Curt Wolff has always had a passion for bowling, and before his injury 10 years ago, he even bowled as a regional pro bowler!
In 2021, he reached out to Charlie Waychoff at Colorado Plastic Products looking to make an affordable, effective parabolic ramp for wheelchair bowlers.
The IKAN Bowler Ramp now built by Wolff was originally invented by Bill Miller and Vincent Tilfer in Florida. Since they were unable to continue manufacturing, Wolff signed up to modify, produce, and sell the ramp that attaches to power wheelchairs. So, Wolff and Waychoff started to brainstorm.
After the two had conversations about materials, cost, and concept, Charlie reached out to Keir Hart, owner of Flying Pig Designs, to reverse engineer the earlier design and nail down material selection.
Once the CAD design was complete, Keir worked with Charlie to finalize materials, pin down machining needs, and facilitate manufacturing. The end result was a cost-efficient, robust, and user-friendly ramp — just what Curt was hoping for. Now, and the AWBA, this ramp has made bowling accessible and enjoyable for many wheelchair users.
The ramp is sanctioned by the International Bowling Federation and International Olympic Committee for use at paralympic events and recognized by the American Wheelchair Bowling Association (AWBA), of which Wolff is their new National Tournament Director and Treasurer. Now bowling is accessible and enjoyable for many wheelchair users.
Check out IAPD’s Application Showcase article to learn more!
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Katrice Stover is a passionate writer and the Community and Office Manager for Flying Pig Designs LLC. Combining her love for knowledge, growth, and a good read, it’s her mission to provide informative, engaging content for inventors, creatives, engineers, and industry professionals alike. In her spare time, you can find her dancing with her daughter, playing video games, and dying her hair vibrant colors.
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