When you walk into the Hart Beach store on Vissershavenweg, you step into our history. Our father, Etsko Schuitema, was a true waterman in the purest sense of the word: sailor, surfer, sea kayaker – you name it, he did it. Here at Scheveningen harbor, he and his brother Martin started Schuitema’s Catamarans in 1973. Their premises, now the right side of the store, was once where fishing nets were tied. The left side of our store was not yet in use then; this was where Shell's tank was located to supply boats in the harbor.

Etsko was originally a graphic designer, a scion of a creative family with a progressive spirit. He started experimenting, first by printing T-shirts with his designs. Since the shop already carried O'Neill wetsuits, he thought it would be fun to use that name along with his designs. What's more – that's how the O'Neill brand originated. Because until then, they only had wetsuits. And it caught on: it suddenly took off like a rocket!

Because Etsko was more creative than business-minded, he outsourced printing, distribution, and marketing to business partners. Etsko focused on new ideas and continued with product and brand development. The O'Neill brand became a success.

But the success soon had a downside. Jack O'Neill sent a battalion of trademark lawyers to the Netherlands. It now became clear that Etsko unfortunately didn't have the right people around him. The partners absconded with the license for O'Neill in Europe. Etsko, now left destitute, was not deterred, however, and continued to do business.

He had started a brand before, and so he came up with the brand HART. Under that name, he made surfboards, windsurfboards, sails, skimboards, bodyboards, and ski and lifestyle clothing.

He now had the brand name HART, a shop by the harbor, and was going to start a surf school on the beach. Because of its location, he called them HART BEACH.

That’s how HART BEACH and the brand name HART came about. We’ve now revitalized that brand name with lifestyle clothing, but also with beers and glasses in the restaurant, for example!

The lifestyle originated from our father Etsko. He was truly a pioneer in that regard. He put a Coca-Cola machine, a VCR, and a few chairs in the store at the harbour. The local surf youth would come there to chill out. Sometimes they were dropped off by their parents during the day and picked up again in the evening! When the founders of the America Today retail chain came to visit, they thought it was such a good idea that they implemented it in their own stores.

Etsko was also an early adopter of the 'shop-in-shop' concept, which is now so popular. For example, when the then shop manager and tattoo artist Richard van Tol wanted to quit the shop to tattoo full-time, Etsko suggested he could do it in the shop. "Let's go!" he said and even sacrificed his office for it. A skateboard shop by a skater also opened in the store. In this way, he has given many creative entrepreneurs and talents their first opportunities.

In 1984, HART BEACH opened the first surf school in the Netherlands on Scheveningen beach. It was just a container that stood on the beach for the entire summer season. From here, surfboards and wetsuits could be rented and lessons booked. This spot quickly became a popular hangout for the local surf posse. Spontaneous barbecues were organized with fish caught by the surfers themselves; the vibe was relaxed and the days were never long enough. 

Paul and Romke grew up on the beach, playing at the sailing school and the surf school. Paul started surfing in his early teens, and Romke sailed. They learned both the joy the sea brings and respect for that same sea.

After Paul obtained his retail diploma, he started working for his father – in winter at the fishing harbour road and in summer at the surf school on the beach. But before fully committing to the business, he travelled to Mexico, Indonesia, and Australia.

Romke took a different path and delved into Amsterdam student life. He studied commercial economics, was in the choir, including the parties, and despite his youth on the beach, surfing was not his passion. However, he worked a lot in hospitality and beach clubs for part-time jobs.

Paul was all too aware that there was a downside to running a cool surf shop and surf school. There was a lot of hassle; many people wanted to be involved with the creative Etsko, but that also attracted some less pleasant individuals. After a hostile takeover was thwarted with great difficulty, Etsko and his wife Coby left for a trip to France.

En route, tragedy struck; Etsko suffered a brain hemorrhage. Maayke, Paul, Romke, and Anne, Etsko and Coby's four children, drove to France that same day; their father passed away shortly thereafter. On the way back from France to the Netherlands, the brothers discussed their next steps and quickly agreed: the legacy their father left behind had to be continued. And they would do it together.

It was a difficult start. Besides the emotional burden, the company turned out to be on the verge of bankruptcy. Etsko’s ideas had always been in his head, agreements were made on beer mats. Romke, just 21, completely changed his life and took responsibility for the beach and the surf school. He had to learn everything about surfing, boards, leashes, and wetsuits. Paul took charge of the shop and arranged what else needed to be done behind the scenes.

They took six months to get things in order and reorganize. The tax authorities were implacable, but their loyal suppliers were willing to give them some leeway. With advice and help from family, an accountant, and a skilled lawyer, they cleaned house. It became an intense journey into the deep end. Suddenly, the boys had to wear the hat of an entrepreneur. In this short time, they learned more than they ever did during their education. But the drive to continue the family business was stronger than ever.

Due to the early and unexpected passing of their father Etsko, HART BEACH became the common thread in the Schuitema family's lives. Passion, power, and willpower were all channeled into making it a success. (And still are!)

HART's mission originated on the beach. The family grew up there. Throughout the summer, they played: skimboarding, surfing, sailing... They learned from their mother, Mrs. Schuitema, to respect the sea through play.

Traditionally, with fishing and the fishermen who never returned from sea, there was much fear of the sea in coastal towns. But that's not how Paul and Romke know it. They know the dangers and have respect, but above all, they also have fun.

And there stood the brothers, a year after their father's death, with their small surf school and a surf shop. It was right there, on the beach, that the idea was born to share this feeling: to introduce as many people as possible to surfing and the surf lifestyle!

This has always been the driving force and the mission, and everything stems from it. Just as many surf brands have slogans like “It’s always summer on the inside,” “Run to the sun,” or “Life is Better in Boardshorts,” we at HART BEACH know that feeling like no other. The magic of surfing. When you go into the sea and the first wave washes over you. Bam! Your head is clear; you think of nothing else. You remember the first wave you surf. You remember waves from 15 years ago.

The power of surfing is that you derive so much joy and passion from it, even if you're not good at it at all! Brilliant!

From 2014, HART BEACH was allowed to stay on the beach year-round. No more annual setup and takedown, no more seasonal surf school, but open 365 days a year. Every day of the year, you could get surf lessons or rent gear. And then a warm shower and changing facilities, a bite to eat and a warm drink by the fireplace, or relax in the sun on the terrace. All of this arose from the intention to introduce as many people as possible to the surf and beach lifestyle.

HART BEACH has grown into the largest surf school in Northern Europe. There are surf camps and sports programs for schools in The Hague, corporate outings centered around the beach vibe and surfing, and social projects based on surfing. And very importantly: everyone is welcome! Everyone in the water. From the moment you can swim until the moment you no longer can, and everything in between.

A community has emerged here. It's HART's translation of the surf lifestyle. Grandpa can walk into the water with his longboard, following his shredding granddaughter on her shortboard. Dad is having a glass of wine on the terrace and mom is working out in the public sports park next to the surf school. Or someone is learning to pool skate at fifty, something they always wanted to do! That life, that community.

When Etsko turned 50 and Richard van Tol had just opened his tattoo shop in the HART BEACH store at the harbour, he got a tattoo without telling anyone. The first for both of them! The tattoo consisted of Neptune's trident, with his zodiac sign, Aquarius, beneath it.

After his passing, Romke – who by then had gotten the same tattoo – and Paul spent years pondering a logo. At one point, they looked at a photo of their dad and thought: that's it! The tattoo became the Hart Beach logo: his tattoo. Neptune's trident and the Aquarius zodiac sign.