Scooter Happy

By T. Thompson

Who would have thunk? Should have bought some of that stock. Scooters are back in a big way. They're everywhere. And quickly being banned on school yards across the country. Bad news first. Then the good.

Inline scooters are dangerous. But hey so are bikes, skateboards, inline skates, life in general. In August there were more than 4,000 visits to emergency rooms nationwide (as reported by the Consumer Product Safety Commission in Washington D.C.). Kids 15 and younger accounted for 90% of those injuries. Most reported injuries were road rash related, but a third were broken bones, mostly the upper body. As more and more kids take to the scooter, that number will go up.

So, that said, take precautions. Helmets are a must. Period. Try one of those lightweight BMX style helmets. They rate cool in California. Add wrist guards and kneepads for extra protection. Pad 'em up and send 'em out. You've got to. You can't avoid it. The scooters will win.

We've had plenty of tears. But then again, this new craze beats the pants off of Pokeman. Exercise - and lots of it. The neighborhood's ablaze with silver scooters. Look out - there they go.

So we capitalized on the craze for preseason ski and snowboard training. This is the good news. Find a slight slope (caveat here - slight!). Set up some cones in a slalom course and let them rip! I couldn't believe my eight-year-old was tearing it up. Unweighting, getting some rhythm, and arcing some great turns! And the concentration, wow, Mighty Mites will be a cinch.

We did some Rippin' Riders testing on the Razor and the Zap Kick Scooter. The Razor was lightweight and handled the course with ease. The Zap Kick was heavier, but that thing could rip on the downhill. Call it a Super G or Downhill scooter. The Rippin' team will be doing some more testing... stayed tuned.

Haven't got a scooter? Buy one online. Try the Zap Kick for a great ride.