Bonner designs new paddle board

Press Release: Cindi Bonner, owner of Fitness Onboard, a Pensacola Beach based business utilizing stand-up paddleboards (SUP) as exercise platforms, has introduced a revolutionary, patented SUP designed to appeal to the growing SUP market. The board, named the Fitness Onboard SUP by Dragonfly, has accessories, from a simplified anchoring system to an onboard dry storage compartment and a paddle clip, that Bonner says will improve the experience of those who use the board for yoga, pilates, or other exercises.

Fitness Onboard launched in September 2010 in Gulf Breeze and soon after found it’s home across from Margaritaville Beach Hotel on Little Sabine. Fitness Onboard had it’s first full season in 2011. Bonner almost immediately saw there was a need for a custom-made board to expand the fitness experience Fitness Onboard was offering. Seizing the opportunity, Bonner began working with Mark Castlow and Jimbo Meador with Dragonfly Boatworks in Vero Beach. “They immediately grasped the concept of a `fitness board’,” she says. “We worked through a number of prototypes over the next eight months to get a board that is the right size, both as regards the length, thickness, and weight, and that sells for a reasonable price. I also incorporated a number of accessories that will make the board not only more useful in an exercise platform, but easier to use.”

Bonner, a Pensacola native with a Master’s degree in exercise physiology, says Fitness Onboard will be marketing the boards and will also incorporate them into her Pensacola Beach business.

“I’m excited and proud that I have been able to grow this business and develop this product while continuing to be a full-time mother to two elementary school aged children,” she says. “I think the potential here and elsewhere for the Fitness Onboard SUP by Dragonfly is unlimited. People across the country have taken to this sport. They race SUPs. They use SUPs for relaxation. They use SUPs to exercise. Now we are offering a board that is perfect for those who use the boards as exercise platforms.”

Among the innovations Bonner added to the Fitness Onboard SUP by Dragonfly are:
-A “trolley” anchoring system that prevents tangled lines or anchors from falling overboard prematurely.
-A paddle clip to secure paddles so they do not float away during workouts.
-Multiple attachment rings for exercise tubing.
-A dry storage area for personal belongings, such as keys or a wallet.
-Two removable cup holders.

Bonner said the board’s design grew out of watching patrons at Fitness Onboard and seeing what they needed that standard SUPs do not have. “For example, people paid for their lessons and then often had to return to their cars to stow their wallet and had to leave their keys with the dock attendant,” she says.

“I thought with onboard dry storage people could save time, feel more secure, and could relax during their workout.” When the work on the board was finalized, Bonner discussed the innovations with a patent attorney who agreed that the changes made the board’s design unique.

“Fitness Onboard holds 100 percent of the patent of the `Fitness Onboard SUP by Dragonfly,’” she says. “I think when we roll this board out people will respond very positively. This is an exciting time.”