Why is it called The Huna?
While it would have been easy to call our ski masks “velcro ski masks,” we felt it important to give them a name equally as interesting and unique. Inspiration for the Huna was found not only from skiing, but from the places we have visited and learned from. Jessie and Andrew have often traveled to New Zealand, as they are avid travelers and enjoy fly fishing.
The Māori are the indigenous people of New Zealand, making up 15.6% of the population. Their culture is a primary part of Kiwi living, and their language is one of the three languages used in the country (English and New Zealand Sign Language being the other two). Māori culture is most present on the North Island, especially within Auckland. It would be far-fetched to visit New Zealand and not learn or immerse yourself in Māori culture because of its significance in the country.
The complete term used for mask in Māori is “huna kanohi.” Separately, huna means “to cover,” or “to hide,” while kanohi means eyes. Calling our ski masks Hunas means that we are covering or hiding our faces from the extreme environments met during winter sports. Initially the Huna was a name used only amongst us, but as we developed our products, we decided it was the best fitting name.
The Huna as a company respects and enjoys learning more about the Māori and about New Zealand as a whole. We highly recommend learning more about Māori and New Zealand too!
J.J.M
Learn more:
https://www.newzealand.com/us/maori-culture/
https://www.newzealandnow.govt.nz/living-in-nz/settling-in/maori-culture
https://www.maori.com/language
http://history-nz.org/maori.html
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