I grew up snowboarding and skateboarding. Living close to the Alps we could snowboard almost all year round on the glaciers. So surfing was never really on my radar. One day my dad brought home a surfboard. He had seen it in a window display in our town - more then 500 km from the next beach. It was strange. The shop owner didn't even really wanna sell it. it was just decoration. so there I was in the middle of the Blackforrest looking at this strange board that someone had made in South Africa and that somehow had found its way to Germany. it had to be tried. so I packed it up and drove down to Hossegor because me and a friend had heard that this was where people surfed. we were super clueless but I still remember the feeling of my first wave. how there was zero friction. I was hooked.
And how Indonesia came into your life? a life time passion?
when I first started surfing I was lucky and got to travel to a couple very nice places, central america, brasil, Europe, that sort of thing.
Clemens, you created one of the biggest Surf Companies in Bali. How did it happen? A big goal achieved in your life?
about the brand - the strategy of Eléctric is wide, why u also make the brand communication so close to surfing?
about Indonesia - how have u been observing the reaction of the Indonesian general population into the surfing scenario? do u think surfing fits completely into a country that still don t have a big ocean culture?
it is yours. take it and make the most of it. don't wait for the older guys to step it up. these places and waves are unique and can never be rebuilt. preserve what you enjoy.Do u think the Ocean Culture is beginning to spread out into Indonesian people? I see it spreading everyday."The biggest arquipelago in the World… the best waves in the World…."What would you say to the Indo young generation? your message to them?
apart from me and Julia all our crew is fully Indonesian and we are proud to have people from all over Indonesia and all cultural backgrounds and religions working together as a team and making it happen. there was never so much of a question of where you are from but whether or not you are up to the challenge of constant personal development.about the company - speaking about Indonesian, how is the filosofy of Electric to contract the local skilled people to work in prol of the brand?
goals already achieved in 2013? and to 2014, what can we expect?
2013 had all the ups and downs. the government changed all the import regulations and made it very difficult for us. but we got through that and still finished 30% above last year. Mega Semadi won the Rip Curl Cup Padang Padang and our skateboarders are killing it so overall it has been a great year. Product wise next year will be all about bringing Electric Watches to the market, further grow outside of Bali and last but not least catching a lot of good waves.