Ride Engine Joins Forces with 7 Nation With the mantra of innovation through intimate rider-designer collaboration, Santa Cruz-based Ride Engine recently joined forces with 7 Nation and has begun expanding research and development of a variety of watersports accessories and softgoods, much of which will start hitting global markets this summer. Ride Engine was founded three years ago as a humble pet-project by Santa Cruz waterman Coleman Buckley, who wanted to solve a problem he saw with poorly-performing kiteboard harnesses. After experimenting with several designs and collaborating with friends and pro riders, Buckley refined a completely unique harness that incorporated custom-made carbon fiber shells molded to the exact shape of his customers’ backs. Demand for the revolutionary new harness – called the Armor – grew quickly, and before long Buckley was overwhelmed by filling orders in his makeshift garage factory. “After a few years I felt trapped by the harness business,” Buckley said. “I was spending so much time making them that I couldn’t do anything else that interested me. I wanted to branch-out; to collaborate with more athletes and explore other areas of the watersports industry to see where some of my ideas might lead.” Buckley was introduced to …