Authors: Ben Ruhe
Date Submitted: May 31, 2005
Article Type: Journal

An integral element in Maui water sports are boards—–boards for surfing, windsurfing, kiteboarding. Sean Ordonez is one of the many on the island who make their living shaping these boards. It’s a highly creative, demanding, individualistic craft.

“It’s a backyard business and always will be,” says Ordonez. “There are a few core small businesses such as mine. They get copied.

“Board shaping is nice work. It’s related to what I love to do—-surfing and kiteboarding. These are all about having a healthy, clean, peaceful lifestyle. It’s being on the beach—-every day. It’s all about sun and bikinis. It’s a healthy life. You are so connected with nature at a spiritual level. Maui is a spiritual place. There is a lot of energy and alternative thinking here. Surfing is religious, obsessional. Everybody in the whole world wants to be a surfer. People in Wyoming wear Maui clothing.”

Ordenez comes by his expansive viewpoint naturally. His grandfather was president of turbulent Colombia, his father lived around the world, carting his family with him.

PDF Link: Journal Issue