Today we have the honor of interviewing Barry Slotnick, owner of Varisport, a fitness equipment business, which manufactures and distributes the UltraSlide brand of products.
UltraSlide is a performance and rehabilitation equipment company best known for its handcrafted slideboards—a versatile training tool designed to improve lateral movement, agility, balance, and core strength for athletes, fitness enthusiasts, and physical therapy patients alike. Its core product line includes adjustable slideboards in various sizes, made sustainably in the USA with reclaimed hardwood bumpers and recycled materials, and complemented by accessories like slide slippers and polish to enhance training outcomes. Trusted by professional and collegiate teams, strength coaches, therapists, and home gyms worldwide, UltraSlide moves beyond conventional fitness gear to offer a durable, low-impact solution that supports dynamic conditioning, sport-specific drills, and rehabilitative routines in one integrated tool.
Picture: UltraSlide product.
You can watch the video interview below by clicking on the Youtube link. You can also listen to the audio interview by clicking on the link at the top of the page:
Here is a video explaining how the product works:
📝Show Notes: During this interview with Barry, we discussed his background and how UltraSlide began more than 30 years ago as a simple cross-training solution while he was a competitive cyclist in college. He shared how the slide board’s skating-based, lateral movement evolved into a versatile training and rehabilitation tool now used across professional sports, fitness, and physical therapy for full-body, functional movement and core stability.
During this interview with Barry, we also discussed UltraSlide’s benefits for practitioners, its competitive advantages—including USA manufacturing, sustainability, durability, and customization—and the company’s business model driven by direct sales and repeat customers. Barry closed by outlining plans for international growth and the development of a smart bumper system that will add performance tracking and data to elevate the product’s impact.
You can read the full transcript of the podcast interview with Barry located at the top of this blog post.
Here are the quotes from the interview with Barry:
His background and what led you to your company
“UltraSlide really almost happened by accident. About 33 years ago when I was in college, I made a slide board to use when I couldn’t ride my bike. I was a competitive bike racer at the time, and having grown up around speed skaters—who really invented and used slide boards—I knew it was an effective cross-training tool. Cycling and speed skating are very complementary sports, quad-dominant and using many of the same muscles, so I knew it would help my cycling during Midwest winters when I couldn’t ride outside.”
“After graduation in the fall of 1993, the men’s tennis coach at my university reached out and said he’d heard I made a slide board and that they really could use one for the team. I made him one, and then a few days later another call came in from someone else connected to the university who wanted one as well. At that point, I thought, maybe we’re onto something—and here we are all these years later.”
Overview of their product
“A slide board, as the name implies, is a rectangular, slippery surface with a bumper on each end that you push off of. The fundamental movement mimics skating—you’re moving laterally side to side—which is where it originated, but over time it’s proven beneficial for virtually every sport imaginable.”
“It’s really a core stability tool at its foundation. It engages the core, works the quads, glutes, abductors, adductors, hamstrings, and over the last 15 to 20 years it’s evolved into a full-body functional training device. That’s why it’s used not just by athletes, but by fitness users and people simply looking for a unique, effective workout.”
Benefits they’re seeing for practitioners
“One of the unique things about UltraSlide is that it’s used not only for conditioning but also for rehabilitation, and that makes it very valuable for practitioners. It engages the core and lower body in a way that directly translates to real-world movement, balance, and stability.”
“If you think about general population or even older adults, extended use of the slide board improves stability. I’m sitting here in Chicago where it’s icy outside—using our product can help people maintain control when they hit a slippery surface. That lateral stability is something you just don’t train with traditional straight-line exercises.”
Your competitive advantages
“We’ve been around for 33 years, and that longevity really matters. The reputation of the brand is strong, and I’m very proud that all of our products are made entirely in the USA using sustainable materials—recycled rubber, reclaimed wood, recycled plastics, and sustainable packaging.”
“We’re really the only true slide board on a large scale. A lot of products you see online are roll-ups, and while they’re convenient, they don’t provide the same effectiveness, stability, or safety. We believe a slide board should actually be a board, and that philosophy has guided everything we make.”
“Customization is another advantage. We can add team or clinic logos, even for a single unit, and that personal touch really resonates with professional organizations and practitioners.”
Their current business model
“We sell through a combination of direct sales on our website, distributors, and Amazon, where we offer our smaller boards and accessories. Amazon has really opened up a consumer market for us that we weren’t fully accessing until a couple of years ago.”
“A big part of our business comes from repeat customers—coaches, trainers, and practitioners who move teams and reorder our products because they trust them and know the value they bring. That kind of loyalty means everything to us.”
“We focus on value, not being the cheapest option. When someone buys from us, the relationship doesn’t end when the product arrives—we want it to be ongoing.”
Their plans and aspirations for the next 12 months, and taking the product to the next level
“The biggest development we have coming is a smart bumper that retrofits onto our existing boards. Through an app, it will track reps, timing, number of laps, and bumper contact time, which is a very important metric for teams measuring quickness and performance.”
“This is a way to finally take a product that’s been analog for decades and make it smart—adding measurement, engagement, and even competition—without forcing existing customers to buy an entirely new board.”
“We’re also focused on expanding internationally, particularly in Europe, by improving access through Amazon. The demand is there; we just need to remove the friction and make it easier for people to get the product.”
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