Founded in 2012 in Santa Cruz, watersports accessory brand Ride Engine launches its first full lineups of wetsuits, kiteboarding harnesses and gear/travel bags at the 2015 Surf Expo held in Orlando. Ride Engine’s Press Release: Ride Engine is headlining the launch with a much anticipated release of the kiteboarding industry’s first hard-shell harness, called the Armor, and complete lines of high-end men’s and women’s wetsuits set to launch in early 2016. The Armor harness, which will hit international markets later this month, features a completely unprecedented design that utilizes an integrated hard shell, patented Lumbar Lock technology and a unique sliding rope spreader bar. The result is an ergonomic and form-fitting system that redefines expectations of how a kiteboarding harness should look, feel and function. Three version of the harness will launch this Fall- Hex Series, Team Series and Elite Series- along with metal and carbon sliding rope spreader bars and a fixed hook spreader bar. Ride Engine designed its wetsuit lineup with a scrupulous attention to detail, with the goal of creating a fresh and high-performance alternative to the watered-down global brands that have occupied the market for years. The lineup features a wide spectrum of men’s and women’s …
wetsuits
Ride Engine Joins Forces with 7 Nation
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 …
