DANIELE GALLO AND HIS HAPPINESS LIVING THE SEA
Daniele – Dani – Gallo goes at the same speed of social media.
By Erika Scafuro
Daniele – Dani – Gallo goes at the same speed of social media. His feed is always updated with videos or reels that go viral and reach staggering numbers, as well as followers, which are constantly growing. Influencer and videomaker, the background to his content is almost always the sea and his happy smile while practicing all kinds of water sports. The same smile that we see in the Bear Surfboards shootings in which he took part.
You were born 1999, so you’re part of Generation Z, or those kids who grew up with social media. How do you reach 146,000 followers on Instagram?
«I’ve always used social media, ever since I was 12 years old with my first cell phones. I’ve always used them like any other person, with friends, posting what I was doing…although I’ve always liked videomaking. Practicing various water sports, I have always used GoPro since I was 12 years old. So I went down the road of video editing, which I learned to do on my own. I’ve always posted videos on social that I edit and that people who follow me like, but back in the day it was 1000 people, friends and friends of friends, nothing more. Then during the first lockdown of 2020, when we were all at home, the trend of using TikTok broke out and initially I saw this social as a kid thing. My brother would tell me to try and share some videos. I remember then a few months later, at the end of lockdown, even more adult people started using this social. So I posted on Tik Tok the same kind of video I was editing, in portrait format, without even thinking too much about it. After three days the video went viral, I made something like 100 thousand views in one day. From that day on, the followers started to grow. I continued to create videos of that type, always related to my lifestyle. Until now I have pursued that path».
For Bear Surfboards you run the TikTok profile, how would you explain this social to people older than your age who aren’t familiar with it?
«I must say that to this day I see adult people using it, including my father. Of this social I like how it is structured the logarithm, not everyone knows it, but it works that the social studies you based on how you react to certain videos. Based on that he sends you videos based on your interests. The new thing that may be harder for older people to understand is that the videos are very short, so the attention span is reduced. Otherwise it’s a bunch of lots of information in little videos, all a little bit faster».
You are one of the models of Bear Surfboards, you are the face of many shootings. Tell us about this experience.
«We did the first shooting for the stand up paddle board. And then I participated in the shooting for the SS 22 collection which was a fantastic experience. Everything was perfect, very well organized. One thing I really liked was that in the places where we shot (in Sardinia), I grew up there, I spend the summer there on the boat with my father so I know that area very well. It was nice to be able to work together with the videomakers and photographers, showing them the right places. I’m also very attached to Bear Surfboards brand, as I grew up with the movie Big Wednesday, so it’s always been a brand that I hold in my heart».
You have a great passion for the sea, how did it start? When and where did you start surfing?
«I come from a family where everyone do windsurfing. It all started with windsurfing and Sardinia, where we spend the summer. Even my parents met doing windsurfing, they taught me in Sardinia when I was 5 years old. From there I made a competitive windsurfing career. Then from windsurfing came all the board sports, both water sports and snowboarding. Surfing is a sport that you learn to do because it’s related to windsurfing, when there is no wind and there is a wave you go surfing. I learned totally self-taught. But also windsurfing, my parents pushed me but then I went totally alone. Then my father always sailed with a sailboat so he passed on to me this strong passion for the sea: we sailed all over the Mediterranean. Just as I like snorkeling. I live the sea at 360 degrees».
Surfing, snowboarding, windsurfing, kiting, sailing you are a fan of outdoor and adrenaline sports. What sport are you missing to add to the list?«I have a dream of skydiving. But I would have to try it first because as an idea I would love it, but I don’t know the feeling yet. I already know that I will try to do it, but I’m waiting to have a budget to invest in this world because I already know my dream is to get certified. I also want to improve in some sports, for example now I’m going snowboarding a lot; same thing I would like to improve kiting. Now there is also the foil that is another type always related to the world of sea and boards». What is the greatest emotion that sports has taught you?«Definitely sports has taught me the concept of passion. Because even in the down moments, if I think of something that makes me feel good, it’s sports, surfing, being in the water. It’s a perpetual well-being that never has negative moments». The most magical place you’ve ever surfed?«I’ve surfed in many places in the world, I’ve been to Australia, Bali…beautiful places. But one of the best surfs was during the Bear Surfboards shoot in Sardinia because the place was perfect, as well as the temperature and there was nobody in the water. Even if the surf itself wasn’t the best, but the situation was magical». As a video maker you document all adrenaline activities to share with your followers. Sharing is important to you. What is your relationship with your followers?«Let’s just say that I grew up in this generation characterized by sharing. Having grown up with it I don’t even notice, it comes naturally to me. At the same time I like to show people that there are great activities to do, when I was a kid I didn’t think about it, I used to post for no purpose. While now I share with the desire to show beautiful things, I like to share the beautiful feelings I get from being in contact with nature. From my followers I received nice messages, I happened to receive nice emails. The thing I like is that I always got positive feedback from my followers, but nothing negative».
