Banshee Bungee out of business? What does this mean for urban skiers?

joshua

Active member
So there have been rumors in ski gabber about Banshee Bungee going under. While there hasn't been an official announcement (that I've seen anyway), their site is down, and there are rumours of lawsuits.

Pretty sad to hear that the company that revolutionized what boarders/skiers can do in the streets is possibly going out of business. Honestly, its a HUGE setback to the progression of that aspect of the sport if no suitable alternative takes its place. Winches are an option for the bigger crews, but what about the average skier?

Thoughts?
 
i bet if some one buys all the remaining stock before they go out of buissiness could flip that shit for more cash than flipping yay
 
It's really sad, but I wouldn't be suprised if it popped up as a subsidiary of another company, think like a K2 bungee.
 
thats too bad. I wouldn't be surprised if there were some lawsuits going down. My friends and I almost had our stomachs ripped in half from an incident with a bungee and an anchor haha, long story.
 
its decently easy to make your own. you could make a shitty one out of bike tubes braided together or just buy rubber cord and braid them. so this is not the end!
 
Well, I guess it's back to winches and car tows then...

(Don't bother trying to make your own bungee unless you don't like your teeth.)
 
3smm2m.jpg
 
Everyone always says this, but I have yet to see/hear about a successful DIY version.

I tried with bike tubes once, it didn't really work for me.
 
man, that really is too bad, i hope someone else picks them up

i was looking forward to getting one...last time i hit a street rail it was just pole whips and ramps/cars
 
I did some searching on the interwebz, and it seems that this company called "Gravitis" held the patent to the bungee system, so now they will be making a pretty much identical product, but with a different handle?

http://www.gravitis.net/

bungee2014.jpg
 
Now what if banshee is saying this too make their product more valuable and get kids on ns to buy them?INCEPTION!
 
No self promotion intended whatsoever, because I suck. But beginning of this video shows our home made bungee. No need for a company, just make your own!

 
it's actually not currently for sale, my bad on that. my brother and i share it. it does get used, just barely, so we have to keep it a little while.
 
I just found this on the Gravitis Website. Tuns out they were sued. Has anybody used one of these? Are they better or worse than banshee bungee.

It is still not renowned that Gravitis® has invented the bungees for boardsports, how could Banshee Bungee spread the word of bungees, if Gravitis® invented it and attended the ISPO BrandNew Awards in Munich before Banshee? Broox patent was registered in 2006 and passed in 2010, meanwhile the Canadian company sold in USA and worldwide, except in Italy.

Bungees patent path

2004 - Banshee Riverboards incorporates

2005 - Big River Innovations was issued a US patent (7,025,644) on a system made of a skimboard linked firmly on its nose to a bungee to use on river currents only.

2006 - Banshee Riverboards wins Summer ISPO BrandNew Award in Munich, with the skimboard+bungee+handle system, where even handle is bounded to the board's nose.

2006 - Broox issues the Italian patent of an independent bungee with handle not linked to the skimboard, but to freely use with any device as snowboards or skates. Broox submits ISPO BrandNew Award.

2007 - The Invention by Broox, called tow.:er, even if among finalists of the ISPO contest(1), does not match a win.

2008 - Banshee Riverboards is allowed to ISPO BrandNew Award under the new name Banshee Bungee, with a bungee system equivalent to those brought on the previous year edition by Broox: again a bungee+handle only, no more bounded to the board. Broox formally contests the unedited partecipation and Banshee Bungee does not enter finalists roster.

2010 - Italian Patent #0000265534 registered.

2010 - Broox opens a Patent infringement incident to the Italian former Banshee Bungee distributor which assures they have no stock of Banshee Bungees.

2012 - Banshee Bungee would be sued by a couple riders who got severely hurted by the metal anchor used(2) on seaside: some beaches bans the Banshee Bungee.

2013 - Big River Innovations, maker of Banshee Bungee has filed bankruptcy.

1. ISPO BrandNew Award is World's largest start-up competition in the sports industry

2. The Italian patent claims no metal parts are used for Gravitis® bungees.
 
its basically a giant rubber band. the idea is out there. if skiers cant come up with their own way to make these, ive lost hope in humanity
 
I have not tried it myself, but I think surgical tubing would be the best material for a DIY bungee. I have seen people use it to make huge slingshots and catapults and it doesn't seem to fail too often. Anyone have experience with this?
 
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