California-based surfer Joseph Abrantes didn’t like his roof rack’s straps messing up the wax job on his board, nor did he enjoy hearing them flap and buzz in the breeze while on the highway. His solution was to create his own product, the strapless WaveRaxx system. It’s presently on Kickstarter.
On each crossbar, the user proceeds to slide the hooks up against either side of the surfboard, which itself doesn’t actually touch the crossbars. According to Abrantes, this feature should help protect the board from dents and cracks caused by being pressed down against those bars.
Using built-in stainless steel T-bolts, the hooks are then hand-tightened down, securing the surfboard in place – because the board is wider in the middle, between the crossbars, it shouldn’t be able to move backward or forward when braking or accelerating. The whole board-mounting process is said to take around 30 seconds.
Security-conscious buyers can also opt for a system in which the hooks incorporate key locks, keeping them from being loosened and released from the board when the vehicle is left unattended.
If you’re interested in getting a WaveRaxx system, a pledge of US$135 is required for a standard setup, with $190 needed for a locking version – the planned retail prices are $160 and $220, respectively. Assuming it reaches production, the product should ship in October. It’s demonstrated in the video below.
Potential backers might also want to check out the strapless LockRacksystem, although it’s more expensive, and protrudes higher from top of the vehicle.
WaveRaxx gives surfboard racks the strapless treatment [New Atlas]