It all started with me looking for a way to escape my 9-5 life. I wanted to stop doing "the same old thing" and instead follow my heart and live a life that brought me joy. Snowboarding and surfing were my passions, but I wanted more than that - I wanted to create a life that was meaningful to me. That meant not spending 10 hours a day doing something that didn't fulfill me. But how was I going to do that? How was I going to make a living, pay the bills, and most importantly, what did I really want?
These questions plague many people, and I was no exception. It's not an easy decision, because where do you get the data, facts and experience you need to make such big life decisions? I spent a lot of time thinking, making lists of what brings me joy and what doesn't. But in the end, it was an emergency that forced me to act. Completely burned out and powerless, I couldn't go on like this and had to react. The only thing I knew was that I liked surfing and spending time by myself, meditating - so I decided to do just that.
But even that required money, and it was clear to me that a job that didn't fulfill me was not the solution. I had to do my own thing, something that gave me joy and fun. Creativity, manual work, time with like-minded people and good vibes in a harmonious environment - those were my criteria. After a surfing trip, I bought a balance board like the ones that existed at the time: thick, heavy and with a clunky plastic wheel. The fun lasted exactly a week, but with over 20 years of experience in board sports, I knew there was more to it than that.
So I started to develop a balance board that I would enjoy using for a long time - and that's how my journey began. The differences are not obvious, it's the little details that make the difference. I developed my first own board, called it a freestyle balance board because it was simply different. It had a rocker shape, was much lighter, and the shape was more varied. But the most important thing was: I had so much fun developing it further and further.
Of course, the design had to be right and a website had to be created - as a computer scientist, that was no problem. Long story short: I had found something that met my criteria. But I couldn't make a living from it because I hadn't sold a single board yet. Nevertheless, I knew that this was exactly what I wanted to do. I wanted to surf and I only needed enough to survive.
So I quit everything that cost money, sold everything I owned, until I only had a skateboard, a surfboard, and a bag with clothes and the most important documents. With a few Costaboards in my luggage, I set off, went snowboarding, showed people my board, and just had fun. I got lots of ideas and tips and saw how much fun people had on the board. Every now and then I sold a board. It went on like that for a while, I was in Berlin, built a few boards in the co-working space Kaos, traveled, and surfed. Sometimes I spent a few months in Bali, sometimes in a van in Portugal that hardly ran anymore, but I spent most of my time working on the Costaboard.
As the years went by, I sold more and more boards. One day, I was actually able to not only ensure my survival, but also invest in Costaboard. It was just fun, I wrote to every customer, took the board everywhere and I remember one surf party where we battled on the board for hours - the joy was indescribable. After so much effort and difficulty, it was all worth it. I couldn't wait to get up in the morning because there were always things to do that inspired me and brought me joy.
Over the years, Costaboard became more and more successful. Over 70,000 people in over 50 countries became part of the active community. But with the growth came something that I hadn't really noticed. Instead of talking to customers, building boards with my hands and developing new ideas, I suddenly became the CEO. I no longer had anything to do with the things that brought me joy and happiness. I had to "manage" people, carry out projects, check finances and solve problems. Everything became ultra-complex, I lost good friends and had to accept bitter disappointments. Suddenly, many things collapsed because my passion, my energy and my joy were no longer there. I was back to where I had originally started: burned out and empty.
It took me a while to realize what I had already realized 12 years ago: you have to follow your passion, your heart. But this time it was harder because Costaboard was no longer what my heart wanted - or so I thought. It felt difficult, full of problems that were hard to overcome. So I decided to do what I had done then: I listened to my heart. And my heart told me that I wanted to work with my hands, be creative and inspire people to live their lives according to their hearts.
Today I live in Portugal, build every single board myself again, go surfing and enjoy the time in peace or with creative projects. I am still cleaning up a lot of the things that have broken over the years, but that is only a time-consuming effort. Because if you follow your heart, you have already arrived - on a journey that fulfills your heart. This is the only way you can overcome even the biggest hurdles.
For me, Costaboard is more than just a board - it is the symbol of a journey that many of us want to embark on. A journey that our hearts desire. And I hope that with my board I can remind you to follow your own path.
In love,
Costa