surfing – Backerjack

Surfers ride the fitness band wave with the Glassy Zone tracker

Although it seems that fitness and activity trackers exist for every sport, their conquest is not quite complete. Curiously, there’s nothing out there specifically for surfers which means an entire population of athletes that don’t have a choice at all when it comes to wearables.

GlassyPro’s Glassy Zone is that wearable device specifically designed with these board enthusiasts in mind. Its Fitbit band-like exterior houses a set of three LED lights for different notifications. Glassy Zone covers a wide range of variables so that users don’t have to fill their wrists up with different bands.

In conjunction with a companion iOS or Android app, Glassy Zone tracks sleep, monitors forecasts and keeps an eye on UV levels to ensure users received healthy amounts of sun. When it comes to actual surfing, the band tracks distance, time, speed and the actual conditions of both the weather and the waters at the time, all saved for review later on.

Ride breaking waves like never before with the Uncommon ultra-portable surfboard

Staying connected to the swells of the ocean is the goal of surfers around the world. However, lugging around the huge surfboards that make it possible can be a complete drag. Having to transport fragile surfboards through airports or trying to stuff them into cars makes every trip an awkward one. Although bodyboards exist to mitigate that issue, the surfboard is the most popular method of experiencing the breaking waves, and the most lucrative one at that.

Surfer Michael Grau presents another, much lighter and smaller alternative in the Uncommon Surfboard. Billed as the world’s most portable surfboard, this 350 gram board is small enough to fit inside a average-sized suit case; a miracle considering how big even some bodyboards can be. And those who use it won’t need to worry about wipeouts as much being that there’s less for the wave to grab onto.

The Uncommon is looking to become an alternative to what’s already available and its impressive size and weight will help it get there given enough backing. The Uncommon Surfboard currently goes for $225 AUD (~$184 USD) to be shipped in May 2015. The campaign is looking for $2,000 AUD (~$1,650 USD) on Kickstarter.