About Us
Inventor and world market leader of Full Size Cables
The world market leader
Step into the world of innovation with RIXEN, the pioneer of water ski and wakeboard system technology. In the 1960s, Bruno Rixen had a revolutionary idea. His invention created a new sport: water skiing without a boat.
At RIXEN, we pride ourselves on delivering high quality products that merge innovation with performance. Our wakeboard systems are designed with precision, incorporating cutting-edge technology to enhance durability and user satisfaction.
In recent years, RIXEN has realised well over 500 wakeboard facilities, from planning to approval and construction. Specialising in the production and distribution of Full Size Cables, individual planning of holistic cable park projects and support throughout the entire project life cycle, RIXEN has made a name for itself as a global market leader.
The beginning of a new era
The suitable successor was found. In 2018 Bruno Rixen went into well-deserved retirement. Dr. Richard Söhnchen, a watersport enthusiast, bought the RIXEN assets. Synergies result from the activities of Dr. Söhnchen’s group of companies, especially with the rope testing company Winspect GmbH and Autision Group GmbH. The group, with more than 150 employees, is an association of independent, medium-sized companies with complementary expertise in robotics, metrology and surface inspection.
Dr. Söhnchen’s mission is to further develop Bruno Rixen’s invention and to uphold his ideals and goals within the company.
“As CEO and owner, I am proud to continue to develop our sport on the basis of Bruno Rixen’s achievements. As the market leader in water ski cableways, we want to continue to offer you security of investment. Convince yourself of the possibilities of RIXEN Cableway GmbH”. Dr. Richard Söhnchen
E-Mobility on Water: How Bruno Rixen invented a sport
Bruno Rixen (*1931), a trained automotive mechanic, went on a short trip around Europe with a friend after graduating in mechanical engineering. In Netherlands, the two had the opportunity to go water skiing behind a motorboat. This experience made a big impression on Bruno. Immediately after the trip, he started thinking about how he could make this water skiing experience available to himself and many others without the expensive motorboat. He always wondered why this wonderful sport was not more popular and began to research the subject. Market research always came back to two key points: the boat was too expensive and there were too few opportunities with too long waiting times.
Bruno spent several years developing a water ski cableway and applied for 37 patents. As an enthusiastic sportsman, he wanted to make this wonderful sport accessible to the general public. In the beginning, many technical problems had to be overcome. Bruno’s engineering skills and perseverance made it possible to realise his idea. With his extensive know-how, Bruno was able to expand his company from a one-man operation to the world leader in Full-Size cableways, with more than 500 installations worldwide.
Over the years, the demands placed on our product by riders and cable operators have grown steadily. We have always responded to these challenges with continuous and precise development work, which has enabled us to meet all requirements in the best possible way. In addition to water skiing, wakeboarding has become a trendy sport. In the past, water-ski cableways were driven by electric motors with V-belts, but over the years, proven technology with electronic controls, frequency converters and state-of-the-art joystick control panels has been introduced. All control components are supplied by our internationally renowned partner “SEW (Eurodrive GmbH & Co. KG)”. The 22KW drive motor we use is highly efficient, quiet, reliable and perfectly matched to the requirements. The operator interface for settings, troubleshooting and service routines is accessed via a web application.