Our history
The Ombakkayu wooden balance board
¡Hi there! I’m Robert from Ombakkayu
It still sounds strange to me every time I answer the phone…
I created my first wooden balance board in August 2006, with my cousins in the garage at home. We were looking for entertainment, a fun toy to practice tricks and improve our new hobbies: snowboarding and surfing. But it was years later that I discovered the value of a balance board.
A knee operation kept me away from the sport for months. My restless nature led me to use it often, and the practice of a non-impact exercise helped me to strengthen my muscles and recover.
My curiosity and enthusiasm took me to Crawley (UK) from 2015 to 2018. The lack of sunshine and heavy rainfall in the country encouraged me to create my second wooden balance board, and it was a sensation among my friends! So I decided that one day I would have my own brand.
The best for your wooden balance board
Finding the right materials and getting a durable anti-slip was always the biggest obstacle. But crises always bring opportunities. In April 2020, covid-19 locked us all indoors, and I took advantage of those long days of confinement to venture into the project and bring Ombakkayu to life.
Luckily I had the space in my grandfather’s workshop at home to start creating… I went to Leroy Merlin, bought wood (initially pine), a jigsaw, a sander, a milling machine… and studied all kinds of shapes and sizes to find the best shape, both in terms of strength and versatility.
But as always, not everything was perfect… There was no way to find a good roller, so I started contacting plastic companies, as my best reference so far was Indoo Board’s sprayed plastic cylinders. Through trial and error, I came up with the first Ombakkayu cylinder, made from a pressurized pipe and lined with cork… we liked it a lot and for a year, this was our roller.
Ombakkayu grows
The first orders started to arrive and I was very happy. After about three months, a surf school (Anywhere Watersports) gave me my first wholesale order. They wanted 10 wooden balance boards and I worked hard to get the order in on time.
That first order opened doors to other schools who also placed large orders… I was very happy, but I couldn’t keep up with them. I sat down, I thought, I talked to my people and I decided to quit my job and get 100% involved in the project.
After a few months, and having contacted companies in the sector, we began to create Ombakkayu in “the workshop”, where experts in the sector advised me and helped me to find the right materials and the best machinery to work with. Nowadays, the wooden balance board Ombakkayu are made with high quality birch plywood and high density natural cork cylinders, and we carry out the cutting process with numerical control machinery, thus being able to make as many boards as necessary, without fear of them arriving late to their new homes.
At the same time I started to participate in all kinds of national fairs and events and this has been my lifestyle during these years… loading the van, going to the event, preparing the stand, having a great time with you enjoying our boards and dismantling… we love fairs because it is where we really get to know each other and enjoy together something as important as the balance, at the same time that we make known the quality of our products and the great team of people that is behind Ombakkayu.
The Ombakkayu team
As well as having a production team and being able to meet up at trade fairs and events, we have the help of Eva, my partner, who is in charge of the website, graphic design and social media, Kike (or @ferse.k), our first team riderwho surprises us more and more every day with his tricks flowing in balance…
We count on each of the schools and shops that rely on Ombakkayu to help spread the word and test the balance board all over the world.
And we count on you, who support me and trust in my product, and see as many possibilities and applications for it as I do.
Thank you for trusting OMBAKKAYU!
