Chase Kaczmarek

Physical product

WheelShields

From a rider’s problem to a real product.

A longboard accessory designed around wheel bite, the contact between a wheel and the underside of a board.

My role
Founder & product development
Project status
Past project
Explore
University profile
WheelShields fitted to a complete longboard in the original campaign photography Close-up of an original metal WheelShields guard fitted around a longboard wheel
Original WheelShields campaign photographs
~$31kCrowdfunded for productionReported by UMD, 2014
WinnerBaylor competitionNew Venture Competition
$30kBaylor competition prizeSeparate from crowdfunding

The problem

A longboarding accident in 2012 prompted me to develop a barrier between the wheel and the board.

Making it tangible

I worked with product developer Christopher Wagner to develop the idea. Crowdfunding supported production tooling, and the first manufacturing run fulfilled campaign pledges.

Building the venture

The work extended beyond the prototype into manufacturing and distribution. A 2014 University of Maryland profile documented agreements with more than a dozen retailers.

Recognition

WheelShields won the Baylor New Venture Competition, placed third at the 2014 Cupid’s Cup, and was a winning team in UMD’s 2013 Business Model Challenge.

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