Skateboard

Razor - the company perhaps best known for the Ripstik - has added a little spark to its Razor A Kick Scooter - literally. The latest incarnation of the lightweight scooter features a "Spark Bar" mechanism attached to the rear wheel - just stomp on the bar to light it up!  Read More

For skating lovers who heard the phrase ‘don’t you dare skate in the house’ one too many times as a kid, this might just be the dream home you’ve always wanted. The unique dwelling is described as having a ‘curved form interior’ (otherwise known as a ramp), but it's not just 'a house with a ramp in it'. Archivirus Architecture and Design's creation sets out to deliver a completely 'skatable habitat' for the client (which is not actually Tony Hawk -he has his half-pipe built in the backyard) with smooth concrete and curved spaces to enhance the idea of motion.  Read More

December 4, 2007 Around the world, dozens of small businesses are springing up and flourishing based on innovative, compact urban transport inventions that speed up the short commute while at the same time injecting a healthy dose of fun. The skateboard has evolved into electric powered versions as well as the twisting casterboard concept, mini-scooters are going electric and developing at a rapid rate, and next-gen mobility platforms like the Segway are changing the way people think about short-range transport. Now there's the easyglider, an external electric drive wheel that lets you zip yourself along at up to 20kmh on your rollerblades, skateboard, or a connected wheeled platform.  Read More

November 15, 2007 The electric skateboard is a bit of an oddity – it’s a logical step forward from a technology point of view, it’s a high-efficiency mode of transport, handy for short commutes, quiet, light, storable and probably quite a bit of fun. The latest to come to our attention is the Metroboard - capable of 15mph (26kmh) and controlled by a nifty infra-red handheld remote control, it’s one of the lightest units on the market.  Read More

These days the term skateboard tends to refer to a whole raft of different transport modes that go way beyond the two-axle, four wheeled conveyances that rose to prominence in the 1970s – everything from in-line caster boards to spokeless mini-motorcycles and sit-down street machines tend to be categorized under the genre. Just when you thought it was safe to go back to the ramp, a new concept has emerged that could see self-balancing technology and electric propulsion incorporated into the skateboard design. The iSlide concept by industrial designer Ofir Tal is a one wheel motorized board that utilizes a hydrogen fuel cell and onboard gyroscope to attain speeds of around 15 kph.  Read More

March 12, 2006 Since man invented the wheel, the promise of personal transport has been within reach for anyone with a vivid imagination and a healthy dose of engenuity. Ice skaters wishing to skate all year round made the first recorded wheeled shoes around 300 years ago, and the first patent for a roller skate was issued in France in 1819. The roller skate achieved mass popularity across Europe and the United States a century ago, with hundreds of skating rinks attracting the young-at-heart. But the availability of advanced plastics in the sixties really opened up the realms of personal transport as successive waves of roller skating, inline skating (the invention of the RollerBlade) and skateboarding captured the imagination of the youth of the day, creating sub-cultures, efficient personal transport and extreme athletes capable of performing tricks that seemingly defy Newtonian physics. With advanced materials now readily available for the fabrication of even the wildest ideas, new concepts for skating on tarmac keep coming and the latest such promising technology is Freeline Skates – one tiny, aluminium body, two-wheeled skateboard for each foot, ridden with a sideways stance like a skateboard and capable of being powered on the flat or even uphill by a body twisting motion. Very fast, very unique, very cool!  Read More

January 1, 2006 The EssBoard is a skateboard with a twist – quite literally. Its two castor type wheels enable a motion that is very difficult to descibe, but enables the board to be propelled up-hill, and without needing to touch the ground, while at the same time enabling a motion that more closely captures the feel of surfing or snowboarding than any previous asphalt skateboard. Emanating from Korea, the EssBoard appears identical to “the Wave” board which comes from California, and the Exboard which comes from the UK, though we’ve been unable to ascertain which was the original or whether the designs originated independently. Putting originality aside, the Essboard (and presumably the Wave and exboard) offers some compelling functionality, as it works the torso and legs at the same time as offering captivating entertainment value. If you can’t quite comprehend what the Essboard, Exboard or Wave board can do, or how they work, check these videos at the Streetsurfing site, or these vidz at the Exboard site, or these at the Essboard site for beginners and expert riders.  Read More

Skateboarding isn't new, and there's a whole generation of twenty and thirty-something year olds who have lost many a square inch of skin while honing remarkable skills on these devices once seen as a solely juvenile pastime. But as much fun as they may be, they are still fairly rudimentary devices which are a pain to carry due to their size and weight, which doesn't sit all that well with a suit. Enter the StowBoard - use it to get from point A to point much faster than you'd ever do walking and then fold its generous 31" length to just under 11" for stowage. In fact, the stowed board is probably smaller than your notebook.  Read More

UPDATED March 2005 Somewhere between a mini-motorcycle and a motorised-skateboard lies the Wheelman Bushpig, a new form of motorised transport that utilises motor and frame supported at each end by a spokeless wheel into which feet can be inserted whilst standing upright. The use of wheels without axles not only adds to the intriguing design but also provides a very low centre of gravity , strength and a significant saving in weight as well as giving you somewhere to put your feet. Check out the new video of the BUSHPIG in action inside!  Read More