Meet RadRack: The World’s First Rear-Tire Surf Rack

If you've ever struggled with getting surfboards to the beach, the RadRack team knows your pain, and has a pretty rad solution. Photo courtesy RadRack

A few years ago, Brian Spinrad had a problem. Just after purchasing his dream car, a Ford Bronco, he wanted to take his family, including two children, to the beach and surf. Issue was, he couldn’t strap his surfboard to the top of his Bronco because of its soft roof. He couldn't fit the boards inside the vehicle, either. When this problem presented itself time and time again, the only way forward, it seemed, was to sell his beloved car.

“The idea of the Bronco was awesome, but having kids and being able to transport our boards down the shore wasn't working," he said.

That's when Brian thought of a solution: a surf rack for the back of the vehicle, and in this case, a surf rack that fit on the back tire. Teaming up with Breanne Sommer, they collectively searched everywhere for something similar. But it didn't exist. Yet.

Instead of giving up and selling his car, Brian along with Breanne and help from Robert Spinrad, decided to create a permanent solution to this problem not just for themselves, but for other surfers.

The result is RadRack, a patented rear-mounted surfboard carrier designed for vehicles with rear-mounted spare tires. 

Having faced the same problem, we checked it out ourselves. There's no doubt about it: it's a brilliant invention. Keep reading for 4 specific things that we loved about it, and you will too.

#1: RadRack is built by surfers. 

Photo courtesy RadRack

The best products today are made by people who witnessed the need. That’s the first thing we loved about the RadRack. 

Look at Brian's story. After wondering if he should take the windows out of his car and put the boards through the windows ... risking ended up on @kookslams ... or running the boards over the car seat and tearing up his new car's interior ... and making it uncomfortable for all passengers ... Brian, along with Breanne and Robert, decided to get into action. 

“One weekend, I took PVC piping and a bunch of other parts I had in the garage, whipped something together, and created the first RadRack,” Brian said. I saw the creation myself: it had pool noodles for support, bungee cords running around it to hold the boards in, and cradle for the boards to stand in. Surprisingly, the rack lasted him a few months, and in his free time, he looked for inspiration to improve it. “Nobody has ever attempted to put a board on the back of a car,” he said.

The RadRack team has moved far beyond their prototype. Today, the latest iterations offer far more stability and durability, including aluminum tubing.

What I learned is that he first prototype worked, but their latests are as good as it gets in the rack industry.

That's why it's so critical that RadRack was built by surfers, because only they understand the problems, and therefore the solutions.

The RadRack team knew that lifting heavy boards after a long surf session can be painful; now there's no overhead lifting. The RadRack team knew that surfboards tear up your interior with saltwater, sand and wax; now, that's not a problem because your board stays outside your car.

Because the team knows all these problems, they sought to provide a solution to every single one. And that's one of the main reasons we love this product.

Photo courtesy RadRack

#2: RadRack protects your surfboards.

In the world of Amazon, Temu, buyer hesitancy and even anxiety is real. This is especially true especially when it comes to this kind of gear that will be in the sun and exposure to salt. This is even more true with your precious and expensive surfboards.

But there's no hesitancy or anxiety with the RadRack: its built simply with just a few components, and those components are built to last regardless of how many pot holes your beach roads you drive through.

Not only that; the RadRack team has personally tested their rack in summer storms, and while driving extremely above the speed limit. The result? The boards and the rack were all just fine, thanks to their latest iteration of board cushions.

Something that I personally told the RadRack team: oftentimes, when you strap boards to your roof and hit the interstate, and you hear the wind whipping at the boards, you often have intense anxiety about the boards falling off. Because the RadRacks its on the back of the car, the vehicle's mass protects the boards from that intense wind and lets you drive easy.

And stay tuned: because as we speak, the team is working on a locking mechanism to ensure that you can grab a bite after a surf session and not worry about your boards getting jacked.

#3: RadRack fits more than half a dozen vehicles. 

If you're like us and you love the RadRack, but you don't have a Ford Bronco, can you still buy it? You bet! The RadRack fits many other vehicles, including:

• Ford Broncos 

• Jeep Wranglers 

• Land Rover Defenders 

• Mercedes-Benz G-Wagons 

• Toyota FJ Cruisers 

• Suzuki Jimnys 

• and more

And best of all: it's simple to put on and go. So, if the waves are unexpectedly firing, you can get the RadRack on the car and loaded with your boards (it currently holds 2 but future iterations may hold more) in just as much time ... if not less ... than the traditional roof rack.

Photo courtesy RadRack

#4: The RadRack is affordable.

Let's be honest: surf racks can be insanely expensive, and cheap alternatives are, well, cheap and don't last. Even worse, they put your boards at risk.

What we also love about RadRack is its price point: at $349.99, you get a durable, patented rack that will store your boards for you for the foreseeable future.

Remember how our first point was that RadRack is built by surfers? Well, that affects the price point. Brian told me that many people have recommended that the team prices it far more higher. His response:

"I don't think the average surfer has that kind of money," he said. "So, we're doing everything we can to keep the price down while keeping the quality good."

Pretty rad, right?

The Bottom Line

The RadRack team are some of the most passionate entrepreneurs in our surf space, but as many of you know, launching a biz can be hard.

If you're a dad like me looking to keep my surfing passion alive, we recommend ordering one today.

Or, if you have tips for them or connections, we recommend reaching out to them.

As a surf community, we want to help each other out in and out of the water. Because this is such a critical tool, we as a community not only want it to succeed ... we need it to suceed.

That's why we recommend whether you're a buyer, surf shop owner, or entrepreneur, reach out to them and lend a helping hand so that this rack can help keep the surf passion alive for other dads in our beloved community.