Traction Pad
Coming soon
Ventores technology
How we built it.
Two inventions, one idea: a footstrap designed to let go when it matters, and a leash without a single metal part. Both take proven technology and advanced materials from other high-performance fields to where watersports gear fails.
“World's most innovative leash in the last 30 years.”
- Footstrap
- Patented
- Leash swivel
- Patent pending
- Metal parts (leash)
- None
- Patented
- Safety Footstrap: auto-release system
- Patent pending
- SoftSwivel · EP 4 428 029 A1
- Developed with
- BASF partners, University of Hamburg, a German rope maker
- Experts
- Prof. Dr. Andreas Seekamp, trauma surgeon · Johannes Polgar, Olympic sailor
[01]Problem
Where gear fails.
A conventional footstrap simply holds your foot. It stays closed, even when your body twists in a crash.
A leash is the only connection to your board. Standard leashes often fail where they are weakest: at the cord, the swivel and the attachment.
“While windsurfing in Cape Town, my foot got caught in the strap and I broke my metatarsal bone. I was out for six months. Switching to safety footstraps helped me overcome the fear of getting back into the straps.”
A trapped foot
When a foot stays trapped during a fall, extreme forces can cause metatarsal fractures, torn ankle ligaments and knee injuries from twisting impacts.
Footstraps
Swivels that jam
Metal swivels and screws are sensitive to corrosion from salt, sand and wear.
Leashes
Cords that overstretch
A single urethane cord can overstretch and snap under heavy load. Big boards and big waves call for thicker cords, with more drag and weight.
Leashes
Made to be replaced
A one-piece leash has one weakness: when one part fails, the whole leash has to be replaced.
Leashes
[02]Idea
Borrow what already works.
Our approach: take proven technologies, advanced materials and precise engineering from other high-performance fields, and use them where watersports gear fails.
For the footstrap, that is the principle of a ski binding. For the leash, it is high-strength fibre rope instead of metal.
- Patented
The ski binding principle
A spring-loaded release mechanism holds your foot firmly during normal riding and is designed to open under dangerous load.
Footstrap technology - Patent pending
Rope instead of metal
In the SoftSwivel, high-strength Dyneema® fibre knots rotate on low-friction surfaces and replace conventional metal swivels. No metal, no screws, no glue.
Leash technology - Ventores innovation
Thin, but strong
The ToughCord combines a shock-absorbing urethane core with a Dyneema® sleeve: the low drag of a competition leash with the strength of an all-round leash.
Replace parts, not the leash
On the Future Leash, the ankle strap, the cord and the rail saver can be replaced individually, without tools or screws.
[03]Development
Engineered in Germany.
The Future Leash was designed and engineered in Germany. After an extensive analysis of existing leashes, we developed the cord core with BASF partners and the University of Hamburg over several test iterations, into a compound with optimised hardness and flexibility.
The Dyneema® sleeve and ropes are made with a German rope maker, in a process developed specifically for them. The materials come from professional yachting, mountain sports and automotive engineering.
Cord core
Developed with BASF partners and the University of Hamburg: a 5 mm shock-absorbing core that takes sudden tensile and shock loads.
BASF® urethane
Cord sleeve
Woven with a German rope maker in a specially developed process. The weave allows a defined stretch, so the sleeve takes the load before the core reaches its limit.
Dyneema®
SoftSwivel moulds
A special fibre-reinforced polyamide that has proven itself in automotive components under constant high loads.
Polyamide
[04]Testing
Ridden on the water.
Our gear is ridden where it matters: in wing foil races, in heavy surf, in a surf school and in tow-in foiling. These are the riders and places behind it.
“…the leash has exactly the right amount of stretch to flip even the largest race wings (6.5 m²) with ease…”
“I just had my first session of tow-in foiling back from a few weeks out with an ankle injury. The straps were outstanding! Stayed together taking off and towing around... broke in half when I needed them to.”
Racing
German champion and Kiel Week winner Jette Koep uses the Wing Leash in wing foil slalom and racing, with race wings up to 6.5 m².
