Meet Siya. Siya is a surfboard genius working from his home in the rural community of Mkholombe near Port Shepstone on the KZN South Coast. I had the privilege of spending some time with him and his family and I took some photos as he talked me through his story and walked me through the process of building a Hibiscus Blue Line Surfboard.
Welcome to Siya’s Casa, the home of HBL Surfboards right in the heart of his beloved Hibiscus Coast. With some clever planning and ingenuity, Siya has modified a space where he can shape the boards outside of the house to ensure the health and safety of his family and it allows him to work from home so he can be a “hands-on dad”. He is currently in the process of extending his “Surf Shack” to give him more freedom of movement and storage space and which will allow him to work on multiple boards at a time.
Ever the problem solver, he has started storing the boards by suspending them from the ceiling in his office, which creates a practical solution and is actually pretty cool to look at. Planning and design is such an integral part of surfboard shaping so Siya spends a lot of time researching new methods of board shaping that will allow him to create world-class surfboards.
And when I say time, I mean afternoons. Siya spends his mornings taking care of his little boy Lwetu ( Precious Love) when his wife is at work. He is absolutely passionate about what he does and he puts such love and care in the crafting of his baby and of his boards.
With over 16 years of experience in the surfboard manufacturing industry, Siya has a wealth of knowledge and a great eye for detail and design which he translates beautifully into the boards that he produces.
The HBL Surfboard range includes boards of every shape and size, and can be customized to suit even the most discerning of surfer, so make sure to get in touch with Siya for your dream board!
Follow Siya’s journey on Facebook at HBL Surfboards
and Instagram @hblsurfboards
About the author:
Thea Cogill is a Durban based commercial, lifestyle and wedding photographer. Thea has been shooting locally and abroad over the last 13 years who absolutely loves working with people from all walks of life. No surprises that when she came across Siya’s story, Thea simply had to get involved!
See more of Thea’s work here:
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