Bryce Wheeler, a retired Chief Scientist for Hughes Aircraft and has received over 100 patents during his career, including three protecting the Safeout Ski Release system. Bryce is an avid outdoorsman and skier who developed this product in his home workshop, at Mammoth Lakes California, to increase ski safety for his young and old friends. It has been in development for over 7 years.

Historical note: Bryce was on the design team for Surveyor 3, working on the optical system of the televsion camera, which holds a very special distinction in the history of space exploration. On 19 November 1969 the Apollo 12 Lunar Module (LM) landed within about 180 m of the Surveyor 3 spacecraft. Astronauts Pete Conrad and Alan Bean visited the spacecraft on their second moonwalk on 20 November, examining Surveyor 3 and its surroundings, taking photographs, and removing about 10 kg of parts from the spacecraft, including the TV camera, for later examination back on Earth.

The Surveyor 3 camera is now on display in the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.