New product launch on Kickstarter: Blue Planet Balance Surfer

[blueplanetsurf]

We are very proud to announce an exciting new project/product that we are launching on Kickstarter: The Blue Planet Balance Surfer. What initially started as a quest for comfort, has now evolved into a patent-pending design that provides 3 different levels of balance challenge in 1 tool-less Board.

This is the preview link, the campaign will go live tomorrow, Tuesday:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rstehlik/multi-purpose-balance-board-blue-planet-balance-surfer?ref=nilj7e&token=a03bedc2

Competing and training for long-distance races like the Molokai to Oahu race kept me in shape but I was still experiencing back and neck discomfort after long days sitting at my computer.  My chiropractor recommended raising my monitor to eye level, and I realized if mounted it on an arm I could use it as a standing desk as well.  Standing up regularly helped but I was still prone to bad posture and would constantly lean against my desk and load one hip with all my weight. But after using an old balance rocker board I used for SUP training, I noticed how my posture improved from the small balance rocker which was requiring me to stand upright and centered yet still allowed me to focus on my work.  From that sprang the idea of developing an easy to use balance rocker board for office use that could easily be adjusted to also provide a challenging balance workout for the boardsports I love.  I began designing and prototyping new versions and here we are today.   
With 2 previously successful Kickstarter campaigns and such a great experience interacting with the crowdfunding community, we obviously thought of Kickstarter right away when deciding how to launch this product. We love bringing new products to this community and hope you can support us in this next launch, as a backer pledging your support to this product launch, you will be rewarded with a board at less than 50% of the retail price and the early backers get the best value.  We will ship the Balance Surfer to backers anywhere in the world but if you live on Oahu you can choose the pick up at the shop option and save on shipping fees.

Aloha, Robert Stehlik, founder/ owner

[Tom]

Ok I'm in. How do we sign up?

[blueplanetsurf]

Ok I'm in. How do we sign up?

Cool, thank you!  The campaign just went live, early backers get the best value.  Please make your pledge to support our project, we expect to ship the rewards in October, here is the link to the project:

http://kck.st/2lfc84l

This is the pitch video:

[Wetstuff]

Ok...  some pressure, Robert.  I have a GOOF board that almost kilt me. A) I found it too fast.  B) Put it on a piece of carpeting over a wood floor and the carpet moved. (bonehead move)  C) Put it on a solid carpet base and found a smaller dia. tube, but still seemed too fast. (for me)

So, I take the GOOF board and set it atop an Indo Board mushroom ...and, the board jiggles around on it.  I don't feel it is doing much except  giving my legs a fast-twitch workout.  It is also working on a 360deg radial; boards in the ocean move around a lot but not like this.

What do you expect your rig may do for us SUP'ers specifically? 

Jim

[blueplanetsurf]

Ok...  some pressure, Robert.  I have a GOOF board that almost kilt me. A) I found it too fast.  B) Put it on a piece of carpeting over a wood floor and the carpet moved. (bonehead move)  C) Put it on a solid carpet base and found a smaller dia. tube, but still seemed too fast. (for me)

So, I take the GOOF board and set it atop an Indo Board mushroom ...and, the board jiggles around on it.  I don't feel it is doing much except  giving my legs a fast-twitch workout.  It is also working on a 360deg radial; boards in the ocean move around a lot but not like this.

What do you expect your rig may do for us SUP'ers specifically? 


Jim

Hi Jim,
Thanks for asking.  I  have been working on balance boards for many years and found that a rocker board is a much better simulation of SUP balance than boards using cushions or roller type boards where the balance is more about side to side movement (and can be dangerous as you found out).
In the easy "office mode"  the balance surfer is relatively easy to balance on (similar to standing on a stable 34" wide board).  It only rocks side to side but you have to keep your weight centered to stay balanced and the core engaged, so it's a good way to keep good posture when working at a standing desk for example.  I find that it actually improves blood flow and focus without being distracting when working at a standing desk.  Standing up regularly at work really helped the back pain I had.
Since it can't rotate, this mode is also great for using as a SUP trainer by using the top 2 pieces of a 3 piece paddle and a resistance band.  In the challenging mode, the balance board is more tippy side to side and also front to back and can also rotate.  Using this mode is great for training balance for SUP surfing and foiling.  We will eventually offer three balance modules with four levels of difficulty: Easy (wood board only), + Medium, Challenging and Extra Challenging attachments.  So the level of difficulty can be increased as balance improves.  The balance challenge can also be varied by using it on a hard surface (more challenging) vs soft surface like carpet or a soft foam pad which makes it easier to balance.  By pledging to back our project before we start production, you can get the balance surfer for $59 (limited qty) vs the expected retail price of $149, please consider supporting our project, Mahalo!

