Snowboarders who prefer to tear up the back country when they ride are going to want to check out the Raise Up Your Safety snowboard concept. This conceptual snowboard was designed to make injured snowboarders more visible in the darkness.
Raise Up Your Safety was designed by Jung Hoon Lee, Jung Eun Kim and Hyun Min Lee for the 2011 International Design Excellence Awards (IDEA). The snowboard comes equipped with an OLED caution light that activates when the board is stuck into the snow. The light is designed to attract attention from the ski patrol and aerial rescuers and also to function as a warning to other riders in the area. Adding a warning light to snowboards seems like it would be easy enough to do in terms of technology. Here's hoping a major manufacturer picks up on this idea and begins outfitting its snowboards with safety signal lights.
Lifesaving Snowboard Signals
Raise Up Your Safety Makes it Easier to Locate Lost Snowboarders
Trend Themes
1. Safety Signal Lights - The trend of incorporating safety signal lights into snowboarding equipment presents an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the snowboarding industry.
2. Back Country Snowboarding - The increasing popularity of backcountry snowboarding creates a demand for innovative safety features, such as the Raise Up Your Safety snowboard concept.
3. Visible Safety Gear - The trend towards creating visible safety gear for outdoor sports can lead to disruptive innovations that improve the visibility and safety of athletes.
Industry Implications
1. Snowboarding - The snowboarding industry can seize the opportunity to integrate safety signal lights into their products to enhance rider safety in various terrains.
2. Sporting Goods Manufacturing - Manufacturers in the sporting goods industry have the opportunity to develop and produce safety gear that increases visibility and ensures the safety of athletes in outdoor sports.
3. Search and Rescue - Search and rescue organizations can explore the use of advanced safety equipment, such as the Raise Up Your Safety snowboard concept, to aid in locating lost or injured individuals in remote areas.