Whitefish couple launches startup for paddle board cup holder

Do you wish there was an easier way to carry a Nalgene bottle or a can of pop on your paddle board? 

Paige and Eric Fitzgerald’s patented Floatsup Cup, a drink holder for water sport enthusiasts, is the solution. 

The Floatsup Cup is a paddle board and kayak accessory that holds cans and bottles in a wide range of sizes. It attaches with the existing bungee system on most paddle boards and kayaks.

The Fitzgeralds, sponsors of the Flathead Rivers Alliance, chose to make the cup floatable and brightly-colored to minimize chances of loss in a river or lake.

“We also designed an attachment point on the side of the cup for use with a carabiner to attach the cup to a backpack or cooler when not in use,” they say on their website. “We never want a can, bottle, Floatsup Cup, or any other trash ending up in our waterways.”

The Whitefish couple had the idea for the Floatsup Cup in 2020 and began creating prototypes. 

“We literally started in our garage with modeling foam and carved out different ideas,” said Eric. 

With design and prototypes in hand, they launched a Kickstarter campaign that helped with mold making prior to the first production. The Floatsup Cup became available last July. Simultaneously, one of their Tik Tok videos went viral, causing the couple’s initial batch of cups to sell out in two weeks.

“We weren’t fully prepared for that sort of volume,” Paige said. “We got 700 packages out in two days. The post office did not know what to do with us.”

They only had a few hundred shipping boxes on hand at the time, so they bought every box from the UPS Store, Walmart and Target. They even traveled to Missoula on their mission to obtain more boxes.

“We ran out of shipping labels, too,” Eric said. “There was a local couple – I met her at her house and she handed us labels so we could continue to ship.”

Now, they say they’ve gone overboard and currently have about 2,000 shipping boxes in their basement.

Both Paige and Eric have full-time jobs outside of Floatsup and neither had previous experience with product development.

“From the initial idea, to how do you file a patent, form an LLC, do books, market – it's a full business and you touch every part of it,” Eric said. “From CEO to accountant to shipping clerk, and it's all been self-taught.”

“Lots of Googling,” Paige added. “Lots of phone-a-friend.” 

Although the Floatsup Cup is currently produced offshore for financial reasons, the Fitzgeralds look for local support when possible.

“We have local accountants, we try to source some of our boxes locally, our insurance is local,” Eric said. “We try to do as much as we can within the Flathead Valley.”

DESPITE THEIR early success, the business has not been all smooth sailing for the Fitzgeralds.

After their viral video, Eric said they were completely inundated with overseas fake products. He said their Floatsup Cup design and photos were stolen and inferior products were being offered on hundreds of listings across Amazon and the Walmart website.

“We were surprised that little ‘ol us would get attacked like that. It showed us how easy it is for people to put listings on Amazon and if you're not careful with understanding where it's shipping from, there are no protections in place for consumers,” Paige said. “Amazon doesn't vet sellers or their products.

“People were ordering a product they thought was ours and getting a terrible version,” she added. “If you looked closely you could see it was coming from a Chinese seller. ”

The couple thought their patent pending status would prevent this sort of theft. Eric said the fake vendors almost put them out of business.

“Our patent attorney got our patent through two months later and then we were able to take some legal action,” Eric said. “We’ve learned that you really need intellectual property protection patents before you go to market.”

The Fitzgeralds have learned from the experience. Their story also serves as a cautionary tale to consumers to be aware of what they are buying and from whom they are buying it – buyer beware.

“It’s just mind boggling, really, the level at which they can inundate the market and a small business. We're fulfilling in our house, shipping stuff out,” Paige said. “I think it's really unfortunate for U.S.-based businesses in general. Consumers aren’t protected and you have to be so careful about how you order.”

She said the couple has filed many amendments to the lawsuit and will be adding more soon.

“We would rather not spend hours every night documenting and reporting sellers,” Paige said. “We’d rather be running our business.”

The Floatsup Cup is available locally at REI, Sportsman and Ski Haus, The Toggery, Wild Coffee, The Westside Market in Whitefish and shops in West Glacier.

For more information visit floatsupfun.com.

    The Floatsup Cup for paddle boards and kayaks. Floatsup is a Whitefish business owned by Paige and Eric Fitzgerald. (Photo provided)
  

    A Floatsup Cup in action, attached to the front of a paddle board. (Photo provided)