Hanging with Customs X First Thursdays artist Lucas Beaufort

CCS man-on-the-scene Russ Pope checks in with our Custom X First Thursdays artist for December: Lucas Beaufort, as he let's us know about pets, travel, skate media documentaries, the origins of Gus Gus, future projects, and, most importantly, lasagna.

CCS: You live in Normandy yes? Why Normandy and not Paris?

Lucas: I grew up in Cannes (French Riviera) for about 36 years then my wife and I thought it was time to change so we did a Tour de France to pick the best location to live and it was Normandy. Normandy is the best for me as I live in the countryside and I’m super close to Paris (1h 30min by train) so it’s easy for my to travel all around the world.

Do you have any pets and, if so, do they travel with you?

My pets are my babies. Grenouille and Pépère are my pugs and Poupée is my Persian cat. Back then, I was able to travel with Grenouille, she saw the world with us. Now with Pepère and Poupée it’s less easy but we have a nice family who can take care of them when we are away.

What was your recent trip to Dubai like?

It was phenomenal and my first time there. The mural I did in Abu Dhabi is very special because I didn’t fly for 600 days because of Covid. Before Covid I was traveling 7 months with over 100 flights a year. Just the idea of flying again to a new destination was already a trip. It was super challenging as I had just 5 days to make a 35x25 feet mural.

Favorite project from the last 6 months?

Without a doubt, working on my book project called HEART.

Can you talk about the skate shop book project?

This is a project I have been working on since December 2020. Skateboarding has always been my biggest inspiration. In 2017 I did a documentary on skateboard media called DEVOTED. Since then, I wanted to make a new project bringing the skate community together. During covid time, I really thought about the importance of physical skate shops and wanted to celebrate them. HEART will celebrate 40 years of skate shops’ history and will be release early next year.

How and when was Gus Gus born?

Gus Gus always lived in my head. At first, he scared me. Then, I realized it was just him trying to communicate with me. It’s weird to say but since I stared to paint Gus Gus all my nightmares disappeared. Gus Gus is a fun character, spreading love and bringing people together. He has no eyes so he can’t judge people so it’s all about feelings.

You seem like you’ve always got a ton of projects going, is this true?

I like to say that I am dreamer and all my dreams must come true. I try not to limit myself even if it’s the craziest project ever. I have big dreams in my head and it’s always with people.

Myles De Courcy. Boardslide

Do you have a favorite food or drink that you’d be up to share, if not, a favorite place to go eat or drink?

I’m a food lover. My dad owns a restaurant near Saint Tropez called L’Ecurie de la Marquise (Grimaud). My grandma was Italian so I’m a mix of Italian and Mediterranean food. I love lasagna, like home made lasagna from A to Z.

Did you spend time riding bikes before the cycling tour and project you did with Moustache Bikes?

Actually not, before this crazy Tour de France (950 miles), I didn’t do more than 10 miles. What a trip, from Normandy (where I live) to Cannes (where I grew up) with two of my best friends. I will never forget that trip. I’m already thinking of traveling Italy next year.

Have a favorite photo collab you've painted characters into?

That’s a tough question. I would say any photo of Jake Darwen. He is my favorite photographer.

Thanks for taking the time to answer some questions and for being part of the Customs X First Thursdays project. Have any parting comments, thoughts, upcoming projects to keep a lookout for, requests?

My pleasure and keep Diggin !!!!

Now it's your turn to collaborate with Lucas Beaufort and Gus Gus using the Customs X tools by CCS.

Check out all that Lucas is up to (and he is up to a lot) on his Instagram and website. Get the low down on all that CCS is up to (mostly just talking about shoes and skateboards) on the CCS Instagram. Then connect with us via Twitter, Facebook, Tiktok, and Youtube. And take a look at the full inventory of the CCS skate shop at anytime from your laptop or phone.

Huge thanks to Lucas for talking with us and being part of the project.