Robbie practices judo, participates in student government, and performs in student plays. He'd like to become an attorney someday to "help people through the legal system."
A magnificent kukui tree, the Hawaiian state tree, stands in Robert's backyard. He knew that ancient Hawaiians used the tree for medicine, food, and oil. He also knew that the Hawaiians invented surfing. He decided to combine these two elements of Hawaiian culture, and hypothesized that kukui oil would be as effective as toxic commercial varnishes for waterproofing surfboards.
Robert crafted tiny surfboards from koa wood, which is commonly used for surfboards in Hawaii. One set was left unvarnished, the second set was treated with the inner bark and nut oil from a kukui tree, and the third set was sprayed with a commercial varnish. He soaked all three sets in seawater and measured how much weight each gained – a sign of poor waterproofing. The boards finished with kukui products were just as effective at repelling water as the commercial varnish was.
