Australian born Craig Hubbard is Founder and principal designer for KiSS Ankle Co. Craig
played NBL basketball (Australian equivalent of the NBA) while he studied Engineering then
later attained a degree in Biomechanics and Exercise Rehabilitation. As an athlete he injured
fingers, thumbs and ankles, and confused and frustrated by rehab and return to play options,
he developed his own he could play or work in. His first US patent was the heat molding
thumb brace now copied around the globe.
He dedicated 1.5 years to understanding the ‘function’ of ankle injury and repair and
consulting Ankle surgeons before designing the ‘form’ of devices to address the injury and
effectively prevent it. Simply titled ‘An Ankle Brace’ his second US Patent forms the basis
for KiSS ankle systems for PPE and for rehab.
He found others wanted protection and function, including some of Australia’s elite ankle and
hand surgeons, athletes and teams, who often competed when they otherwise couldn't.
Surgeons loved the Medical Intent; The products were both medical and safety devices while
others were, and still are just braces, and taping, little more than an anachronism and source
of revenue for trainers and Physiotherapists.
Craig is a passionate advocate for independent testing and standards for Ankle PPE,
lobbying the NOCSAE which tests all other US sports safety equipment, from helmets to
shin pads, but strangely not those devices used on the most common sports injury on the
planet. Craig still lives and works in Australia where he facilitates the local manufacture of
high-quality hand-made ankle PPE and exercise rehabilitation systems for export around the
world.