Here is the link again, thank you:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/rstehlik/multi-purpose-balance-board-blue-planet-balance-surfer?ref=creator_nav

[FRP]

Hi Robert

This looks great and much better than the balance board I have been using. Anything that will extend my years surfing is greatly appreciated. My wife is a retired physiotherapist and perhaps think about expanding into the physio market as they use a variety of balance trainers.

 I’m in!

Bob

[blueplanetsurf]

Hi Robert

This looks great and much better than the balance board I have been using. Anything that will extend my years surfing is greatly appreciated. My wife is a retired physiotherapist and perhaps think about expanding into the physio market as they use a variety of balance trainers.

 I’m in!

Bob

Thank you for the support Bob, it looks like we got two backers from the Zone today, awesome. 
Yes, I think the Balance Surfer has great potential for PT as it's safe to use and balance difficulty can be increased slowly, please show your wife and ask for her input.  Aloha, Robert

[burchas]

Congrats Robert! Good addition to a crowded market.

I would really be interested in seeing your product in action at its highest
level of difficulty but with more focus on workout drills & SUP/Surf related
drills. Any chance to you'd post an instructional video? It would probably be
a good motivator to back this product on top of the good price.

Either way, it brings awareness to an important topic and I applaud you for
throwing your hat into the mix.

[FRP]

Hi Robert

This looks great and much better than the balance board I have been using. Anything that will extend my years surfing is greatly appreciated. My wife is a retired physiotherapist and perhaps think about expanding into the physio market as they use a variety of balance trainers.

 I’m in!

Bob

Thank you for the support Bob, it looks like we got two backers from the Zone today, awesome. 
Yes, I think the Balance Surfer has great potential for PT as it's safe to use and balance difficulty can be increased slowly, please show your wife and ask for her input.  Aloha, Robert

Hi Robert

I did show Wendy your video on the balance trainer. She said that there are many balance boards out there but the design is interesting especially being able to adjust the degree of difficulty. For me she thinks doing exercises such as small squats will be good for core stability. Looking forward to the launch.

Cheers

Bob

[Wetstuff]

'Got it - both the understanding and a place in line.   

There are lots of deities in this marketplace who, either because they are 'Heros or Stars', expect our business.  They put their names over the top of those who shaped or designed their products. Robert is like a 'real person', who runs a business, one of the few visible here.  Based on the board I got, I don't doubt this balance gizmo is going to be great.

Jim

[PonoBill]

I just pushed you to within twenty bucks of your goal. It would have been fun to push you over the top, but that's good enough. Congratulations on another successful Kickstarter campaign, you'll obviously get there, a lot of them don't make it. I'm looking forward to the product, I need all the help I can get.

Coincidentally, I've been helping the PT who keeps me more or less in once piece on Maui, Shantelle Pierce, with a solution to the habit of people standing on one leg or putting too much pressure on one leg. With my crap knee, it's something I have an interest in. It's a bit of electronics that senses when people are exerting uneven foot pressure for too long. I'm just whipping up a prototype for her as a favor, no other involvement, but it's an interesting approach. She is convinced that most knee and hip joint problems stem from this habit. Your balance trainer attacks the same issue but in a limited venue. Her idea is wearable, but only focuses on uneven joint pressure.

[blueplanetsurf]

Bill, Jim, Bob, Tom, Burchas, thank you for backing the project, your support means a lot to me.

We have just reached our funding goal in the first 48 hours.  Our stretch goal is to make additional balance modules, we plan to offer a medium and extra challenging module (in addition to the Challenging module).  Backers will have the option to get the board with all three modules for a total of 7 different balance adjustment options when the campaign closes.  Burchas, we will also make some training videos with exercises for the balance surfer so you can train your balance daily.

[burchas]

Awesome! can't wait to get mine. Keep'm coming Robert.

[Quickbeam]

Robert, do we need to open an account to take part in this, or can we just sign in as a guest? In other words, if I make the pledge as a guest, do I still qualify to get the "Balance Surfer"? It looks like it is O.K. to just sign in as a guest, but I thought I should double check.

Also, for shipping, I live in Canada but also have a U.S. shipping address. I didn't see any way to make the differentiation with as far as I got in the process???

[Tom]

I'm looking forward to getting it and glad I could help out. I've found that when I spend some time not SUPing, my balance suffers and I need a few days on the water to get back to mid season form. I'm hoping that by using this on non-SUP days will keep me tuned in. I'll let you know if it helps.

I do know that standing on a SUP corrects bad posture by forcing you to stand with your weight evenly distributed and prevents certain back issues. I use to be pretty involved with pt for surfers with back issues. (dynamiccontractiontechnique.com/). One example I'd relate to illustrate my point is to tell people that they may have a good pair of hiking boots that they can walk in for long periods with out getting back problems and another pair of athletic shoes that they also can walk in for long periods with out getting back problems. But, if they wore a hiking boot on one foot and one of their athletic shoes on the other foot, they would get severe back pain from taking a long walk.