Canyon Lake Entrepreneurs: Meet Tiki Stan

BY Greg Golding

Meet Stanley Hase, also know as Tiki Stan. Stan, who’s originally from Pomona, California, moved to Canyon Lake in 2002. He is a non traditional master wood carver who first learned his craft in high school wood shop class more than 20 years ago. Today, Stan has a thriving business making custom wood signs and tikis.

Stan’s super cool custom wood signs are made out of recycled wood. His tikis are made from recycled palm trees, all of which he finds from tree trimmers, on the side of the road and in dumpsters.

About eight years ago, lightening struck and killed a palm tree in Canyon Lake. When Stan heard that the CLOA Operations Department disposed of the tree in their dumpster he contacted them and asked if he could have it. When they said yes, Stan retrieved the tree from the dumpster and used it to make custom tikis.

Stan carves all his signs and tikis with a chainsaw. They can be personalized with names or sayings upon request. Stan typically personalizes them with paint, burnings or chainsaw carvings, depending on the customer’s request.

He uses several different styles of carvings, such as “pirate” and “crash” styles. His “crash” style tikis are made from recycled trees that were damaged from car crashes. He also carves tikis into dead but still standing trees for customers who want a decorative piece without having to remove the tree.

His one-of-a-kind hand-carved tikis range from $150 to $3,000. Stan always has a stock of tikis on hand. Whenever he makes a new tiki, he e-mails a photo of it to all the clients on his mailing list. From there, it’s first come, first served to buy it.

Stan’s wood signs are made to order, and range from $50 to $250, depending on the size and the type of wood and detail that goes into making the sign.

Most of his business comes from word of mouth, tiki markets and the Custom Culture shows he attends all over Southern California and Arizona. Many of Stan’s clients include Polynesian-themed restaurants, bars and clubs, along with individuals with tiki themed backyards.

In addition to making signs and tikis, Stan makes tiki bars, stools and ice chests. He also makes custom tikis for Hawaiian-themed weddings and luau parties. He’s currently working on a 6-piece, one-of-a-kind patio set that he plans to price at $2,000.

When not making tikis, Stan enjoys fishing in Canyon Lake and the ocean, and barbecuing with family and friends. Stan and Lupita, his wife of 21 years, have one adult daughter.

Tiki Stan can be contacted at 951-551-1124 or at tikistan@gmail.com. He can also be found on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tiki-Stans-Place/136656157481.