Wing Leash
Heavy surf
The Future Leash has been ridden in solid surf in the Mentawai Islands and in waves of around 2.5 m on Siargao in the Philippines.
Future Leash
Surf school
Ridden almost every day for several months by the owner of a surf academy on the Canary Islands and in Hawaii.
Future Leash
Tow-in foiling
Ridden in tow-in foiling after an ankle injury: closed while riding, released when it was needed.
Safety Footstrap
[05]Protection
Protected. And reviewed.
Both inventions are protected: the Safety Footstrap is patented, the SoftSwivel of our leashes is patent pending.
Experts from medicine and sport have looked at the footstrap, and the watersports press has reported on it.
“The innovation in the footstrap sector by Ventores has the potential to reduce the current significant risk of injury in water sports and prevent numerous serious injuries.”
“…High speeds produce rollovers and a tremendous amount of risk of injury. Ventores is entering the market at just the right time and will be crucial in helping to control these risks…”
- Patented
Safety Footstrap
Patented automatic release system, inspired by ski bindings.
- Patent pending
SoftSwivel
Metal-free swivel system of our leashes. European patent application EP 4 428 029 A1.
In the press
SURF Magazin reported on the Safety Footstrap at boot Düsseldorf.
Read the article
Safety Footstrap
Hold. Load. Release. Reset.
Inside the footstrap is a spring-loaded release mechanism, similar in principle to a ski binding. It holds your foot like a conventional strap and is designed to release it under dangerous load.
- 01 Hold
Ride locked in
Full control. The strap holds your foot firmly during normal riding.
- 02 Load
A crash twists your foot
A trapped foot is where midfoot, ankle and knee injuries start.
- 03 Release
The strap opens
Under dangerous load the mechanism is designed to trigger and free your foot.
- 04 Reset
Click it back in
Closes again in a few simple steps, right on the water. No tools needed.
- Patented
Auto-release mechanism
A spring-loaded mechanism that combines a secure hold while riding with a controlled release when it matters most.
Adjustable release force
Continuously variable from light to strong with the included Allen key. Three indicator markings and a test mode help you dial in the right setting.
Lock mode
The mechanism can be locked completely. The strap then works like a conventional footstrap, for freestyle sessions or to get used to it first.
Fits standard mounts
For boards and boats with one screw per side. Size adjusted with Velcro, a scale on the inside supports orientation. Barefoot or with boots.
285 g · neoprene
Leashes
Every part re-engineered.
We analysed the whole connection between rider and board and reinforced every structural weak point. The result: leashes without metal parts. On the Future Leash, each module can be replaced on its own.
- Patent pending
SoftSwivel
Two metal swivels replaced by Dyneema® knots that rotate on low-friction mouldings of fibre-reinforced polyamide. No metal, no screws, no glue. Keeps the cord from twisting.
EP 4 428 029 A1
- Ventores innovation
ToughCord
A BASF® urethane core in a Dyneema® sleeve. The sleeve takes the load before the core is overstretched, and protects against cuts, abrasion and UV.
5.8 mm · Future Leash, Foil Board Leash
- Ventores innovation
SafeLock rail guard
A velcro loop system that works like a pulley: it halves the pulling load and spreads it across three velcro layers. Friction absorbs additional energy.
Future Leash
SoftLoop rail guard
The loop runs straight through the board plug and is secured with a high-strength Dyneema® knot. The velcro carries no load and only keeps it closed.
Foil Board Leash
Dyneema® bungee
Dyneema® fibres woven directly around the stretch core, instead of a bungee pulled through a tube: less fraying, less water uptake.
4 mm · 45 g · Wing Leash
EasyConnector
A 3 mm loop of pre-stretched Dyneema® SK78 that links leash, wing, board and harness. Quick to attach and release, even after heavy loads.
3 g · breaking load 400 kg
Shop the technology
Two inventions. Five products.
Free EU shipping
30-day free returns
2-year statutory warranty