CALIFORNIA

California, a word that still gives us goose bumps even today…California is known for its skate and surf culture, beautiful women, pristine waves, breathtaking coast line, laid back lifestyle, and promise of good times…. Our expectations were not only met but exceeded significantly. 25 days 4 hours, 33 minutes and 4 seconds, to be exact, were spent in this incredibly beautiful part of the world. The days would be marked by searching for free accommodation and somehow, in these three months, we did not pay a single dollar for a night’s stay…!

The key to this was using the infamous Couch Surfing service. Don’t get us wrong, there were some very very hopeless situations, but we managed, again and again, even in the 11th hour sometimes, to figure out a place to stay. There are many advantages to Couch Surfing… compared to a hostel where you are surrounded by transient backpackers, you get to share a home with locals providing a much warmer and cultured experience. The advantage of staying with these California locals was evident for us…we surfed secrets spots, paid nothing for accommodation, were invited to VIP parties, never paid admission for clubs, and met incredible people that we can say today are our friends. We felt like we were living the dream. California for us was more than a destination to check off the list though, it was, among other things, the birthplace of Be.you Handcrafted Skateboards.

We can still remember exactly when that moment of wanting to create this company struck. We were driving up the West Coast, window down all the way, the radio was playing the classic California 80’s songs, the wind whistled through the car, the sun was setting, there was a smell of freedom in the air, and in that blissful moment, Be.you was born. We could feel it in our bones. This moment, the infectious California lifestyle, a visit to the biggest skateboard manufacturer in the world, and with the upcoming trip to Australia fast-approaching… the idea for Be.you was born. California gave us the necessary tranquility, openness, and ultimately it was the deciding factor for us to produce handcrafted skateboards in Australia. Thank you, California. We love you.