Cincinnati water sports fan creates boating games

Cincinnati entrepreneur Al Buchweitz has spent his life in product and service development and sales. His latest endeavor is a personal, and fun, one, a line of games designed for family play in the water.

Buchweitz's new company, BoatFun Sports, targets casual boaters looking for activities while they're anchored and lounging in the water. That's something Buchweitz, a longtime boater, and his family enjoyed, playing games to pass the time.

"We would water ski and tube and wake board, then go party on the boat. We'd just hang out in the water, but were an active bunch," he says. They'd throw tennis balls, and even played a modified version of water-bound baseball where batters hit from the boat, and took a quick jump in the water to round two bases.

"We would have a lot of fun, and I realized that this idea of having fun in the water is pretty common," especially with rising gas prices, he says. "People all over the country tie boats together and hang out in the water."

His first product, boat basketball, launches this spring. A plastic hoop attaches to the side or back of the boat or a dock. Strap on a life jacket, and users can play hoops. It's a simple idea, but one Buchweitz hopes is the first of many that BoatFun Sports will add to the market.

"It's the first of its kind, and we've filed provisional patents (for its design)," Buchweitz says. The product is set for sale directly to consumers through the web in April. In the meantime, Buchweitz has been attending boat shows across the country, pitching the product.

"I've been making contacts and getting market feedback and it's been awesome. The number of people that park boats is huge, and they really love the idea of having something for their families to do," he says.

After this spring, Buchweitz wants to release more products, but he declined to say what's up next.

"But they're pretty common sense ideas if you just think about it," he says.

BoatFun Sports isn't his first foray into entrepreneurship. He also invented the STAX 80, a line of desktop computer support stands and trays. Before starting his current, self-funded business, Buchweitz held several positions at LexisNexis and was an associate pastor at Vineyard Community Church.

By Feoshia Henderson
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