A week in France

A few weeks ago, we launched our Pack Heavy, Chase Light campaign on the beaches of France at Wasted Talent. We joined by friends, ambassadors, athletes and of course, Ole, one of our student reps. Here’s what he had to say about the week.

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A while ago I got in touch with Db through their Student Ambassador program - I wanted to learn more about their community and be a part of the new direction the brand is steering towards.

A few months, e-meetings, and e-mails later, I had the opportunity to join the Db team on a work trip to the southwest of France. The main mission was the launch of a new campaign, product-line, and pop-up shop at the Wasted Talent Store in Hossegor.

As part of the launch, a mix of filmmakers and athlete ambassadors made their way to France to listen to presentations, exchange their stories, and share a couple of waves on the beach breaks of Les Landes.

For me, the week was filled with tons of impressions, little sleep, surf, several cold beverages, and meeting a lot of very interesting people. From picking up Sage (Kotsenburg) at the airport, sharing the line-up with Kepa (Acero) to playing the game of “Water in your Face” with surf podcasters, journalists, photographers from all over the world – let’s just say, it didn’t get boring.

Decent waves throughout the whole week made it easy to get out of bed in the morning and the daily croissants on the terrace kept the group vibes on a very high level.

It was cool to see how close work and joy can be. From morning meetings and deadlines to lunch break surfs, it certainly showed me, a student wondering about the next steps, my future post-student life, and finding that right transition, it was nice to see that ‘growing up’ and having a ‘working life’ doesn’t have to be the end of the good times.

“It was noticeable that the entire team was used to working away from the office. It didn’t matter if it was in the back of the van, the couch, the dinner table, or the terrace, the were able to make any spare space or piece of furniture into a workspace.”

The team epitomise the work hard, play hard mantra. They pulled everything they could out the bag to make the launch event possible and had to put the hours in to pull it off (apparently a whole new luggage line, a multi-episode video campaign, and a pop-up store don’t just grow on trees?!). It was noticeable that the entire team was used to working outside of the office. It didn’t matter if it was in the back of the van, the couch, the dinner table, or the terrace – they had an ability to turn every spare space or piece of furniture into a desk or workspace just by opening their laptops.
Away from the work, the surfing, other activities, and delicious dinners accompanied with some cold beers only added to my Db experience. To me, this type of (Warning: Buzzword) work-life balance appears to be one that is sustainable for people that want to be out there and want to be active, while also seeking progression in their professional lives.

(Sorry for occasionally sounding a bit cheesy – But I really enjoyed it)

About me:
My name is Ole, a “semi-professional” winter sport practitioner, general sports enthusiast, and (almost)-finished master student in the mid-twenties, living in Innsbruck, a city in the middle of the Austrian Alps.