THE BORDZ-UP STORY
When Steve Garceau came up with an invention to display his son Michael’s snowboards, he didn’t realize that his creation was about to revolutionize an industry. Running his small machine shop required an excessive commitment of time, but like any other father, Steve tried to stay as connected and involved in his teenage son’s life as he could, which included watching his son progress in the sport of snowboarding. He was proud of his son Michael’s commitment and fierce passion for snowboarding as well as the pride he took in his board.
Steve became consumed with the task of creating an innovative method for displaying his son’s boards. The finished product resulted in the birth of Bordz-Up, a name that his son’s riding buddies came up with. With the help of his brother in law, the pair raised enough money from friends and family to launch their first product, the Bordz-Up Snowboard Rack in late 2005.
Steve recruited Michael, his brother Jason and five of Mikes riding buddies to build the racks after school and on weekends. (These riders are currently the lead production team at Bordz-Up.) The racks were an immediate hit locally and the buzz about the company’s amazing gravity suspending racks slowly started to spread. Within a few months, Bordz-Up racks were showing up on retailers’ shelves and winning awards at major trade shows. Today, the racks are taking over as the number one choice of pros, pro shops and avid snowboarders throughout the world.
Steve ended up walking away from his ten year old machine business to focus on Bordz-Up and the task of converting his old factory building into the new Bordz-Up Manufacturing and Design Center. The Bordz-Up snowboard rack’s success spawned an almost daily bombardment of requests for similar racks for skateboards, longboards, surf boards, wake boards and even skis! Not wanting to leave anyone behind, Steve created a series of racks for all of these sports, with some being based on the innovative GSR (Gravity Suspension Racking) Technology tm and others, such as the surf, wake and ski racks on a new, patent pending system called PipeLine tm.
The Bordz-Up product line reflects the Company’s strong commitment, passion and respect for boarders, their equipment and their lifestyle. We make no compromises on the quality, craftsmanship or materials that go into each and every one of our products. Bordz-Up products are made for boarders by boarders, guaranteeing an ongoing flow of inspired ideas, radical designs and core authenticity. Our products are for those who take pride in their equipment, have a passion for their sport and a desire to display that passion every day.
THE EXPERTS HAVE THEIR SAY...
After months of research, prototyping, testing, and redesigning, the first Gravity Suspension RackTM product line of the company was completed in March 2005. By September 2005 the initial skateboard model hit retailer shelves followed by the snowboard model hitting stores in October 2005. Still unsure about how these new products would be received, the company got his first indication of how successful these products would be. On Dec 5, 2005 the selection Jury of the ISPO Brand New Award in Munich, Germany selected Bordz-Up's Gravity Suspension RackTM as a product Finalist. The eighteen international sports experts viewed, examined, tested and then judged products from 171 companies representing 25 countries in the largest start-up competition in the sporting goods industry. The success at the ISPO Brand New Awards has given the company instant credibility among the skating and boarding community as well as retailers worldwide.
THE RETAILERS HAVE THEIR SAY...
After the first Gravity Suspension RacksTM hit the retail stores, we began getting calls from retailers telling us that the racks displayed their boards so well that they were using the racks in their stores. Many of the retailers used slat wall in their stores and they wanted to know if we could design a rack system for their stores. The design team went back to the drawing board and designed racks that can be used on retail slat walls that display racks as well as the original models. Once this was completed, the retailers asked if we could design a rack that swiveled, enabling their customers to see both sides of board while allowing the retailer to display many racks in a small amount of space. That model is in final production, and will be available soon.
WHAT'S NEXT...
Our design team is currently working on Gravity Suspension RacksTM for Wakeboards and Surfboards that are similar to our existing line of Snowboard and Skateboard racks. They have also designed an innovative ski rack system that will allow multiple pairs of skis and poles to be stored in a small amount of space, while still featuring Bordz-Up styling. Our goal is to continue producing innovative support accessories and products to the skiing and boarding community. Bordz-Up products meet the highest standards for quality, durability, functionality and affordability. Our strong commitment to innovation and craftsmanship is embodied in every product we sell, and backed by a lifetime warranty.
