The Sternboard adventure: pioneer of French electric skateboarding
Two engineer friends who started from nothing
The dream of riding without the hassle
Nights spent welding
Sweat and injuries
Pasta at every meal
The full support of a community
Sternboard was born from a pioneering vision: to create what didn't yet exist. An all-terrain electric skateboard, designed to push the boundaries of the trails. It's the story of a raw innovation that became a new way to ride the world.
TWO FRIENDS, a blast
The origins
The Sternboard project was born from the friendship, passion for board sports and engineering of Édouard Aubert and Adrien Ladan, during our Master's degree in Physics at the University of Bordeaux in 2019.It all started that year, during a surfing session on the Atlantic coast: an idea crossed our minds — how to ride an electric skateboard on the sand?! The idea took root, and a first prototype was born.
“I’ve always been a handyman, because I’ve never had much money. I made myself a classic model, then another one, electric. It was a four-wheeler, and I was very disappointed with the performance,” said Édouard.This gave us the idea of combining the concept of a four-wheeled skateboard with that of a gyrowheel. It is from this union that the principle of the three-wheeled model was born.“From then on, I put all my wages into development. Because, even with tape everywhere, a really cobbled-together and ugly thing, it already worked a hundred times better than my four-wheeler, which I had actually made very well.” Édouard.
The era of
Prototypes
Then began several years of prototyping. From the very first iterations, we had already established certain features that would become our signature:Three wheels with the motor directly integrated into the rear wheel, battery in the backpack, fully waterproof board…
Each iteration of the Stern offered us more power, more accessible terrain, and better off-road capabilities. During each of our outdoor tests, many people stopped us, curious: "What is it?", "Where can we buy it?", "Where can we rent it?"An idea was beginning to take root…
Stinging figures
Three
Engines that literally caught fire beneath our feet
Four
Knees and shoulders sacrificed during the testing sessions.
All
Personal money invested in the project. Hooray for pasta!
Too much
Sleepless nights spent soldering components.
To take the plunge. To take the leap.
In January 2022, we resigned from our respective jobs to dedicate ourselves full-time to the Sternboard project. Everything had to be built from scratch: imagining a business model, creating the company, moving from prototype to a marketable product… We crisscrossed France to test the Sternboard in every possible environment, meet with rental companies, and let as many people as possible try the board.
We were moving forward by learning as we went along, facing some obstacles… and the joys of administration! 😏Recent years with Sternboard
2023 marked the second turning point for the project. The leap of faith began to pay off. By the end of the year, we finally had real potential in our hands (or rather, under our feet). The Sternboard was finally able to handle all terrains, performed better and better, and no longer resembled a prototype at all.
The company was created, the first sales were in (thanks again to you! 🧡), and requests were multiplying. We were accepted into several incubators in Bordeaux, the bank supported us, as did the Region, and the patent was officially filed.The tracked version was under development, the first professional rental partnerships were being established, and about fifteen individual customers were each waiting for their own Stern. Technical problems were piling up, but so were the good news stories:2024 was shaping up to be a sporting year.The garage start-up, without a garage.
On the way, the gear fits perfectly in the trunk
Manual soldering of motor connectors and sensors
The gradual evolution of front wheel design
Our very first e-skate: a 4-wheeled model
Engineers become entrepreneurs by choice
A major turning point for Sternboard (again!): after two years of sweat, innovation, and riding, the project takes off in 2024. We shift into high gear, forging strategic partnerships, collaborating with outdoor and tech brands, and initiating international development.
Strategic Partnerships
It is: progression from artisanal production to more structured and efficient manufacturing, to meet growing interest and exponential demand.
Community
It's growing: more and more riders, events, and a stronger presence both online and on the ground — notably with the very first Sternival, organized during the summer of 2024.
Fame
It's making its mark: media coverage (TF1, Science & Vie…), partners (Livreur du Futur, Samo on Board, Electric Revolution), and a presence at CES in Las Vegas. The Sternboard is gaining international visibility.
ON THE WAY TO
The future?
By 2025, the goal is clear: to make the Sternboard known to as many people as possible (check out our tutorials!), now that the product is fully developed. Production is ramping up, and logistics are keeping pace—a new facility is becoming essential.
The team is growing, with the ambition of giving the brand a new image, even more in line with the product's strengths. And we are expected at Vivatech in Paris, an event which, unlike CES, will be open to the general public and individuals.Initially: no business school, no solid business plan. Just two engineers, friendship, a slightly crazy dream, and a lot of fun.
In just a few years, what was once a garage side project has become an innovative, supported, recognized start-up — and driven by a rapidly growing community.Thank you again! 🧡 Thanks to your passion, our project continues to soar further every day. And so does the Sternboard.ÉDOUARD & ADRIENDo you have a question?
Don't hesitate, we are here to answer you, directly and without delay.
à chacun son style
Discover our Sternboard Packs
Our vision
This page uses cookies to provide you with the best possible browsing experience. By continuing to browse this site, you agree to the use of these cookies.