Marty Mcfly riding a hoverboard in 2015 in Back to the Future Part II was not such a far-fetched idea.
Although the hoverboards that became popular last year don’t actually hover, the two-wheeled scooter boards that are more like a Segway without handles have become a popular novelty item.
Hoverboards were among the most popular Christmas gifts this year.
In Ottawa, Olutobi Oluwole sells hoverboards through his company Capital Boards. The Carleton University student said he knew the boards had the potential to be a hit from the moment he first laid eyes on one.
“I immediately started looking for a manufacturer, and I knew I had about three months to get the business going before Walmart and Best Buy and whoever else got in the market,” Oluwole said.
Capital Boards sells hoverboards priced between $449.99 and $599.99. Oluwole said he sells around 20 to 30 boards per month.
According to Darren Pereira, founder of Toronto hoverboard retailer Hüüvr, the boards really started to become popular in the middle of 2015, which was largely due to celebrity endorsements on social media.
“Justin Bieber got his about a year ago, and since then all the celebrities have been doing their thing on Instagram and all of that. I noticed they were everywhere and people were shipping everywhere,” Pereira said.
NBA player J.R. Smith, film star Jamie Foxx, and music star Skrillex have all been seen riding hoverboards, which may have boosted their popularity among young people.
“Probably 80 per cent of my customers were buying for 12-year-olds,” Oluwole said.
However, Pereira said hoverboards are not exclusively for young people to use, and people of all ages can and should enjoy the experience of riding a hoverboard.
“I’ve got 86-year-old Sybil Rampen who is now the oldest known hoverer. She’s an artist in Oakville, she’s got her own gallery, and she does hovering art tours on her hoverboard,” Pereira said.
Countless videos on social media show new riders falling off hoverboards, including one of Mike Tyson.
Oluwole said there are no real tips or tricks to follow when learning to ride a hoverboard.
“It’s like riding a bike, and there’s no trick to riding a bike . . . You sit on it and you might fall, but if you keep trying you will get it. I gave one to my mom and she sent me videos of her riding it, and I was like ‘Okay, so anyone can learn it,’ ” Oluwole said.
Pereira also said he was confident anyone could learn to ride a hoverboard.
“You just have to get past the first 15 seconds of hover legs,” Pereira said. Hover legs, he explained, are similar to “the feeling of a fish out of water,” and it just takes a few seconds for your body to get used to the feeling and adapt to being on the hoverboard.
But recent reports of various hoverboards sparking up, exploding, or catching fire could mean the hoverboard craze might die down.
Both Pereira and Oluwole said these issues originate from the quality of the lithium ion batteries that are used to power hoverboards.
“I think the biggest problem is people trying to be cheap and going on Amazon or some website and buying [hoverboards] for $300,” Oluwole said. “If you buy anything that you know should be more expensive for cheaper, it’s going to come with less quality parts, that’s just how it works.”
Oluwole said lithium ion batteries from trustworthy brands like LG and Samsung tend to be good quality and problems usually arise when people try to stray from trusted brands and gravitate towards cheaper batteries.
Pereira said once you have a good quality battery, some of the main safety precautions to take are to keep it away from extremely cold or hot temperatures.
“You can charge it six to eight hours at a time and it’s not a problem. You shouldn’t let it sit there charging for longer than that. It takes two hours to fully charge,” Pereira said.
Pereira also said taking safety precautions is always recommended, such as wearing a helmet, and knee and elbow guards.
“As you get better you’ll notice that you need less guards and more awareness,” Pereira said.
Both Oluwole and Pereira said sales climbed especially high in December for Christmas, and Pereira said he is confident sales will continue to rise.
“I see them getting to the point of one in every household,” Pereira said.
In addition to regular hoverboards, there are now hoverboards with Bluetooth speakers that can play music or receive a call.
Having a hoverboard could mean more than just looking cool—Pereira said he thinks hoverboards could help those who have weaker legs.
“There’s a building manager who lives right next to me right here downtown and he’s got cerebral palsy, so his legs are very weak and he has a hard time when he walks, but when he gets on a hoverboard he stands completely straight and he can hover,” Pereira said.
Oluwole said integrity is an important part of being involved in the hoverboard business.
“I do see how much joy they bring to people’s faces,” he said. “So it’s just making sure that I give the highest quality of products and then standing by my product and saying that if something goes wrong, call me and I’ll get it fixed.”
