Sand Pad Crutch Tips for the Beach

Introduction

In 2003, above knee amputee Jerry Vasilatos was visiting the islands of Greece, excited and anxious to visit the beautiful beaches and shorelines where he could swim freely in the ocean, one of the few aerobic exercises he could still perform despite his disability.

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As crutch users know, conventional crutch tips sink deep into the sand, forcing users to struggle as they have to pull them out and doggedly repeat the process for as long as it takes them to get from paved surface to a shoreline. It was a frustrating set of circumstances that kept Vasilatos from spending much time at the beaches, because they were so difficult to traverse. Upon returning to the states, he searched fruitlessly for a beach crutch solution but could find nothing available.

"In my mind's eye I could see what I needed, right down to the shape and how it would attach to a crutch, but I was shocked to discover no one manufactured this simple device that would enable me to visit and enjoy a beach much easier... what I described as a sand pad."

Vasilatos has never been one to let adversity stand in his way. After losing his leg in a freak subway accident when he was 20 years old, many felt his disability would slow him down but he nonetheless overcame it while pursuing his dream of a career in film and television production. Now 45, he says;

"Whenever I've faced a brick wall, I've always managed to figure a way to build a door through it."

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Seeing an opportunity to not only solve his own problem but that of all beach loving crutch users, Jerry approached his father Anastasios with sketches of his brainchild, a durable, flexible rubber crutch pad that could easily attach to conventional crutches and canes.

An industrial designer and holder of several of his own patents, Anastasios took Jerry's sketches and realized them in a three-dimensional CAD environment, creating an ergonomic design that provided the solution for anyone using crutches to easily navigate shifting beach sands as well as move effortlessly along shallow water shorelines.

After years of development, patent work, trademark branding and securing a manufacturer, the father and son team's Sand-Pad is finally available for crutch users through their company American Ventures Ltd.

"It's tremendously rewarding to see this finally come to fruition" Jerry says. "I've spoken to other amputees as well as athletes who've suffered knee or ankle injuries that have all expressed the same frustration I faced, who are just as excited as I am upon seeing and trying the Sand-Pad which will now make our visits to the beach much easier."

Engineered from 70 shore hardness ethylene propylene diene Monomer (M-class) rubber, the Sand-Pad provides a wider base of stability than normal tips for those using crutches or canes on beaches or other sandy terrain.

• 8" inches in diameter, each pad's circular design supports a user's weight allowing them to easily walk across beaches without sinking into the sand.
• Its scientific design utilizing six support ribs and a flexible rubber elastomer make it both lightweight and stable for the user.
• Easy to attach to any conventional crutch or cane tip, each individual Sand-Pad weighs 1.10 lbs. and fits 3/4" to 1" inch crutch and cane tip sizes, and comes with a lifetime guarantee.

American Ventures Ltd. is ramping up to distribute the device through medical supply and retail outlets for spring and summer fulfillment as well as showcase the Sand-Pad at national medical supply trade shows and disability expos.