B-Grade beauty with A-performance
Inflatable B-grade SUP and Surfboards
Here you can learn all about B-grades - why we offer it, how it is created and of course where you can buy it.
Why B-grade?
Every single inflatable manufactured by TRIPSTIX is handmade. At the same time, the product must meet our high quality standards. Therefore, it can happen that a board is outside a very strict tolerance range of various evaluation criteria. This can manifest itself in a small optical defect, a deviation from process specifications, etc. etc. Nevertheless, many of these boards are fully functional and ready for use.
We at TRIPSTIX are of the opinion that such iSUP and surfboards also deserve to be used. This saves resources and also offers the smaller budget the opportunity to purchase an optically almost perfect inflatable with premium performance characteristics. For this reason we sell the boards as B-grade SUP and surfboards.
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If you are interested in such a board, please send us an email to info@tripstix.de. |
Currently available B-goods
MINKE Allround SUP: The board is as good as new. However, the print of the logos is of poor quality. The board also has a few imperfections, but these are only of an optical nature. All accessories are included as with the new board. If you are interested, please send us an email with the keyword MINKE2. Price: €1100,- (incl. VAT, plus shipping)
BELUGA Wave SUP: This test board has been used a lot and has some repairs. The board loses some air (approx. 4PSI in 24h). All accessories are included as with the new board. If you are interested write us an email with the keyword BELUGA1. Price: €400,- (incl. VAT, plus shipping)
BELUGA Wave SUP: This test board has been used a lot and has some repairs. The board loses some air (approx. 4PSI in 24h). All accessories are included as with the new board. If you are interested write us an email with the keyword BELUGA2. Price: €250,- (incl. VAT, plus shipping)
BELUGA Wave SUP: This test board has been used very little and only has a few repairs. All accessories are included as with the new board. If you are interested, please send us an email with the keyword BELUGA3. Price: €1100,- (incl. VAT, plus shipping)
BELUGA Wave SUP: This prototype of the BELUGA has been used a lot and also has many repairs. All accessories are included as with the new board. If you are interested, please send us an email with the keyword BELUGA4. Price: €150,- (incl. VAT, plus shipping)
TUNA Prototype: This prototype is a thinner version of the TUNA funboard in 5'9”. In contrast to the standard board, the board has a volume of approx. 27 liters and a larger rocker. The board has been used very little and has a small repair to the valve. The board has no pressure relief valve. All accessories are included as with the TUNA Funboard. If you are interested, please send us an Email with the keyword TUNAPRO. Price: €450,- (incl. VAT, plus shipping)
How is a TRIPSTIX B-grade board created?
We, the consumer, are often rather alienated from the development and manufacturing process of a product. We are used to seeing top-quality goods on display at the dealer of our trust or being able to purchase the same with a click on the world's major internet platforms. But what kind of work actually goes into an inflatable TRIPSTIX board?
Theory and material science
Generally, a lot of time goes into the development of a new product. Questions concerning the added value, feasibility and - in the case of a physical product - the material composition are examined. Design programs and telephones regarding material research run hot...
Prototyping, prototyping, prototyping
And now to the workbench: many material combinations and product ideas are analysed on the living object - the prototype -, reconsidered, thrown out, redesigned, cast into shape again - the next prototype - and so on and so forth.... And this loop is run until every material is selected and every design feature is defined down to the smallest detail.
Get to the line!
But the main work is yet to come: it needs a series production to manufacture the inflatable premium SUP / surfboard - not only once, five or ten times but in 100 to 1,000 times, in the exact same high quality again and again.
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Where are our B-grade SUP and surfboards manufactured?
Once upon a time: production in Far East
TRIPSTIX also took its first steps in Asian production sites, more precisely in South Korea. One of the countries where the Dropstitch-inflatable industry is at home and where most of the market giants produce. Without question, a wonderful country full of wonderful people. However, there have been many misunderstandings due to cultural differences and language barriers. With a complex new development like the TRIPSTIX technologies, this is fatal. In order not to jeopardize the project and also to realize our wish for a "greener" iSUP / iSurfboard, the TRIPSTIX team decided to take a rocky road...
2021: production in Europe
The decision was made to move the production to Europe - a very daring step, because there were no traditional manufacturers of inflatable goods far and wide to whom one could have simply gone. Fortunately, we found partners who were willing to take risks and who wanted to re-establish sophisticated manufacturing know-how in Europe.
Today we are proud to have taken on this pioneering role and, together with many experts in their field, to strengthen the European production location in the inflatable SUP and surfboard sector.
