A WELSH inventor is hoping to land a £100,000 prize later this month after reaching the final of a TV design competition.
Alpine sports are not normally something Wales is renowned for, but that could all change soon thanks to Andrew Hubert von Staufer’s “snow scooter”.
The product, called the Skirider and inspired by children’s microscooters, has just reached the finals of Sky’s The Big Idea competition.
Mr von Staufer, from Monmouth, said the product came about after a chance remark from his wife.
It is the first invention the 58-year-old, who was brought up in the UK but whose family come from Poland, has ever come up with.
He explained, “I’ve been an air traffic controller and became a ski instructor in Scotland 35 years ago.
“A lovely lady from Wales came up and I proposed to her within three days and we were married within three months.
“But the funny thing is that she never actually learnt how to ski.
“A few years ago we were watching some children using microscooters and my wife said, ‘If you come up with one for use on snow, I might try it myself’.”
The businessman then set about building a prototype with a fibreglass car repair kit and some pieces of aluminium, which he tested out on Pontypool Ski Slope.
His Skirider won a gold award at the British Invention Show two years ago.
But despite originally being designed for an older clientele the product has already proved a hit with younger snowboarding and skiing enthusiasts.
The product is described as a cross between a snowboard and a scooter, and steered in much the same way as a child’s scooter.
Because it doesn’t have a restraint for the feet it is said to be kinder on joints than more traditional ski equipment.
Judges on The Big Idea show, which is broadcast on Sky One, feared the product might fail because ski resorts are supposed to be notoriously strict at approving new products for use on the piste.
However, the Skirider has already received the approval of the Whistler resort in Canada’s British Columbia region, and it is hoped a further 100 Skiriders will be tested across Austrian resorts shortly.
Winning 53% of the audience vote in his latest TV appearance, Mr von Staufer also secured the enthusiastic approval of Cobra Beer chairman Lord Karan Bilimoria.
The respected businessman said, “He’s come up with something that’s different, better and which changes the market place.”
He added, “He’s operating in a huge, global market.”
If the product wins the grand final against six other contenders on November 25 the prize money could help bring production costs down and could herald the mass creation of the first new winter sports device to be produced and assembled in Wales.
The company is also currently holding talks with a soft drink maker about sponsorship possibilities.
The renewed success of the Skirider caps a turbulent year for Mr von Staufer.
Earlier this year he underwent surgery to remove a kidney after being diagnosed with cancer, and his house currently faces a repossession order because of the amount of money he has spent developing his product.
“We’ve taken huge risks,” he added, “But my wife has backed me every step of the way.”
And, no, she still hasn’t learnt to ski.
