Curtis Ciszek

Curtis Ciszek and the Business of Making Memories

Curtis Ciszek
Curtis Ciszek in front of the SV Emerald, the boat left to him and his siblings by their late father, Captain Curtis Ciszek Sr. Curtis Sr. purchased the boat for a buck. Curtis Jr., along with friends and family, restored the vessel in preparation for a sailing trip up British Columbia’s Inside Passage in early 2020. Photo: Connor Winton
Words: Liam Gallagher

Curtis Ciszek is at ease at the helm. He’s the son of a son of a sailor. Son of a mum of a sailor, too. Now we’re writing sea shanties. And there could very well be songs written about the Ciszeks. Curtis’ family is more or less the Swiss Family Robinson. You know the story of those Robinsons from Bern, Switzerland? They sailed off to new beginnings only to get attacked by pirates and then shipwrecked on a deserted island, thus beginning their new feral life in an equatorial jungle. Classic tale of children raised in the wild. That is Curtis Ciszek’s childhood, shipwreck and all.      

But now that that’s out of the way, here’s a 30-second sell on Curtis outside of sailing: He’s a power snowboarder. He rides the whole mountain. Knows how to use his edges. He’s been sponsored for 17 years and has filmed more than a dozen video parts with the likes of the Mack Dawg Productions People crew, Volcom and Drink Water Media House. He rode for Volcom for most of that time and now he rides for Columbia. Fishes for them too. He’s been pro with K2 for almost five years now. Then there’s backing from Smith Optics, 10 Barrell Brewing, Smartwool, Mt. Bachelor, Drink Water and a handful of flyfish brands. Also, speaking generally, he’s the best guy to have in your backcountry crew. He’ll help you dig out a snowmobile with a smile and root for you to go get stuck again. He’s got a killer method too. At 33, Curtis is capable beyond his years. His life has taught him valuable skills and he’s employing them all...

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