The Indo Balance Board
The first prototype of the Indo balance Board was created in 1975. Surfing enthusiast Hunter Joslin designed it. His first experience of a balance board happened when he was 11 years old. Joslin was a member of the swim team at his local country club. His swim instructor asked him to try out a homemade balance board. According to the IndoBoard.com website: “These were different than the store bought kind of the day (the Bongo Board), in that they had no keel on the bottom of the board or channel in the roller. This balance board was rectangular in shape with stops on both ends; the roller was solid wood and longer than the width of the deck, which made it more stable. The balance boards were a fun diversion for the swim team members, as they would take turns trying to outdo each other, contesting the amount of time they could stay balanced without letting the deck touch the ground.” Then, in 1965, Joslin discovered surfing. When he happened to find one of the old homemade balance boards, he began to use it as a surf-training tool. Although he was spending less time in the water than his friends, his surfing skills were significantly better.
Although the Indo Board was first created as an out of water training tool for surfers, its fans reported greater core stability and increased leg strength. The board also had another factor that increased its popularity with thrill-seeking surfers. Unlike traditional gym activities, the Indo Board was fun to use!
Joslin’s enthusiasm for surfing inspired him to take a job as a sander and polisher for a surfboard store. At the time, the newly discovered urethane wheels had prompted the revival of the sport of skateboarding. Joslin then began building skateboards and skimboards. When he experimented with mounting a skimboard on a roller, the Indo Board was born. The constantly increasing popularity of the Indo Board inspired Joslin to bring the product into the commercial market. It had its commercial debut in September of 1998 at the Surf Expo in Orlando Florida. That year, the Indo Balance Board was incorporated and trademarked. Joslin continues to develop the product by adding additional “bells and whistles.”
Resource: Indo Board
This entry was contributed by Lisa Mercer.