{"id":42768,"date":"2023-10-20T15:23:37","date_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:23:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/startupsmart.test\/2023\/10\/20\/board-band-surfing-the-wave-of-disruption-startupsmart\/"},"modified":"2023-10-20T15:23:37","modified_gmt":"2023-10-20T15:23:37","slug":"board-band-surfing-the-wave-of-disruption-startupsmart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.startupsmart.com.au\/uncategorized\/board-band-surfing-the-wave-of-disruption-startupsmart\/","title":{"rendered":"Board band: Surfing the wave of disruption – StartupSmart"},"content":{"rendered":"
A Sydney startup that wants to disrupt the sports equipment industry has launched its first product: an Internet of Things connected surfboard made through 3D printing.<\/p>\n
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Disrupt Surfing has launched its first product, the SmartSurf, in a beta phase and has grand plans for hundreds of other connected items of sports equipment.<\/p>\n
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The idea came from when co-founder and CEO Gary Elphick bought a new surfboard and was dismayed to find out that three of his friends had the exact same board.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re forced to go into a shop and buy mass-produced equipment, and then there\u2019s nothing worse than seeing that you\u2019ve got the same gear as everyone else,\u201d Elphick says.<\/p>\n
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It\u2019s also a matter of disrupting the sports manufacturing process, which he says is \u201cbroken\u201d.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe designer will design something, the manufacturer will then got to a country wholesaler, then another wholesaler and then to retail, with mark-ups along the way,\u201d Elphick says.<\/p>\n
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\u201cYou\u2019re buying mass-produced equipment that takes 18 months to get to market that\u2019s super expensive and doesn\u2019t do anything for you as an individual.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The Bondi-based startup utilises 3D printing throughout the manufacturing process to reduce costs and time. With developments in the technology, the startup says it will eventually be able to produce equipment solely through 3D printing.<\/p>\n
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It can currently deliver a fully customised surfboard within a month, but aims to be able to deliver in under a week eventually.<\/p>\n
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Through the Disrupt Surfing website, users can design their own surfboard, from either a standard mould, algorithm recommendation or from scratch.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s the same material and it\u2019s the same quality, but you become the designer,\u201d Elphick says.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt\u2019s about enablement and empowerment for the user.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Users can also upload their own images and graphics to put on the boards, and the startup is trialling partnerships with local artists and bigger brands. Buyers are able to keep track of their order throughout the entire manufacturing process, and are sent progress pictures.<\/p>\n
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\u201cIt means they feel more a part of the manufacturing process,\u201d Elphick says.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThere\u2019s an element of bragging to it now, of saying, \u2018I designed mine from scratch\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The SmartSurf boards are connected through an embedded microchip, allowing users to record each wave they ride, and through an app, they can simply touch their phone to the board to see its history, photos of its manufacturing process and other statistics.<\/p>\n
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Elphick says the team is also looking to soon at more connected features to the boards, like GPS-tracking and a gyro accelerator to meet the demands of consumers.<\/p>\n
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\u201cWe\u2019re aiming to be really customer-focused as opposed to being equipment-focused,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n
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\u201cThe people are the designer as opposed to just buying stuff from the store that everyone else has.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Disrupt Surfing has already sold over 1500 boards for customers in Australia and Asia, and following the beta launch is looking to rapidly expand operations.<\/p>\n
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