A change of ownership: Sebastian Emmeluth (left) and former owner Markus von Melle (right) signing the contract at the notary’s office.

Dare to Dream: Taking over a Surf Shop

Sebastian Emmeluth took over Windsurfing Hamburg in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. How did that come about? An interview.

In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sebastian Emmeluth took over the long-standing Windsurfing-Hamburg shop - including its school, rental service, and café - from Markus von Melle on Lake Oortkatensee. Despite the challenges, this marked the fulfillment of a lifelong dream for Basti.

How did you get into water sports, and what role does Lake Oortkaten play in that?

Sebastian: »When I was a little 4-year-old boy named Butschi, I was sitting on the beach in Lacanau with my mom and sister, watching the surfers, pointing at them, and saying that I wanted to do that too. After that, there was hardly anything else in my life but water. For my 10th birthday, I was given a windsurfing course here at Lake Oortkaten, and ever since then, all I’ve wanted to do is get out on the water.«

How did you end up taking over the shop?

Sebastian: »When I was a young guy, I worked at the rental shop, as a surf instructor, and in sales; I went to school and studied here, and Markus and the other guys from back then were like family to me - so much so that my mom even let me travel with them even though I wasn’t of age, because she trusted them so much. So yes, I had - and still have - a very close relationship with Markus.

After my time at the lake, I worked as a self-employed sales representative, supplying outdoor sports stores with surfing, wakeboarding, and snowboarding gear. So, to be honest, I’ve spent my entire life working in the surfing industry, on every side of the business.«

The shop is located south of the city on the shores of Lake Oortkaten. Isn't it just a little gem to have a testing and training area right outside the shop door? Does this make one of your dreams come true?

Sebastian: »It really is my lifelong dream - I’ve always wanted this shop to be mine someday. That’s why we’ve put so much heart and soul into renovating it; I’ve been thinking about this renovation for 20 years, and now I can finally bring all that creativity and vision to life.«

You’re entering the business at a challenging time. The pandemic and the conflict in Ukraine have had - and continue to have - an impact on demand for sports equipment. How do you see things developing in the future?

Sebastian: »I believe there’s a lot of untapped potential here, given that we have such an amazing setting and unique location in Hamburg. Sure, there have been better times, but hey, every cloud has a silver lining, and we should come out of crises stronger than before. We just can’t get stuck in a rut - we have to be brave and try new things.«

House by the Lake: Its location right on Lake Oortkaten is truly unique

You renamed the shop “weAre.” What was the reason behind that?

Sebastian: »weAre was originally an online shop founded in Hamburg by a group of friends who were passionate about snowboarding, but unfortunately had to file for bankruptcy a few years ago. The online shop had a large fan base that extended far beyond Hamburg. At the time, I was working as a Volcom representative for Northern Germany and was one of the first suppliers to get on board. We always had a very friendly business relationship, right up until the end.

We’ve always talked about what we want to do with weAre—the name, the domain, the Instagram and Facebook accounts, and so on. At some point, I had the idea to rename the surf shop. Unfortunately, “Windsurfing Hamburg” felt too niche in terms of appealing to customers, and it wasn’t attractive or cool enough for the location - especially the café - weAre simply offers so much more.

We don’t just cater to windsurfers, but to all water sports enthusiasts, and we want guests who aren’t into sports to feel right at home in our café as well. By the way, for the past year we’ve also been offering a decent selection of snowboards, bindings, boots, and everything else you need - certainly Hamburg’s largest selection of snowboards, complete with expert advice and parking right outside the door.

By the way, we also offer a good selection of snowboards, bindings, boots, and everything else you need.«

Will you continue with this concept by holding test events right by the lake?

Sebastian: »Yes, following the grand reopening event with a wingfoil test in the summer of 2024, there were plenty of other events just like before, each evening featuring a party, live music, and cool drinks.«

Are there any other events planned? 

Sebastian: »I want everyone to feel at home here, whether they’re young or old, into water sports or not. That’s why it’s so important to me to reopen the café - and to make it way bigger and cooler than before. I’m just really excited about all the changes, because this is exactly what I’ve been envisioning for almost 30 years.«

Links:
weare.de
www.windsurfing-hamburg.de
www.surfen-hamburg.de/...