Meet Gabriel Majalca of Good Vibe Gliders in Central

Today we’d like to introduce you to Gabriel Majalca.

Gabriel, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
The story of Good Vibe Gliders starts with a festival family from the Arizona Sonoran Desert. Every year, this massive group of artists will get together to host a loving, three-day campout called the Good Vibe Getdown.

One year, I decided to set up my Good Vibe tent right by the lake. Although it was the most serene spot at the camp, it also happened to be exactly 17-minutes away from the music stage. “Oh well,” I told myself. “I really like this spot.” So I stayed. At first, the distance didn’t bother me at all. I had a fresh, can-do attitude for the weekend and nothing was about to get me down! Or so I thought. I must have walked a thousand miles that weekend. As I trekked across the desert for the umpteenth time trying to get back to my tent, I couldn’t help but grumble to myself, “Duuuude, next year is going to be different. Very different.”

My new objective: Camp wherever I want, save energy for the dance floor and look fabulous while doing it. I needed to get me an electric scooter. Of course, if I was going to bring an electric scooter to this particular gathering, no regular scooter would suffice. This was Good Vibe we’re talking about- a place where the most creative individuals of the region come together to imagine, create, dance, and inspire. It’s a magical three days so I needed to make a magical scooter. Now the question was, exactly how am I going to decorate this? After pondering and pondering, we decided to purchase thousands of tiny, glimmering, flatback jewels and use them as our medium. Yes! Jewels and festivals go perfectly together- and so it was settled. Our scooter was about to be completely covered in dazzling rhinestones. That was the moment Good Vibe Gliders was born.

When all was said and done, I knew we had something special. Our scooter looked like a desert mosaic made entirely of jewels, with Bluetooth speaker, LED lights, beverage holder, and a mascot alligator named Alfonso mounted to the top. Everyone was mesmerized! Party-goers couldn’t wait for their chance to hop on this one-of-a-kind festival scooter. “You should call it a Good Vibe Glider,” said a buddy of mine. “Hmmm, that actually has a nice ring to it. I like it!” So, I took his advice and you know what? Three weeks later, I sold my very first Glider to a writer/producer from Venice Beach, CA… and we haven’t stopped since.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Following that first build, I became obsessed with making Gliders. I relished in the opportunity to focus my creative energy in a positive manner, in an environment that I loved. The next thing to do was start putting myself out there. No one was pushing bedazzled art scooters, no one. So finding the right client was imperative. I’ve had a lot of support along the way, but too many times I would across folks telling me that GVG was “too weird” as a concept, or that “there is no market for bedazzled art scooters”. Or my favorite quote, “Nobody even rides scooters.”

The year was now 2017 and the general population was ready for a change of pace, literally. As luck would have it, dockless, rideshare scooters began to spring up all over my city. I saw art canvases everywhere I looked. I was in Glider heaven! Seems like overnight the electric scooter became a pop-culture sensation. As the personal eRidable trend started to heat up, I too was starting to benefit from all my prior associations. Companies were beginning to reach out to me, projects of all types were coming into my orbit and before long, I was creating work for another artist to complete.

Like most entrepreneurs, the struggles I’ve experienced have been plentiful, painful, and often eye-opening. I still pull all-nighters with every project we complete because of how artistically obsessed I become. However, buried inside each challenging project is a valuable lesson in how to level-up as an Artist/Business owner. I’ll admit, I had no clue what I was doing at first. All I knew was that creating art scooters made me genuinely happy, and in return, those art scooters made other people happy. So with that notion at the helm and good vibes leading the way, staying committed to the project was the easy part. Growing an original idea from scratch however, that’s the hard part but it’s not impossible. If you choose to trust the process and never give up, the right people and opportunities will glide into your life. The secret is to find what you love, commit to the process, then let it unfold.

So, as you know, we’re impressed with Good Vibe Gliders – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
GVG is an artist collaborative offering custom, fine art scooters and ebikes. Our team of funky designers specializes in the creation of unique, personalized, decorated eRidables. Our signature look includes incorporating jewels, gems, and crystals into your one-of-a-kind design. Using our Good Glide Imagination Test, we will help you select the perfect eRidable for your lifestyle, then build you the scooter of your dreams based on your interests, likes, and personality.

Over the past two years, personal eRidables have been our canvas of choice – it is our bread and butter. However, more recently, we’ve started creating dazzling lifestyle products to match our Gliders and it has garnered some worldwide attention. In August of 2019, musical legend and fashion icon, George Clinton of Parliament-Funkadelic, wore a pair of custom GVG Shine Goggles during the final six shows of his “One Nation Under a Groove” farewell tour. Later that year, George would be seen front row at a Paris Fashion Week runway show, next to supermodel Naomi Campbell, wearing my design atop his head. It was quite an honor.

I’m most proud of knowing that our creations bring genuine happiness to the lives of others. The first time you see your very own Glider, designed in-part by you, is a special moment. Taking that inaugural ride is the moment I look forward to every time. The next 20 seconds is pure happiness. The look on their face is priceless. All worries seem to melt away and for a brief moment, you’re a kid again. I am proud to offer something that produces such powerful feelings.

I’m also delighted to see how the company continues to naturally evolve. At one-point, Good Vibe Gliders was just a grumble under my breath while on a lonely walk through the desert. Now it’s a tangible example of what open-source artwork can achieve. Lastly, I’m proud of every person who has ever lent a helping hand with GVG. Thank you!

GVG makes the most unique, one-of-a-kind scooters and ebikes in the world. We’re known for our over-the-top designs and dazzling jewelry artwork. Transforming a normal scooter into a Good Vibe Glider often requires services from many talented artists such as fabricators & welders, sculptors & painters, electrical engineers, jewelry makers, and fashion designers, just to name a few. Which is why over the past three years, GVG has been creating relationships and developing a database of local artist and engineers who can service even the most discerning artistic tastes.

Artist collaboration is baked into our business model and is encouraged at every stage in the creation process. When creatives get together to collaborate, the final product is always something better. Our open-sourced approach provides GVG with an ever-expanding, healthy conglomerate of artists who are available for hire at this very moment. We can achieve more together.

So, what’s next? Any big plans?
Plans for the immediate future include continuing to expand our database of local and regional artists. At the same time, we are looking to secure more festivals, celebrity & musical artist endorsements, and developing key partnerships and affiliations with anyone interested in what we are doing. We love collaboration!

We are also planning to launch our GVG lifestyle and accessories line, a rental program, our first GVG mobile app, and a school/community outreach program. Lastly, GVG would also like to bring the creative experience directly to the client by providing the ability to choose their favorite Good Glide artist a la carte – straight off a menu, and then start designing their very own Glider via our website. Our online platform would allow anyone to create or directly upload their artwork onto our products. Next, an official Good Glide artist will assist you inside the platform, allowing you to plan, paint, create and interact together for a completely customizable experience. Select your own eRidable, materials, accessories, etc. from a dropdown menu, then save & edit your ideas for later.

Pricing:

• Prices vary depending on detail, Packages start at $3,000

Contact Info:

• Website: www.goodvibegliders.com
• Email: gabe@goodvibegliders.com
• Instagram: @goodvibegliders
• Facebook: /goodvibegliders
• Twitter: @goodvibegliders

Image Credit:
George Clinton: Kat Cruz Photography
George and Naomi: @ElizabethVon
Tiger Sunset: Trianna Majalca
Dbacks: Rob Rothstein & Lion Lens
Wedding: Brianna Lee Photography

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