They see me rollin’… on my hoverboard. Around CHS and the nation, teens and adults have found a new method of transportation in hoverboards. Hoverboards are electric, two wheeled devices appear to float in the air. These “hoverboards” that act like segways without handles are sweeping the nation, leaving the “oohs” and “ahhs” of jealous bystanders in their wake. Although these “hoverboards” do not physically hover, they do resemble hoverboards shown in movies such as Back to the Future.
Juniors Ben Birnbach and Satchel Rush both received hoverboards as gifts from family and ride them around their houses.
“My uncle gave me one because he thought I would like it,” Rush said. “I love this thing.”
Most hoverboards are pricey, some selling at around $400. However, like many other trends, people pay for the novelty and the experience.
“It looks like futuristic technology, and by having it, you’ll seem like you’re ahead of the curve,” sophomore George Katsanos said.
Ranging from NBA players to Wiz Khalifa to David Beckham’s son Brooklyn, celebrities of all kinds have been seen riding hoverboards. Because of these celebrities, hoverboards have become a status symbol as well as a fashion statement.
According to Rush, people who have one mainly ride it around their house and maybe to a friend’s house. They do not go very fast, only around 10 miles per hour.
According to Birnbach, his favorite part of owning a hoverboard is just riding it around.
YouTube and other social media sites feature videos of people falling off their hoverboards and injuring themselves because they are unable to balance on them.
According to Rush, it takes from 10-20 minutes to get used to riding the hoverboards.
In the United Kingdom, hoverboards have become illegal to ride in public streets, because according to their legislation, it is too dangerous to ride on the pavement.
However, for people who enjoy the thrill and are willing to risk a few scrapes from learning to ride, hoverboards can be purchased on Amazon, and are produced by many different brands.
CHS responses toward hoverboards have been mixed.
“This is a cool product because it’s a fun and innovative way of getting around,” freshman Maya Tondravi said. “I think it would be cool to have one, but at the same time I think I would get bored of it after a while.”
These segways resemble what was aired in the 1985 film Back to the Future. Because of Back to the Future day on Oct. 21, Lexus has introduced an actual hoverboard that hovers over a magnetic surface. However, the Lexus hoverboard cannot levitate over any other sruface.
According to the Lexus website, their new hoverboards contain their iconic Lexus spindle grille signature shape and use materials found across the Lexus brand, from high tech materials to natural bamboo.
With the holiday season coming up quickly, it is a strong possibility that these hoverboards will be on CHS students’ wish lists.