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Case in point: C4 Waterman. After watching the reemergence of stand-up paddleboarding, C4’s founders recognized a hole in the market. Keaulana teamed up with friends Todd Bradley (a world-champion canoe paddler who previously launched the cleaning-product line Simple Green in the Pacific Rim) and Mike Fox (just off selling his construction company Hawaii Modular Space for $47 million).The trio brought on former pro surfer and shaper Dave Parmenter and created the surfing-equipment company C4 Waterman. Although it specializes in gear and apparel for stand-up paddling, C4 bills itself as an “ocean lifestyle” brand.“The thing we’re marketing—it’s not really our products,” Keaulana says. “It’s the lifestyle we lead and the values that we have. And that part is free.” Bradley, who doubles as engineer and marketing/sales guru, agrees. But he says that while the guys’ jobs at C4 may be difficult to distinguish from a hobby (as Keaulana says, “My work is other people’s play”), achieving the right balance doesn’t come easy. He rejects the notion that people who are physically fit and have also done well financially are simply lucky. “There’s a reason they’re successful, and there’s a reason they’re in shape. They didn’t just show up,” Bradley says. “Some of the really successful [guys who] are able to still be athletes and businessmen—that’s the lifestyle.” If anyone has succeeded at that balancing act, it’s Maui-based windsurfer Robby Naish. The son of competitive surfer and surfboard shaper Rick Naish, Robert Staunton Naish was born in La Jolla, California, and moved with his family in 1968 to Kailua, Oahu. It was there that he picked up the then-fledgling sport of windsurfing. Within a year, Naish had become the discipline’s youngest-ever world champion—at age 13. For the next three decades, he dominated the scene, competing in 30 countries annually during his peak and winning a total of 23 world titles. Not only did Naish achieve international celebrity, but, along the way, he also lifted windsurfing from relative obscurity onto a global stage. 
These days, Naish still travels just as frequently as he did on the competitive circuit, only with shorter stays. “I’ll go to Europe for a day and fly back,” he says. Such are the demands of a businessman. His namesake company, which also specializes in sailboards, sails, and equipment for kiteboarding, remains the world’s top windsurfing outfitter after 13 years in business. But no matter how busy things get, Naish doesn’t let his work schedule get in the way of his water time: “It’s pretty awesome to wake up and decide what you’re gonna do based on the weather.”“Do you want to make more money?” According to his son Keone, that’s what legendary Hawaiian beach boy and surfboard shaper George Downing asked his family while they were sitting around the dinner table one evening back in the early seventies. When the younger Downing, now 55, said yes, his father responded, “OK, pack your bags. We’re moving to California.” Then owner of the surf retail store Wave Crest Hawaii, George was weighing the islands’ small population—and potential customer base—against that of the mainland. “All three of us looked at each other,” Downing recalls, “and said, ‘Nah, we’re not interested in money.’ ”  OAHU’S NORTH SHORE > Stroll through the historic town of Haleiwa, then grab a casual lunch of fresh ahi at Haleiwa Joe’s (haleiwajoes.com). > Afterwards, cool down with a “shave ice” from Aoki’s (Read more... Another local who has flourished is Sig Zane, the famed designer of handmade Hawaiian-print (a.k.a. “aloha”) shirts. Born to Chinese parents on Oahu, Zane eventually settled on the Big Island, preferring its slower pace. “In Hilo,” he says, “no one honks their horns.” It’s no coincidence that Zane decided to set up his store in front of one of the longest continual surf breaks in the state. His face lights up as he talks about being the first one into the surf some days, which is made possible by his oceanfront location. Zane’s store hours are technically 9:30 to 5, but, depending on the latest surf report, you may find a sign on his shop door that reads, I’M ACROSS THE STREET. Comments (0)
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