It all started with an affinity for skating. My name is Frederic and 20 years ago I was first on roller skates and later on inline skates and a waveboard. Regular skate trips with friends and family in the area around my home led to more cohesion and more self-confidence in my own sporting skills.

High-quality inline skates and good protective equipment were a must. However, the latter often failed because almost only „cheap China imports“ were available on the market. Today, meanwhile 2020, little has changed. Due to increasing globalization, online sales platforms such as Amazon or eBay mainly find products that are sold directly by Chinese retailers. Unfortunately, these are often not tested for physical stress, skin compatibility has not been proven or the products have not been tested for toxic chemicals. Last but not least, one wants to sell larger quantities by cheap sales prices and depresses the purchase prices and thereby also the wages of the workers in the production facilities.

After completing my engineering degree with a master of science, I founded the SKATEWIZ brand to offer better products than the mostly Asian competitors. And it pays off. I work with my team and several business partners on the further development of the brand every day and check for further opportunities for improvement. Our high-quality products are priced higher than those of our competitors, but our customers know what they are buying: tested, safe branded products that are correctly labeled and comply with all US-CPSC and EU regulations.

Future protector variants as well as extensive skate accessories product ranges are already in the works and partly in the test and approval process.

Frederic Oldenburg
CEO
Vital Ventures Oldenburg GmbH