The beginnings (2000-2005)
Bill Brandes from Berlin, Germany created the first prototypes of what is today known as the Speeder, around the year 2000. Based on his invention of an outdoor wind resistant birdie, the company Speedminton GmbH took the idea over in 2003 and developed a game which is today known as Crossminton. The sport originates from the idea of being able to play a racket sport outdoors on different surfaces without a net and is based on a smaller and slightly heavier shuttle (today known as Speeder(C)). The game was sold and marketed under the brand Speedminton. Since then Speedminton and our sport are conquering the world. Till today there are 2.5 million recreational players, most of them in Europe, but also in Asia, Australia, the USA, Africa and South America that play the game, developed in a small park in Berlin Kreuzberg.
A game develops into a sport (2005-2010)
First regional and international tournaments were played and first clubs were founded in 2005. Although Speedminton GmbH was the driving force and strong supporter of our sport there has been a mutual decision to call the sport by the name of Speed Badminton.
First Speed Badminton national federations were founded in 2007 in Germany and Switzerland with many countries following.
In the following month and years there were more and more tournaments, the development of the first international ranking, trainer- and referee educations.
The international umbrella organization is born (2011-)
On August 25th 2011, an international organization was founded under the name International Speed Badminton Organisation (ISBO) in Berlin, Germany. One day later the first ISBO Speedminton® World Championships was hosted in Berlin with over 380 participants from 29 countries. Since then there was one World or Continental Championship each year:
- ICO Speedminton World Championships 2011 (Berlin, Germany)
- ICO Speedminton European Championships 2012 (Porec, Croatia)
- ICO Speedminton World Championships 2013 (Berlin, Germany)
- ICO Speedminton European Championships 2014 (Warsaw, Poland)
- ICO Speedminton World Championships 2015 (Berlin, Germany)
- ICO Speedminton European Championships 2016 (Brest, France)
- ICO Speedminton World Championships 2017 (Warsaw, Poland)
- ICO Speedminton European Championships 2018 (Skien, Norway)
- ICO Crossminton World Championships 2019 powered by Speedminton® (Budapest, Hungary)
- ICO Crossminton World Championships 2021 powered by Speedminton® (Zagreb, Croatia)
- ICO Crossminton Asian Championships 2022 powered by Speedminton® (Tokyo, Japan)
- ICO Crossminton World Championships 2023 powered by Speedminton® (Brno, Czechia)
- ICO Crossminton European Championships 2024 powered by Speedminton® (Balatonboglar, Hungary)
- ICO Crossminton Asian Championships 2024 powered by Speedminton® (Noida, India)
A new name, a new chapter?
At the annual 2015 ISBO General Assembly, the delegates decided to change the name of our sport from Speed Badminton to Crossminton and renamed our organization International Crossminton Organisation e.V. (ICO). The reason for this decision was to separate our sport further from traditional badminton and create an unique identity for our sport.
The name Crossminton was officially introduced on January 1st 2016.