From mattress to boardâeuros¦
Thibaut Tranchard is a carpenter from Brittany who will come to live in the Basque Country from September 2012. Passionate about sailing, the family joined the Landes coast by sailboat. During a stopover at his surfer brother's house to change the mattress of the cabin, Thibaut meets his little nephews who only have the word surf in their mouths even though they don't know how to swim!
He then had the idea of using the leftover scraps from the mattress to create his nephews' first surfboards. And while he cut a block of foam in the shape of a surfboard, he thought of cutting the bottom at an angle. A way to make the board unstable and push the kids to look for their balance. The children adopted it instantly and practiced surfing, safely, in their room. The idea was born!
Thanks to a crowdfunding campaign, Thibaut was able to finance his mold and launch an industrial production of the Toyboard. It is designed in France with recyclable materials and its manufacturing process by injected foam (Aveyron - 12) allows to reduce waste. The fitted and customizable polyester cover is machine washable and is also made in France (Pyrénées-Atlantiques - 64).
An undeniable benefit for children and adults alike
The Toyboard is made from a specially designed foam mold. Its rounded underside helps improve surfing skills, but also balance and psychomotricity. While the child can practice surfing without getting hurt, in his living room, the adult can also use it to work on his balance.
At the Paris Fair, elderly people as well as physiotherapists showed interest in the Toyboard, to regain a sense of balance and gently work the limbs. Other versions are also under study as for children in nursery, for professionals or for sports training (yoga, gymâeuros¦).
By presenting his product at the Foire de Paris, Thibaut won everything since he obtained the gold medal of the Concours Lépine and increased his sales.
Toyboard for children : between 119 euros (classic version) and 164 euros (pro version). 199 euros for the custom version.
Adult Toyboard : between 139 euros (classic version) and 179 euros (pro version). 219 euros for the custom version
