Senior Design

Through Michigan Technological University's curriculum, students have the opportunity to choose a final project. Some students choose to take the path of a senior design project while others choose to take part in a enterprise during their studies. The students who decide to follow the senior design path but have ties to a specific enterprise may choose to do their final project within the enterprise. Here are some of the senior design projects that have been done through the BoardSport Technologies Enterprise as well as the ongoing senior design Projects.

Current Projects

Split-Snurfer

Team Members: Alex Weber, Kyle Wehmanen, Brady Severt

This senior design team is designing a hybrid between a splitboard and a bindingless powder surfer(snurfer). The board will be split in half to allow the user to climb slopes with the two halves used as skis. When assembled the board will maintain flexual properties to that of a normal snowboard. The teams goal is to beat the only other industry competitor in both price, weight, and function.

Smart Board

Team Members: Jacob Pronchow, Josh Balcom, MacKenzie Gibson, Chris Wallenfang, Isaac Fortier

Past Projects

Portable Modular Skatepark

Team Leaders: Ryan Logan, Kody Nutting, Daniel Hammerstrom, Jacob Prochnow

This senior design team is designing a fully modular skatepark that can be assembled into multiple configurations all while being easily portable. The goal here is to create a product that anybody with interest in skateboarding would be able to move around, setup and use very efficiently.

Performance Speedboard

Team Leaders: Tyler Rick, Trent Pietila

This senior design team is designing and building a perfomace speedboard. BST has experience with building longboards in the past, but this project is focused on material selection in design to increase the torsional stiffness of the board while remaining lightweight. The goal here is to produce a longboard specialized for downhill racing.

Splitboard

Team Leaders: Landen Tacoma, David Swanson, Wayne(Gordy) Kast, Kyle Wehmanen, Spencer Wisniewski

This senior design team was focused on designing and manufacturing a splitboard and binding system from scratch. The design featured 3D printing techniques and machined components. The team was successful in creating a high quality final product.

Composite Skateboard Trucks

Team Leaders: Luke McCloskey, Mitch Gamelin, Tyler Rick

BST has had several teams in the past look at skateboard trucks and various ways to make them. The members of this team spent time learning how make machined trucks. They then decided to take it a step further and designed a composite truck. The team ended up using a prepreg carbon fiber wrapped around a milled aluminum core to produce a skate truck that significantly lighter yet retained strength.

Carbon Fiber Snowboard Bindings

Team Leaders: Karl Ahlem, Tyler Menucci, Kenny Peterson

As snow team has done boards, skis, and tow-in winches in the past we have yet to try to make a binding. BoardSports is using prepreg carbon fiber and manufacturing its own set of high back snowboard bindings.

Composite Ski/Snowboard Rack

Team Leaders: Haley Raatz, Rachel Smith, Jacob Protchnow

Another first for BoardSports as this senior design team is taking on a composite ski/snowboard rack. The rack will be manufactured out of carbon fiber and is being designed to hold 5 snowboards while being very light.

Power Board

Team Leaders: Ryan Grady, Ian VanTimmeren, Kevin Halagan, Joel Mancewicz

This past senior design team designed a full suspension power mountain board around one of the BoardSport long boards. The power board was powered by two chain driven electric motors and had a wireless speed controller.