It was the 1970’s when skateboarding really began to capture people’s imaginations. This was the time when polyurethane wheels were first introduced and when the infamous Z-Boys skated in their first competition, the Del Mar National Championships. Skateboarding has come a long way since the 70’s and this is highlighted, no more poignantly, than by the rise of the electric skateboard.
Electric Skateboards Hit the Mainstream
You need look no further than YouTube star Casey Neistat to see how the electric skateboard has hit the mainstream. Neistat lives and works in New York and his videos regularly feature him using an electric skateboard to quickly navigate the city’s busy streets.
Indeed, commuting and other short trips around urban areas are just what the electric skateboard is cut out for – you can get from one place to the next quickly and without breaking a sweat.
We are now living in the golden age of “ridable technology” and the electric skateboard is plumb in the centre of the melee.
The Technology
Specially modified skateboard decks serve as the backbone of an electric skateboard. They are a similar shape and, in most cases, size of the classic modern deck and this makes them easy to ride and agile.
The trucks are where electric skateboards differ most from there non-electric counterparts. The trucks on electric skateboards have been designed so that they can be driven by an electric motor and this is where the power comes from.
The underbelly of the deck is also home to the battery that drives the motor. Almost exclusively, the battery will be a lithium ion battery. Technological advances in battery technology have made it possible for the electric skateboard to have an extensive range and to travel at speeds that are impressive, particularly for something so small.
The Ride
For those who are newcomers to electric skateboards, they can be a little tricky to get the hang of when first attempting to use them. They operate by the rider transferring weight in the appropriate direction in order to make the board move.
With a little practice, however, it soon becomes easy to get the board to move as required and then it becomes just like riding a normal skateboard in terms of how you manoeuvre it. After a day or two riding an electric skateboard will become second nature and an experience you will want to replicate time and again.
