The surfboard shaper carving a legacy of change
After working in surfboard shaping industry for several years, Siya’s life changed when his son was born. Committed to supporting them, Siya made a bold move to move down to the Hibiscus Coast to join his family, and start his own shaping business.
Siya Cele knew what surfing was. But growing up as a black person under apartheid South Africa, he was chased off most beaches, unable to access the sport. This past divide has caused a disparity in surfing that can still be seen today. While Cele was eager to learn how to shape surfboards, few were willing to teach him. When Justin Nel, a stalwart of the industry, took Cele under his wing, he knew his place was behind a board. “There are few black surfboard shapers,” Cele says. “But that is starting to change.”
Cele honed his talent and gradually worked his way to crafting the curves and planes that make a smooth ride. “When I finished shaping my first surfboard, I felt like I had broken through a barrier of earning respect in the surf community,” he says. But when his son was born, Cele took the risk of leaving a steady job in Durban to start his own business from his backyard.
Today, Cele is the owner of Hibiscus Blue Line Surfboards on the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal. With nearly 20 years of shaping surfboards behind him, Cele is still pushing to create a better tomorrow for his family. “Everything I do is for my little boy and my wife,” he says. Cele doesn’t just take care of his family, he also donates boards to the local surf club, encouraging youth to carve their own waves. Caring for his son in the mornings and pursuing his passion in the afternoon, Cele is now relishing the ride of his life.
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Footage by Dominic Taylor was used in the creation of this film.