We are Van Breakers!
To truly get the Van Break spirit, you have to know about its founders! Discover who they are and why they want to spread the ride & road trip spirit from their Malaga haven!
Life is a ride… with friends!
Before they became business partners and co-founders of Van Break, Aurélien and Olivier aka Aurel & Oliv, were first colleagues and became good friends. The French duet has met in Malaga five years ago. When Olivier arrived for his first day at work, he was welcomed by Aurélien. “I’ll never forget our first encounter. Aurélien was the first person I met from our company when I joined. He welcomed me and we soon became close mates!”, comments Olivier.
Olivier and his Family
They immediately spent a lot of time together and shared their leisurely time with a group of sportive colleagues and friends. Olivier, who knew Morocco and had family there organized a road trip from Malaga to Essaouira to go surfing. “This trip really brought us together! remembers Aurélien. “I had surfed in Ireland before, but we shared something really special that was to inspire us in the future: the ride spirit. We were five in a car and were crazy about surfing! Man, that was epic!”
Aurélien with his wife
In love with Andalusia
There’s something else that the Van Break entrepreneurs share: a sheer passion for their living place, Andalusia. Aurélien had discovered Cordoba when he was 23 during a student exchange. “That’s when I fell in love with this region… Years later, when I had a job opportunity in Andalusia as an expatriate, it perfectly made sense to me to settle there and explore that strong connection with the culture, people, language…”
Olivier complements: “For five years now, we’ve been delving into this incredibly rich andalusian culture ; it’s the cradle of Spain. It offers its riches and opportunities to everyone who’s a bit curious. Together with Aurélien, we’ve been roaming through it and we love it every day: whether it’s for kite surf, food, music or breath-taking natural sceneries!”
From leisure to business
That love for the region coupled with an entrepreneurial mindset was bound to be fruitful… August 5, 2016. The two mates are lounging in a wooden cabin with a breathtaking view over the Tarifa bay. Olivier tells this story with a spark in the eye: “I was looking at Airbnb, bumped into that van rental offer. Awesome! I had no idea these guys offered it! For those who don’t know: Tarifa is the spanish birthplace of surfer vans!”
One thing leading to another, Olivier enquires about local van rentals and shares his conclusion with his friend: there’s an untapped business potential, right here in Andalusia. The idea soon came about to create a digital platform allowing riders to easily book a campervan and live a memorable road trip!
But an idea is not concrete before it has a name… Jessica, Olivier’s wife and third behind the scene Van Breaker, found the name of the start-up: “It is was late in the evening during a never-ending and boozy brainstorming session just the three of us. We shared huge lists of names. I had recently started to ride and thought: the ride spirit, Point Break, vans… Why not Van Break?” The guys loved it! Van Break, it would be!
I’ll conclude this post with the three mottos that best describe Van Breakers according to the founders:
– Life is a ride!
– Meet, discover & share
– Go back to basics