Philip Werner is not only the founder of Awake Boards, but also from Radinn. A real pioneer of electric surfboards.

What an amazing story that Philip Werner founded originally Radinn in 2012 before he left the company 2017 and started Awake Boards. Both times as a CEO and founder.

In May 2018 we learned first time about Awake Boards planning an electric surfboard for 2018. Followed by some promotional videos in July 2018 more specs and images of the Awake RÄVIK were published.

We reached out to Awake Boards Founder & CEO Philip Werner for some questions:

Which sports did you do in early days?

Philip Werner : As a teenager I did a lot of watersports and snowsports, especially wakeboarding, skiing and surfing.

When did you have the idea of an motorized surfboard?

Philip Werner : I got the idea of making an electric motorised surfboard when I was wakeboarding as a young teen and started to make it a reality in the end of 2011 when I started buying parts and made it a side-project while studying at Lund university and built the first prototype in my parents basement in the summer of 2012.

Electric was my first choice, I had already seen gasoline boards and wanted to create something new, and I was also able to use some of the knowledge i gained from building and modifying electric RC boats and planes etc when I was a kid.

How did you first prototype look like?

Philip Werner : Here are 2 pictures from the first prototype.

Sometimes we have tough testing conditions in Sweden.

Was your intention to build a business?

Philip Werner: Initially I was just developing the board for my own fun and to be able to ride without the need of a boat or wind.

After a trip to the south of France that summer and a talk with a water sports reseller there I realized that there was a big potential in the market for such a product and when I was done with my studies I decided to go all-in for it.

What were the biggest challenges?

Philip Werner: Getting a great team / Making great commercially viable product - it's one thing to make a working prototype, it's a much harder challenge to make a great commercially viable product.

What was your biggest success so far?

Philip Werner: Together with our great team launching Awake Rävik

How often are you riding your own boards?

Philip: As often as possible, almost every day at the moment.

What do you plan for the future?

Philip: To create great and innovative electric powered products.

Anything else for your fans?

Philip: hope they will enjoy our products as much as I do.

And last, but not least a video we created for the E-SURFER Youtube channel in 2019 and the boot show in Dusseldorf. It is showing a demo of the Awake RÄVIK One: