Our Story

It started with a problem nobody had properly solved.

Surf seat covers existed. They'd been around for years. But the options on the market all had the same issues, plasticky fabric, poor fit, covers that slid around the moment you sat down. And the designs felt like an afterthought. Alan had been distributing them in the Canary Islands for years and he knew the demand was real. He also knew the products didn't do justice to the people buying them.

He started thinking about doing it properly.

Alan already had a brand, CULT. Over the years he'd used it quietly when he needed a product he couldn't find elsewhere...

Meanwhile, somewhere in Lanzarote, a Belgian lost soul had just parked her van and decided to change her life.

That was me, Katrien. I had just quit everything back home. A thriving car upholstery business I'd built from scratch, high-end interiors, custom leather, hand-stitched dashboards for beautiful cars, made with heavy industrial machines and an obsession for detail. It was going well. I was good at it. And I walked away from all of it to live in a van, surf when the waves came, and trust that something would find me when I needed it.

That first winter, I didn't have a plan. Just faith.

Alan was walking back from a surf when he spotted my van.

Old timers have a way of standing out. He slowed down, took a look at the interior, the upholstery, the design, every detail I'd made by hand, and he stopped. We started talking. He learned about my background. I learned about his. And somewhere in that conversation, everything clicked.

He had the surf industry connections, the distribution knowledge, and the vision. I had the hands, the eye, and the craft. He said: "I can fund it. You can build it. Let's do something together."

Then he asked me: do we start fresh under a new name, or do we take CULT and finally make it real? I loved the logo. I loved the sound of the name. The answer was easy.

For me, it wasn't just a business opportunity. It was a way to keep traveling. To keep surfing. To work on my own terms. When the waves are flat, I design. When the swell comes, I paddle out. CULT gave me the freedom I'd left everything behind to find.

Then I flew to China. Alone. Terrified.

Getting the first samples made was one of the most nerve-wracking things I've ever done. But we tested, we adapted, we listened. The first small production run went to the Canary Islands. Customers gave us feedback. We made it better. Then better again.

We launched the webshop. Grew slowly at first, quietly building something real. Then in late 2024, everything shifted. The community found us. The orders started coming. And we've been running ever since.

Why does it matter?

Because people write to us. A friend called to say her juice bottle exploded all over her car in the heat, seats completely covered, and her CULT covers took the full hit. Her original seats were untouched. My own brother left his van window open in a storm. Soaked. But under the covers, his original seats were completely dry.

These aren't just seat covers. They're the thing between your van and the chaos of actually living in it.

That's what we make. Products that hold up to a real life, salt, sand, surf, dogs, spills, road trips, rainstorms, and everything in between.

Made by people who live that life. For people who do the same.

— Katrien & Alan, co-founders of CULT Surfing 🌊

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