Jaswinder Singh

Jazz is a 2nd generation American Sikh. Although he follows Sikh customs; not cutting his hair, covering it with a turban, and wearing a beard, he’s always seen himself as an American. He fell in love with surf and Polynesian culture, becoming an avid surfer, sailor and lover of all things having to do with the sea. He even invented the surf pagri (turban) he wears while riding the waves.

In the days after the terrorist attacks of September 11, Jaswinder was assaulted by a group who assumed, with his dark skin, beard and turban, that he was a Muslim. The physical injuries were minor, but the psychological ones ran deep. It was a painful realization that as much as he saw himself as an American, to some, he never would be. He descended, for a time, into a depression brought on by his identity crisis. Eventually, he realized that he was letting just a few ignorant people dictate to him who he was. 

The experience instilled a lasting wariness about being too comfortable, or too trusting of anything. His boat, He’e Nalu, is a representation of that; an off the grid, self sustaining home and vessel that can take him across the ocean, should he want or need to leave. 

Jazz pursued a degree in engineering, worked for some time in the tech sector and microchip manufacturing, but felt there was something more fulfilling he could do with his life. He decided to get his teaching certificate so he could educate kids about science and technology. Teaching, he found, was his true love, after surfing, of course.