But while many flipped up their boards for good in adulthood, there’s a huge movement of skateboarding alive and well — and it’s gone electric. That’s right, electric-powered skateboards where you don’t need to use your foot to kick-off or brake. But skateboarding comes with a bunch of challenges. Further, there are no micromobility providers hiring out eskateboards. So, if you want to give it a go, you need to dig into the robust but largely underground movement where information is passed on through message boards like Reddit and under Instagram posts. I reached out to a bunch of eskaters to find out all that you need to know to get started. Here are some key tips:
Should you build or buy your eskateboard?
According to eskater GuyPaulPoullian:
What’s the best way to buy in the absence of brick-and-mortar stores?
zPrismXD suggested: Many companies will include parts with new boards because, you are correct, getting replacements can take months between supply chain and shipping issues.
Get supplies!
Many people recommend you buy spare parts for your setup. Shops include Ownboard and eskating. It’s not just about replacing your remote, you might be in a world of pain if you are unable to access replacement batteries and motors easily. Scottie88 cautioned: Eskater Jed shared: Eskating (aka Esk8) is very modular, so swapping out a bad component is easy. If your remote gets lost, you can order a replacement. Once you get the replacement, pairing it to your board takes less than a minute, including reading the instructions. A more complicated repair like a battery replacement is still pretty quick as most batteries come fully assembled as a module. So you remove a dozen or so screws to get access to the battery compartment, disconnect three wires, remove the old battery, then install the new battery, plug it back in, and reassemble it. For most boards, that takes less than 30 minutes. But that particular repair is very rare. GuyPaulPoullian suggested you start by determining what riding you are looking to do: commuting, street riding for pleasure, all-terrain riding and then zero in on the board that best suits your objective.
Eskateboard safety
No one wants to break bones traveling to work. Scottie88 stressed: According Jed: Esk8La advised: Take your time while you learn. Just because your board can accelerate quickly and go very fast does not mean that new riders should be trying that out on day two of owning their board.
What’s next in eskateboarding innovation?
Eskateboards are getting better batteries with a longer range and faster charging. But there’s still room for improvement. Jed explained that with his own board, having the ability to cut off charging at 80% would balance the pack and significantly increase the number of charge cycles in the battery lifespan. zPrismXD suggested: However, like many outdoor activities, you can’t replace the visceral with the technological. Scottie88 stressed: Also, the next generation of these boards is almost certainly going to have a more robust interface with people’s smartphones as well as far more data and analytics. So there you have it, the slowdowns from the eskaters themselves. As we’ve seen with ebikes, the trend for mobility shows no sign of abating. This year we’re embracing all kinds of EV innovation including electric unicycles (EUC) — f you’re a rider, I would love to chat over email and Twitter! (Credit for featured image: Esk8unity on YouTube)
