While living in Reno, James came to Maui for vacation in March of 2015. Like most that visit the island, he got a small sampling of The Valley Isle’s majestic beauty and really wanted to figure out a way to live there for good. We’re proud to share how Uber has played a role in allowing James to stay on Maui and make a few exciting changes in his life.

In Reno, James ran a flyboard business. If you’re not familiar with flyboards, imagine a water-propelled jet pack strapped to your feet that’s powered by the ocean below you. As you can see in the photo below, it is a great deal of fun. James saw that there wasn’t a flyboard business on Maui and extended his vacation to see if he could get the business up and running locally.

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Shortly after starting Maui Flyboards, James met Laurie, who was visiting Maui on vacation from British Columbia. Laurie and James’ meeting was pretty much love at first sight. Laurie ended up skipping her flight back home after meeting James because they hit it off so well!

Once they relocated to Kihei, James found out about the opportunity to drive with Uber. He worked tirelessly in the mornings to build his flyboard business, and he drove with Uber to supplement his income in the evenings . Once he realized the earning opportunity of driving with Uber, he made the choice to drive enough to buy a ring for his girlfriend Laurie. Flyboarder by day, driver-partner by night!

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At the top of Haleakala on a Sunday morning sunrise, James got down on one knee and asked Laurie to marry him and she said yes! We couldn’t be more excited for the newly engaged couple and wish them both the best on their journey. If you’re on Maui, and you get the chance to ride (or flyboard) with James, tell him you read his story!