There’s nothing like riding an electric skateboard. It’s exhilarating and dangerous without the right safety gear, something I was reminded of this weekend. We’ve been seeing more electric skateboards hitting the market and the Riptide R1 is a bit different. Not only does it come in at a more reasonable cost but it has lights! This is something I’ve never seen before and might actually be useful for some riders. Personally, I wouldn’t ride my board at night even with lights, but I’m not everybody.
Riptide Electric was started in San Diego by Eric Birkemeier and a group of boardsport-loving friends. Between surf sessions and trips to the mountains, together they grew a passion for electric skateboards but recognized a hole in the market: every board with enough power to put a smile on their faces was way longer than the penny boards and short boards they favored. Leveraging their knowledge of the industry through Eric’s experience running Shredlights (headlights and tail lights for skateboards), they began designing and engineering a project that became the Riptide R1.
The Riptide provides a unique blend of massive power and compact design, making it the perfect board for commuters or travelers. Normally electric skateboards come in two categories: Premium Longboards and Budget Shortboards. The Premium Longboards come with a ton of power, speed, and range and are a blast to ride, but their long length makes them less convenient to carry and they often cost over $1000. Budget Shortboards provide a small, convenient package but are often underpowered or come with lower quality components (like small wheels or narrow trucks) that can hurt the experience. The Riptide R1 takes the powerful motors, high quality wheels, and wide trucks from a Premium Longboard and fits it into a compact 31″ deck, starting at $499 on Indiegogo.
The Riptide is priced very competitively for what you get and looks interesting. What do you think? Would you consider picking one up? Let us know what you think in the comments below or on Google+, Twitter, or Facebook.
[button link=”https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-riptide-r1-electric-skateboard-fun?utm_source=Techaeris&utm_medium=Techaeris&utm_campaign=Techaeris” icon=”fa-shopping-cart” side=”left” target=”blank” color=”285b5e” textcolor=”ffffff”]Back on Indiegogo[/button]Last Updated on September 26, 2017.
