Uni gets on board with student’s mission
A SURF lifesaver has won a scholarship to Bond University to design a more efficient rescue paddle board.
Sebastian Fergusson, 18, of Christchurch in New Zealand will study a Bachelor of Business while developing his idea under a Transformer Scholarship for student entrepreneurs.
Mr Fergusson has competed in surf lifesaving since the age of seven.
He has won a gold and a bronze medal at the New Zealand Surf Life Saving Championships, and made three finals at the Australian Surf Life Saving Championships.
The Sumner Surf Lifesaving Club member said his long-term goal was to launch a company to redesign the traditional surf lifesaving rescue paddle board.
“Like gears on a bike, I believe the paddle board design can be more efficient,” Mr Fergusson said.
“Gears on a bike, you’re climbing up a hill, you chop down a gear, it makes it easier.
“I believe if we can lower the deck of the paddle boards we use, it’s going to get more of your arm in the water so you can pull more water, so you’re not focusing on how many strokes you can do, you can worry about lessening the strokes but knowing getting quality pulls.
“For a lifeguard, that’s getting to a patient that little bit quicker, which could be life or you’re death. It saves lives, or in a race, it’s just that little bit quicker and more efficient.”
Mr Fergusson is currently in the research stage of his project and intends to test other products on the market to see how strong they are and how well they travel through water, before moving ahead. He hopes to be able to use computer-aided design (CAD) to maximise a board’s strength and speed.
He said he was looking forward to using the connections he would gain through the Transformer program to progress his business.
“The main manufacturers are here so I can learn off them,” he said. “The market is here. If you make a good product they’ll respond and they’ll buy it.”
Bond University awards two Transformer scholarships annually, halving the recipient’s tuition costs, and providing entry to the university’s free Transformer entrepreneurship program.
Mr Fergusson has joined Kurrawa Surf Life Saving Club so he can continue competing while in Australia, and already has his sights set on the New Zealand and Australian national championships later this year.
LIKE GEARS ON A BIKE, I BELIEVE THE PADDLE BOARD DESIGN CAN BE MORE EFFICIENT