passionate about doing things right. Whether it is how they make paddles to how they treat their employees and customers to how they hold their friends close to their heart. These two are the real deal: honest, full of integrity, loyal, and compassionate. If you have never met the Chuns, you need to.
Interview with Kialoa's Founders Dave and Meg Chun
In this latest edition of SUP Company Spotlight, we caught up with KIALOA founders, Dave and Meg Chun. Well-known for their popular lineup of premium paddles, KIALOA is a company that places a high-priority on excellence, teamwork, and stewardship…
1. How were you initially introduced to the sport of stand up paddleboarding?Laird Hamilton was the person who introduced KIALOA Paddles to SUP. He told me he needed a 6-foot-long paddle.Laird was in the beginning stages of experimenting with SUP. The sport didn’t have a name when we first spoke. Gerry Lopez had shaped Laird one of the first SUP specific boards, and he told Laird he should give me a call about a paddle. It was 2003, I had been building outrigger paddles for 12 years and had a background in woodworking and composites. I hand shaped the first one-off paddle from wood and reinforced the shaft with carbon fiber.
I didn’t know if the paddle order would be a one-off transaction, or lead to more orders. I just looked at it as a challenge, because when I asked him why he was not ordering another one from the guy who had built his previous paddles, he told me “I broke all of them”.
Laird didn’t break the paddle and he placed an order for more. Because of the large number in the order, I built a mold for a carbon fiber blade and used an aluminum shaft. As Laird’s notoriety brought in more orders, we built a tool to construct carbon fiber shafts.
2. What ignited the spark in you both to get involved in the industry?
When we started there was no industry. We were simply building a paddle for a customer.
When we started there was no industry. We were simply building a paddle for a customer.