Joyride Games Oy (Ltd) is a Finnish company that developed and patented this unique computer-controlled climbing wall under the ClimbStation™ trade name.
Joyride Games Ltd. founder Kaarle Vanamo has always been interested in healthy lifestyle, sports and leisure. During traveling and research of new innovations, Kaarle Vanamo realized that there was no climbing equipment available – that would fully meet the idea of climbing, suitable for sports centers and also easily movable to allow its use in short-term events. He therefore founded a company in 2004 and developed the climbing simulator in collaboration with other experts. Later this product was named and branded as the ClimbStation™.
The concept was soon to be supported by the Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation Tekes. After only one year the first prototype was born and it gained immediate worldwide attention when it was presented on Australian Television in 2005. The same prototype was soon presented on the Discovery Science channel and in the Beyond Tomorrow series.
Global visibility, a high level of interest and widespread awareness of ClimbStation´s potential generated a large number enquiries from countries like Australia, Egypt, Finland, Canada, Cyprus, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, South Africa, Sweden, UK and the USA.
However, it was still far away of becoming available to the market. A lot of work needed to be done in terms of connecting the right people and companies that could provide the needed know-how, financial support and marketing, not forgetting the legal documentation and protecting its intellectual rights.
Together with several designers, engineers and development offices, spending time and funds in solving the challenges of making it a durable, easy to use, safe and reliable indoor climbing simulator. It took over four years before ClimbStation was finally introduced in Helsinki Convention Center in September 2008, receiving excellent feedback from the public and press representatives.
In December 2008 ClimbStation won a prestigious ISPO FINALIST award in Brand-New-Brand competition. As an ISPO finalist, ClimbStation was for the first time presented internationally at ISPO-WINTER 09 exhibition held in Münich Germany on February 2009. As being chosen as one of the Hottest New Brands in 2009. During 2009 and 2010 we further developed the manufacturing process. Attended exhibitions like Outdoor Expo, Friedrichshafen, Germany in July 2010. And presented our latest product at the Arena expo, in Helsinki, October 2010.
Now our challenge is to continue expanding our global distribution channels and speed up the manufacturing process to enable the growing sales and continued customer satisfaction.
- Kaarle Vanamo, Inventor and CEO