Renting Sports Equipment? There’s a New System on the Market – Introducing Equip

Starting out as an autonomous SUP rental system, Equip has big ambitions of revolutionising the entire sports industry by providing first timers, the try-before-you-buyers, casual participants, the tourists, the left-my-gear at home-rs, and everyone in-between with the opportunity to hire sports equipment. With a premise that could increase participation in many sports and remove many barriers, Equip has huge potential. Co-Founders Henry Nidecker and Thierry Kunz explained how.

Please briefly explain the Equip rental system.
Equip is an application connected to autonomous stations designed for the distribution of premium sports and leisure equipment, exactly where those things happen.

What was the thinking behind the launch of Equip?
The idea is simple on paper, but not easy to achieve. We started by thinking deeply about the future of sport and our ideal vision of what it could look like. How to facilitate it, make it more accessible – all in an eco-responsible way. We also studied the changes in daily habits of consumers in a multitude of other sectors, and we realised that these changes were bound to happen in sport too.

Why do you think the market is ready for such a new approach? It’s simple, we’ve already experienced this in different sectors. Music, travel, so why not sport too? We want to do more and more activities, so why do we still have this notion of ownership? Especially if you’re only doing the activity occasionally.

Who do you see as the direct customers/partners of the Equip system?
Equip can be an ideal solution for all people, of all ages. It allows participation without any restrictions. Of course, we’re not trying to be something for everybody, but if you think about it, it’s something everyone who does sports on an occasional basis wants. We’re also working in collaboration with local municipalities, federations and other parties who are interested in providing an extra service like hotels, campsites and so on. Equip is a true multi-stakeholder solution that is based on an idea of win-win.

Please tell us about the remote management tools that make the system so attractive.
The idea and the concept seem simple; but primarily, it seemed important to us to absolutely dive into a level of detail that no one had got up to until now. It’s a bit like when Apple launched the iPhone. We have developed really tight control and monitoring to guarantee security, but also a very high level of quality. Our stations are autonomous thanks to the solar panels, so we can install and control them without restrictions. We know if the gear is inside, and if it is in good condition. We can block stations in case of bad weather conditions. And we’ve developed processes to avoid any problems which may occur.

Why did you choose SUP as the launch category?
I think that SUP is a very restrictive activity, you have to go to the place where you’re going to paddle, then inflate it (for the inflatables), carry it again, store it and so on… and there’s a real complexity when it comes to security. Thanks to Equip everything that is restrictive disappears – it’s a bit like a rental centre but more efficient. You can book in advance, no need to wait for opening hours and, especially in case of bad weather, no need for an employee.

What other product categories do you feel this solution could be applied to?
This is really for everything; we’re also planning to launch stations for traditional sports, such as basketball… you no longer need to have your own ball to play a quick game for 15 minutes. But our vision is to offer this access to all sports (well… almost!). At the end of the day, the passionate participant will always have their own gear, but if you think about how many sports you only do occasionally, why burden yourself with this stuff?

Who are the team behind the project?
We have hired a dedicated team for Equip because the tech and IT needs are huge…but the idea came to us during a discussion at the Nidecker board. Today, Equip employs fifteen staff, each with very different profiles.

Where will the system launch first and when?
We have completed the test phase with our first stations in place in Florida, and from next week we’ll open in Spain, then France, then Switzerland … chasing the heat coming up from the South 😊

Credit for the header photo goes to Samuel McMahon