Conversations with Gale, Sante and ‘Cesco Bentivoglio

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gale, Sante, and ‘Cesco Bentivoglio.

Hi Gale, Sante, and ‘Cesco, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
We are three brothers, Gale, Sante and ‘Cesco, born and raised in Santa Monica. Interestingly, our story actually doesn’t begin in Santa Monica but in the tropical breezes of Caracas, Venezuela. Our pops, Luca Bentivoglio, learned to surf back in the 60s in Caracas and went on to explore previously un-surfed Costa Rica in the early 70s. His love for surfing and adventure is the real beginning of our family surf story.

A few decades later, he moved to Santa Monica and had a few kids. Growing up, going to surf Malibu with Pops or spending the day at Douglas Park skating with our friends was our intro to the culture. As groms, we were aptly referred to as “buoys” by the 2nd/3rd point lineup of begrudging locals, obstructively floating around in awe of the thunderous waves. Way out of our league. As teens, we were riding the bus from the Westside to Downtown LA, from the Valley to Long Beach, traversing the entire city in search of the best skate spots. Hopping fences and running from security the whole way through!

Once we got older, our passion never abated but became more directed. After a stint working at another local surf shop, Sante schemed with the brothers, and Bay Street was born. The shop opened in 2014, a time where there weren’t really many of the local shops of old. With iconic shops that we frequented in our childhood like Horizons West and Islands in mind, we decided to open up and give back to the community that gave us so much growing up

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
There have certainly been ups and downs, but we’re proud to say we’ve made it through all the rough times. Besides the typical issues such as robberies, windows smashed, scam lawsuits, rent hikes, etc… most of our struggles have come from within the industries we deal with. One would expect surfers and skaters to be very supportive of each other, but we learned that the gatekeepers within the industry can be very insidious and damaging. It took us many painstaking and patient years to establish ourselves with many of the brands we consider essential to a surf & skate shop, and many companies still aren’t willing to work with us. This opened the door to work with more local companies and smaller brands. Rather than dwell on the tired, old brands of the past, we embraced the unique board builders, independent clothing designers, fresh artists and more that make Bay Street a different place to shop.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Aside from all of the local brands and we just mentioned, another thing that sets us apart is our own clothing line! Sante draws all of our clothing designs by hand, taking inspiration from his life in Santa Monica. All of our designs are locally inspired, evoking Southern California surf and skate culture with a dash of humor. Come check out our range of t-shirts, sweaters, windbreakers, hats, beanies and more, all locally sourced and printed/stitched!

We are also proud to specialize in our surfboard repair service. Taught to us by our sensei OG Sherm, we have been offering ding repair since we opened and have become the best repair shop in town. No appointment needed, drop off your battered surfboard anytime and our guys will have you back in the water in no time! Reasonably priced and guaranteed to last, we can fix anything from a minor crack to a board snapped in half. We are one of the only ding repair shops in town and we won’t let you down!

We’re always looking for the lessons that can be learned in any situation, including tragic ones like the Covid-19 crisis. Are there any lessons you’ve learned that you can share?
The most meaningful thing we learned during the Covid Era was just how important surfing and skating is to our community. Our customers knew that being in the sun, exercising, and being outdoors were fundamental to their well-being, and they were desperate to surf and skate! During lockdowns, physical exercise was one of the only activities people could do, so surfing and skating was crucial for our people. We were proud to be deemed “essential” by the City of Santa Monica and were able to continue to provide for our customers during that tough time!

Pricing:

• Ding Repair Minimum- $75
• Surfboard + Wetsuit Rental- $40 per day

Contact Info:

• Website: baystreetboards.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baystreetboards/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BayStreetBoards
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCU_XmXco1cnBkSvYH1FI-Jg
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bay-street-boards-santa-monica

Image Credits
Andres Renella, Sean Curran, Devin Stinson