The Netherlands is a country under constant assault by winds and rain, so it makes sense that a Dutch designer was able to create a “stormproof” umbrella. Gerwin Hoogendoorn had gotten very used to having to replace umbrellas after storms. Hoogendoorn, a master’s student studying industrial design and engineering at the time, decided he’d had enough after three umbrellas broke in one week. He analyzed dozens of umbrellas he’d collected from trash bins after storms and he realized that the key to designing a better umbrella wasn’t blocking the wind, but using it. He used glue and his grandmother’s sewing machine to create an early prototype of the Senz umbrella, which can withstand gusts up to 70 mph, according to the company. The aerodynamic umbrella is designed to stabilize in high winds instead of crumpling, writes The Washington Post. After being on sale for only nine days, Hoogendoorn and two partners who brought the device to the market had already sold 10,000 umbrellas. They completely ran out of stock. The umbrella is now a regular sight on Dutch streets.
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