Wayne Coombs new creation! - General Tiki

S senioraqua Member Tampa, FL Joined: Jul 11, 2004 Posts: 408	S senioraqua Posted posted on Sat, Apr 23, 2011 2:05 PM http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011104230306 While in the Cocoa Beach area, saw this Wayne Coombs article in the Florida Today newspaper. COCOA BEACH — Tikis, Polynesian-style wood carvings, now stand like sentries along walkways at the International Palms Resort in Cocoa Beach where coconut palm trees once stood. "After the cold winter, all these palms died, and we struggled with what to do with them," said Rob Pici, the hotel's general manager. Enter Mai Tiki Studio in Cocoa Beach. "This project started as a result of the freezes killing a whole bunch of strategically located palm," said Wayne Coombs, of Mai Tiki Studio in Cocoa Beach, which carved about 20 of sculptures and is continuing work at the 500-room hotel. "It gives the property a lot of quality. It gives it a lot of character," Pici said of the trees' transformation. Mai Tiki, which has carved about 20 of the figures, faces with exaggerated features, out of the trunks of coconut trees that were killed by cold weather last year at the hotel, is continuing the work at the 500-room resort. Charlie Bridges of Kissimmee, a hotel guest, stopped to watch as Coombs' nephew carved a tiki where a cluster of palm trees once stood near the hotel's beachside restaurant. "This looks good," he said. "This is cool. This sure looks better than that dead palm." Coombs, who has been carving tikis for 37 years, said the carvings, which are sealed with polyurethane, are being made into three basic characters. A guard, which has a serious look, a Joker, with a happy face and a warrior, ready for battle. The dead palms were cut to about six feet tall for the carving. Pici said changes were being made at the hotel, including the renovation of blocks of rooms and the beachside restaurant. The tikis were part of the change to make use of the dead palms. The promenade, which leads from the front of the hotel to the ocean, is a beach access walkway open to the public. [ Edited by: senioraqua 2011-04-23 14:06 ]

http://www.floridatoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2011104230306

While in the Cocoa Beach area, saw this Wayne Coombs article in the Florida Today newspaper.

COCOA BEACH — Tikis, Polynesian-style wood carvings, now stand like sentries along walkways at the International Palms Resort in Cocoa Beach where coconut palm trees once stood.

"After the cold winter, all these palms died, and we struggled with what to do with them," said Rob Pici, the hotel's general manager.

Enter Mai Tiki Studio in Cocoa Beach.

"This project started as a result of the freezes killing a whole bunch of strategically located palm," said Wayne Coombs, of Mai Tiki Studio in Cocoa Beach, which carved about 20 of sculptures and is continuing work at the 500-room hotel.

"It gives the property a lot of quality. It gives it a lot of character," Pici said of the trees' transformation.

Mai Tiki, which has carved about 20 of the figures, faces with exaggerated features, out of the trunks of coconut trees that were killed by cold weather last year at the hotel, is continuing the work at the 500-room resort.

Charlie Bridges of Kissimmee, a hotel guest, stopped to watch as Coombs' nephew carved a tiki where a cluster of palm trees once stood near the hotel's beachside restaurant.

"This looks good," he said. "This is cool. This sure looks better than that dead palm."

Coombs, who has been carving tikis for 37 years, said the carvings, which are sealed with polyurethane, are being made into three basic characters. A guard, which has a serious look, a Joker, with a happy face and a warrior, ready for battle.

The dead palms were cut to about six feet tall for the carving.

Pici said changes were being made at the hotel, including the renovation of blocks of rooms and the beachside restaurant. The tikis were part of the change to make use of the dead palms.

The promenade, which leads from the front of the hotel to the ocean, is a beach access walkway open to the public.

[ Edited by: senioraqua 2011-04-23 14:06 ]

Post #586222 by senioraqua on Sat, Apr 23, 2011 2:05 PM