Skateboarding is real scary. I should know, I just started learning and I’ve discovered that once you get past the initial terror the next obstacle is just how tough it can be to stay on the board. That’s part of the fun I suppose, but you know what also sounds like a load of fun? A full on suspension system and an electric motor strapped onto the actual board! Sure, you won’t be able to pop sick kick flips or ollie over fire hydrants but you might actually be able to travel down South African roads on an electric skateboard and feel confident that a crack in the tar won’t send you flying into a gutter!
The Hunter Board is one such electric skateboard with a proprietary suspensions system to ensure riders are able to traverse rocky and uneven terrain without much of a hassle. “This is for everyone who loves electric skateboards and doesn’t want a road in poor condition to ruin its ride,” Hunter CEO Pedro Andrade, speaking to The Verge. “With a suspension system, not only is the rider’s risk of falling reduced (less vibration which leads to more stability), but for the first time, paths that used to be unrideable due to holes, debris, or obstacles, become an option.”
According to the Hunter Board’s website, their particular design is able to travel up 55 km/h using the rechargeable 3,600W dual hub motors and only weighs around 9kg despite all the added extras of the electric motor and suspension system. It also comes with regenerative braking system to ensure that speed doesn’t instantly kill you if you fall off because, let’s be honest, travelling at speeds of 50 km/h on a skateboard…well, there are safer ways to travel.
The suspension comes from the board’s spring-loaded trucks which not only makes the ride more comfortable but also allows the board to make 25-degree turns, a feat which is super difficult for a normal skateboard. The company is even kind enough to adjust the suspension based on your weight before it ships. Neat!
With a deck of solid aluminium and all the cool extras, you can expect the Hunter Board to be a little pricey, coming it at $1,949 or R32,647 at the time of writing. That’s a lot of money to spend on an electric skateboard but having said that it does sound really cool and you can’t put a price on that, can you?
(Source: The Verge)