The HINOKI tree, the Japanese cypress tree, is a highly valued tree in Japan for its excellent wood quality. However, it first got my attention back in Switzerland, where dwarf forms of this tree are often used for decoration. It produces magically round fruit balls…
My kids loved playing soccer. But there was an issue. All the balls they got were made from rubber or plastic – and mostly of poor quality. On the other hand, the better balls were BIG, thus often hard and heavy. I wished there were better balls…
I thought – thanks to my naivety – that there would be other parents like me. Or, schools that wished to have a perfect ball for young kids.
So, how about making a better ball for young kids?
By chance (really?) I recalled those perfect little fruits of the HINOKI Japanese cypress tree… It seemed to be the perfect match:
- just find the best-fitting size
- use excellent materials and
- make use of this unique natural panel pattern which has proven to be successful over millions of years in evolution!
I studied the fascinating geometry of the HINOKI fruit balls – by examining dry (ripe) and green (unripe) states of the fruits.
The next step was to develop prototypes.
Unfortunately, I could not find a local (Japanese) ball manufacturer to cooperate in this project (not to my surprise). So, I had to reach out to the land of soccer ball makers: Pakistan.
We went through several development cycles – and then I tested the prototypes in real-life.
It was GREAT! Perfect size, perfect feel (of course, this depends on the materials) and the MYSTERY these new panel shapes bring to the game!
What comes next?
A great idea (I still believe). All the time-consuming development work has been done. And testing has successfully been completed.
If you like to have such a ball or if you are interested in selling it – then the story of this unique, bionic ball will continue!
Please contact me by e-mail. Orders have a minimum order quantity. The materials of the ball, imprint and packaging are to be decided individually.