The original prototype: a bowling ball under a skateboard deck in a garage

Our story · Since 2014

It started in agarage with abowling ball.

One late night, one Dremel, and one dream to never stop spinning.

The spark

Rolling Back andforth got boring.

"I grew up between Wisconsin and Florida, snowboarding and wakeboarding every chance I got. When I started learning tricks, spinning kept knocking the wind out of me. A friend showed me a roller board, but it got easy fast. There's a lot more to board control than rocking back and forth.

So late one night in my garage, with a bowling ball and a Dremel, I started building a board that would keep spinning."

Erik Olsen, founder
Comic illustration of Erik in his workshop holding a bowling ball
Our founding beliefTime spent riding a board is directly proportional to quality of life.

The journey

From a garage experimentto 38,000+ boards sold.

The first pool-ball Whirly Board prototype on a sanded deck2014
Boards #1–159 were hand-cut and stickered, each serial-numbered by the pool balls used and their orientation.
Erik out west during the 2014–15 ski season2015
Ski season out west: Erik hits the mountain shops with a car full of boards. Joanna holds down the fort.
Erik jumping off the original Whirly Board at the beachNew board2016
The original Whirly Board goes into real production with molded end balls. No more hand cutting pool balls or applying stickers.
Erik's dad helping set up the new shop2017
The neighbors in Lake Mills weren't fans of semis on our street. So we packed up, moved to Northern Wisconsin, and turned the pole barn into our shop.
Baby Lander sitting on a Whirly Board2018
Lander arrives, and Joanna and Erik go full-time on Whirly Board.
Paxton in a helmet in the workshop2019
Paxton is born. Our Chief Fun Officer starts testing boards before he can walk.
Boots on a Desk Rider at a standing deskNew board2020
Desk Rider launches: a wider board built for all-day use at a standing desk.
The family holding a Whirly Board sign outside the new facility2021
Work-from-home standing desks pop up all over the world and Whirly Board takes off, so we move into our own manufacturing facility.
Erik moving pallets of boxed boards2022
Our skateboard supplier retires. We scramble, rebuild, and keep rolling.
Waihon Liew riding a Whirly Board2023
Waihon Liew officially joins us. He found his first Whirly Board at a thrift store, and he's been taking it around the world ever since.
Erik and Joanna on a chairlift in Jackson Hole on their wedding day2024
High school sweethearts, finally married: on a chairlift in Jackson Hole, snowboard and skis on. Same year, Whirly Complete soft-launches.
A woman balancing on a Whirly Complete at her kitchen counterNew board2025
Whirly Complete officially launches: a progressive balance system, so anyone can start at their level and build up.
The Whirly Board team in the warehouse2026
38,000+ boards, live classes, and the Balance Age test.

The people

Built by a family.Built for yours.

We're a small, family-run business in Northern Wisconsin. We built Whirly Board with vision, dedication, and two kids in tow, and we're still building it the same way.

Erik's original business plan"Sell a sh*t ton of Whirly Boards."Joanna wrote the official one a few years later.
Joanna and Erik in the Whirly Board workshop
Joanna MortensenCo-founder & operationsRuns everything that isn't sawdust: marketing, the books, the website.
Erik OlsenFounder & inventorThe inventor. The builder. Still dreaming up the next board.
Lander as a baby sitting on a Whirly Board
01

Lander Olsen

Chief Excellence Officer

Surprise inspections. Mandatory meetings. Takes quality very seriously.

Paxton in a helmet in the workshop
02

Paxton Olsen

Chief Fun Officer

Fearless tester. Has never met a sled hill he didn't like.

Waihon Liew riding a Whirly Board in a classroom
03

Waihon Liew, M.Sc

Brand ambassador

Our biggest fan. Five years taking Whirly around the world, and soon teaching classes as a certified personal trainer.

Our philosophy

Life is better whenyou Think 360°.

It started as a board that could spin all the way around. Now it's how we look at everything: the people who ride, the planet we ride on, and boards built to last a lifetime.

360°
360° for people

Everyone finds their own way to whirl.

We're building a community of people with different skills, interests, and lifestyles: athletes, kids, desk workers, seniors, and people coming back from an injury. And we're always here to help. There's no call center, just us. Ask us anything, and we'll help you reach your goals.

360°
360° for the planet

Protect the places we love to ride.

We chose cork grip because the bark regrows and the tree never comes down. Boards with a few scuffs get fixed up and a second life instead of a trip to the landfill. Next up: more recycled materials.

360°
360° for performance

Master one trick, and there's always another.

Triple half-sphere technology gives you three balance points and full 360° spins, so the board grows with you, from your first wobble to your best tricks.

Erik and Joanna packing Whirly Boards in the workshop

Our shop

Products made from passion.

"I'm not in this to get rich selling cheaply made products that I never even see. I just want to make cool new stuff to help enjoy this awesome world. Products I believe in, that make people happy, and stand behind them."

Erik Olsen, founder
  • Hand-assembled in WisconsinEvery board is put together in our shop.
  • Three-ball balance systemA center dome to spin 360°, end balls for tips and tricks.
  • Every screw, by handWe tighten every screw, then trim and sand every grip edge.
  • Lifetime guaranteeWe stand behind every board we put together.Register your board →

Straight from our customers

“Erik was extremely pleasant to work with and had everything squared away in a timely manner. Probably the best customer service I’ve experienced in a long time.”

Hannah B.Whirly Wide 360˚ owner
Drilling a deck in the workshop
Every screw, tightened
Placing a Whirly decal on a deck
Every decal, perfectly placed
Erik trimming grip tape by hand
Grip tape trimmed by hand

The proof

0
Boards sold
0
From 1,500+ verified reviews
Est.2014
Hand-assembled in Wisconsin
0
Trees planted via TreeApp

The mission

Try new things and have confidence in yourself.

Say less "I should have," and more "I'm glad I did."

A rider jumping off a Whirly Board on the salt flats with mountains behind

Where we're going

From learning to spinto staying steady for life.

What started as a way to practice spins is now about confidence and balance at every age. Our live classes and the Balance Age test help people keep doing what they love, on their own terms, for longer. Next: more recycled materials, and doing more to protect the mountains and water we ride. For now, we plant trees.

Your turn

Ready to find your balance?

Answer six quick questions and we'll match you with the right board.