Shaka (ˈʃaka) or Chaka
“A gesture often associated with Hawaii and surf culture. Used to convey the concept of friendship, understanding and compassion also known as the ‘aloha spirit’.” Example: “Ehhhh, shaka braaah!”
You don’t need to be a Guru to know that spending time in nature can lead to enlightenment. Any spirit animal worth their luminous aura will gladly guide individuals through the wilderness on the path to ‘finding oneself’. For decades, those people evolved enough to understand that playing outdoors equals high levels of stoke have chosen to communicate their feelings of fulfilment and bro-ness with one particular hand gesture. The shaka.
Like neo-hippies flock shoelessly and shirtlessly to Burning Man, skiers and snowboarders journey to Japan, their powder Mecca. They are hoping to satisfy an inherent yearning that cries like an indolent inner child whose toy is being dangled just beyond its reach. This is why riding in Japan isn’t just fuel for your adrenal glands, it goes much, much deeper. Riding in Japan is good for your soul. It is for this reason OYUKI has invented a mitt that allows riders to throw shakas from the ski lift with the uninhibited zeal of a righteous preacher.
