TRADE REPORTS Catching Up with Boa TECHNOLOGY’S INNOVATION LAB and Field TESTINGTeam PPE: MATERIALS, MACHINERY AND TECHNIQUES FOR THEIR PRODUCTION ADAM AUELL 88 In just ten years of prototyping, testing and manufacturing closure systems Boa Technology, maker of the patented Boa Closure System, has revolutionized fit, safety and function in a broad range of utility products. Using both creativity and innovation as the drivers of their product development, Boa designers, engineers and field testers have brought new thinking to closure systems in everything from construction boots to ski and snowboard helmets. Boa began as the brainchild of Southern California surfer and entrepreneur, Gary Hammerslag. In the mid 1990s, when Hammerslag moved his family to Steamboat Springs, Colorado, he noticed firsthand the shortcomings of traditional laces on snowboard boots and hockey skates. “They don’t stay tied, they don’t give you the ability to adjust tightness and they create pressure points,” he lamented. So he set to work on what soon became the very first Boa prototypes. Testing and tweaking began in earnest, and it wasn’t long before Hammerslag secured a patent for the Boa Closure System, which combined a highly adjustable, incremental tightening knob with a quick release mechanism and lace. By 2001, snowboarding powerhouse brands K2 and Vans recognized the potential of the Boa Closure System and launched their first line of boots featuring the system. The partnership was an instant success, and sales of Boa-powered products rose quickly. Positive consumer response helped to send an industry-wide message that Boa Technology, apart from being a high quality input product, was a desirable brand unto itself. Before long, products across many categories began to integrate the Boa closure system. Today, Boa has over 90 brand partners in the utility, outdoor, golf, running, cycling, snow and medical industries and more. At the core of Boa’s product development is an almost fanatically rigorous testing procedure. At Boa’s global headquarters, located in Denver, Colorado, a team of engineers put Boa goods through the ringer day in and day out. “We have a number of stress tests performed on each part of the system,” says Boa Laboratory Engineer Adam Auell. “Reels are tested for max input torque, laces are tested for tensile strength, fatigue durability and abrasion durability. Here’s the bottom line: if it does not perform here in the lab, it won’t perform in the real world.” To further ensure that all Boa-enabled products meet a high standard, they are put directly into the hands of field testers. “We have a balanced group of adrenaline junkies, super-fit athletes, and heavy industry workers testing product every day,” says Hammerslag. “We demand results from our products.” And the results have been impressive. When a diverse group of testers—among them homebuilders, welders, ranchers, cement masons and landscapers—got a hold of utility boots with the Boa System, each boot averaged 1,761 work hours. The Boa Closure System out-lasted the boots each and every time. One hardy worker logged 2,900 hours and Boa was the last part of the boot still intact. As rigorous as the brand’s testing standards are, the greatest testament to Boa Technology’s quality has been the outstanding consumer response. Significantly less than one percent of all Boa Closure Systems in the market are returned due to failure. With over six million products in the field, that’s an impressive number. “Boa products have proven utility and durability,” says Hammerslag. “We’re thrilled at the overall reception, and truly excited for what’s to come for our brand.”