An idea born post-session on Goring beach, UK, watching the other riders still out on the water and thinking how awesome it would be to see how high they were actually jumping, what speeds they were cranking and how well they were nailing their transitions....
A twist of fate that meant leaving a stressful job and reaching out for a new life - building a product for a sport we loved.... A year and a half of in-depth research, up-skilling, product planning, coding, design, hard work and testing, tweaking, testing and more testing....
.....and here we are - BOOM!
We’re super stoked to have launched our first version of the Hoolan Kitesurfing and Wingfoiling App for Apple Watch and iPhone on the App store worldwide.
We are delighted to have already had riders signing up around the globe and have seen kitesurfing and wingfoiling sessions tracked in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, USA, Peru, S Korea, Brazil, Egypt, The Canaries as well as the UK and Europe - woohoo! Thanks for all the feedback and reviews so far, it’s great to have the validation that we’ve created something useful for the community.
It's been a challenging but massively enjoyable project and we're so pleased to have got it to this point. Big thanks to everyone who has helped us along the way, and especially our dedicated team of testers - we couldn’t have done it without you!
What did we want to achieve?
We wanted to develop an app specifically for smartwatches that would accurately track both jump and gps data, without the risk, expense and hassle of taking a phone on the water or attaching anything to the board. We wanted it to be super easy and intuitive to use, and we wanted to deliver tailored wind and watersports statistics that would both boost the stoke and aid progression. We aspired to create a 5 star tracking experience.
How do we track jumps on a watch?
Whilst it was clear to us that using watches to track sessions was the future, it was completely uncharted territory when we first started spiking the idea, and far from certain that it would even be possible. When we discovered that watches did indeed have the sophisticated motion and gps sensors to provide the data at the quality we needed, it was full steam ahead and the hardcore physics work began.
Clearly, getting accurate jump data from a watch on a wrist that is moving all over the place presents challenges, but we’ve developed a jump algorithm that’s able to remove the ‘noise’ generated from these movements to leave behind pretty stable data that has the features needed to detect and accurately measure jump height, airtime and distance. Over the last 6 months we have worked really hard to refine and test this algorithm with riders of every level including very advanced riders who have pushed our technology to the max with jumps over 25m high and instance tricks like boogie loops and mega loops. We’ve run the algorithm through thousands and thousands of jumps over this time and as a result have a high degree of confidence in our jump algorithm.
Why develop for watches only?
Smartwatches are the perfect choice of tracking device as they have been designed for use on water, plus can provide all the data needed to accurately track both jump and gps data. By using the Hoolan App, not only do riders have an an extremely effective wind and watersports tracking device right on their wrist, but they can see their live stats as they ride, track their health data, make SOS calls, pay for post-session beers and so much more. Learn about the benefits of tracking on a watch.
How are we different to other tracking apps?
We are the only app where all features are free for both Apple Watch and iPhone.
We don’t require you to buy custom hardware or to take your phone out on the water to track. You just need an Apple Watch with Hoolan downloaded, and you have a sophisticated water sports tracking device on your wrist!
We offer both detailed jump statistics, and speed and distance gps statistics, so you can get an overall picture of your session.
We are unique in the way we break down your statistics into runs, transitions and jumps. We are the only app that calculates your transition performance.
We allow you to record and track multiple wind sports - wingfoiling, kitesurfing, kiteboarding and kitefoiling initially - and have plans to expand out to more wind and water sports in the future.
We are unique in that we break sports down by board type, to allow meaningful personal bests and progression information by skill set (for example twin tip vs directional vs foil).
We provide much more detailed session information than most other apps, and offer unique statistics such as transition success and tack information. Our map view analysis allows you to scroll through each run and transition in your session, and view both jump take off and landing points.
Unlike some other apps, we only require access to your location data 'while using the App' as this is essential for us to provide you with your performance stats. We respect your privacy and don't require it to be set as always.
Hoolan offers the easiest recording experience of all. Simply press to start on your Apple Watch to record your session. No need to set wind direction or choose your spot. No need to take your phone out on the water or attach anything to your board. You can see your stats on your watch as you ride and then, to finish, simply short press your crown and side button at the same time and your session is saved. As soon as your watch has a cellular connection, it will automatically feed the data across to the Hoolan app on your iPhone where you can dive into your stats.
We are using all the latest technology and best practices to make using Hoolan as easy as possible to use: - Password-less sign in process - Data is held on the cloud and can be accessed on any iPhone. You don't lose all your data if you change/lose your phone - Efficient operation to minimise battery use - in tests, approx 1-2% battery was used on a 44mm Series 6 Watch in 10 minutes of recording time. - Minimal disk space when downloading Hoolan and minimal data consumption when uploading a session. For example, a 1hr session with 20 jumps or so uses no more bandwidth than downloading a song.
Plans for the future
This is just the start for Hoolan and we have loads of new features and developments in the pipeline including more performance statistics, social sharing and being able to connect your sessions with other riders, spot leaderboards and extending out to many more wind and water sports. Follow our social media pages and sign up to our newsletter to keep up to date.
For now, the app is only for Apple Watch and iPhone, but other platforms are definitely on our radar - you can sign up to be notified of platform updates.
We’re excited for what the future holds.
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