From shark-bite resistant wetsuits to tiny ear dehumidifiers, these start-ups could be the next GoPro of the action sports industry. The following are four that I’m keeping my eye on.
Shark Stop
Following the spate of shark attacks on the New South Wales North Coast in Australia over the last few years, local surfer Hayden Burford set about developing a range of “shark-proof resistant wetsuits.” The result is Shark Stop, a brand that uses tow ropes used for pulling ships, to make wetsuits.
The high-tech polymer material has been tested by Flinders University on sharks off South Australia’s Neptune Islands. “The shark bites barely penetrated the fabric,” Burford told 7NEWS. “The size of the hole would basically just put a small puncture in your skin.” He says the polymer is scientifically proven to reduce the depth of a great white shark bite and protect the femoral arteries from being punctured, the main cause of shark fatalities. He also said the polymer can create a highly functional wetsuit.
The material isn’t cheap, estimated at six or seven times the price of standard neoprene rubber and the suits are currently retailing at more than $1,000 for a steamer. However, you’d imagine many surfers and divers in sharky waters would be willing to pay that price for some peace of mind.
KiwiFibre
Founders William Murrell and Ben Scales met at the University of Canterbury in New Zealand on a research project that has never finished. The surfers and snowboarders were frustrated with the price and un-sustainability of fibreglass and carbon fiber and turned to flax made from Harakeke to invent a new regenerative fiber composite material. Harakeke is a coastal plant that grows as a clump of long, strap-like leaves up to two meters long. It can absorb and store atmospheric carbon dioxide and is perennial, meaning it doesn’t have to be replanted. The resulting KiwiFibre made from the leaves is designed to be a direct replacement, or a complement, to carbon fiber and fiberglass. The pair see it being used in a variety of high-performance industries from aerospace, to kayaks to snowboards and Formula 1.
DearBuds
Launched as a crowdfunded business in 2022 (it raised $72,984 of its $5,000 goal on Kickstarter), these earbuds are designed to relieve humidity and temperature after a shower, swim, surf or workout. It is high humidity, or moisture, in the ears that can lead to more earwax, itchiness and difficulty of hearing. While the increasing use of earbuds has caused these issues, swimming and surfing also raise the humidity.
The brand claims the DearBuds evaporate sweat and water with a micro-magnetic fan that emits very little noise. They release and circulate up to three liters of air per minute in your ears to discharge any excess humidity. By using its apps, the device also measures and records ear moisture, and shuts off when the correct levels are reached. Forget the head shake, hair dryer or finger in the towel, this could be a game changer.
Milo
You know it’s a good idea when in just six months, 5,747 backers pledge $2,589,701 to help bring a project to life. Milo is a mesh walkie-talkie-type communication for groups used while biking, surfing, skiing and climbing. The founder, Peter Celinski, identified issues with traditional walkie-talkies such as their bulk, the push-to-talk aspect, poor audio quality and that the conversations were not private. His vision was to be the “GoPro of Walkie-Talkies.”
His solution was the portable hockey-puck-sized, three-ounce Milo discs which can be easily worn anywhere on your body or pack. Operating via Bluetooth they don’t require a cell signal or wifi. They also cancel background noise and sequence voices, so there’s zero overtalk. Your group pairs into the mesh system, and there is a 2,000-foot range, though that can be extended by each unit as they daisy chain off each other. They ain’t cheap, and the maximum group size is six, but for any committed outdoor or action sports posse, they might revolutionise communication and safety. You’d imagine they’d work extremely well with the Nazare big wave teams.
