Ripstik Caster Board
The Wave Street Surfing Board (Black/White) From Street Surfing

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Product Details

• Size: 34.5"
• Color: Black/White
• Brand: Street Surfing
• Model: SSW-517-BKWH
• Released on: 2008-04-19
• Dimensions: 7.94 pounds

Features

• The wave is an inline action board that fuses surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding
• Street surfing tip: starting out-put your foot in the center of the front platformof the board,
• Twisting-twist side to side with your knees slightly bent, move shoulders and hips back and forth
• Turning and stopping-Lean in the direction you want to go and twist the panels in opposite directions
• Measures 35 x 5 x 9 inches (Width x height x daimeter); weighs 10 pounds; 1-year warranty

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Customer Reviews

Remember the 'Back to the Future' hoverboard.
Until we get anti-gravity, this will have to do.

When I first saw this board, I didn't believe it could be rideable. Only two wheels instead of four, and they're on swivels. And the board is split in the middle, and pivots around a rod? I rounded up the owner, my 7-year old nephew Taigen. "Show me." I demanded. When he did, it was like I was watching a magic trick.

So I studied it awhile, and took one ride while supported by a helpful shoulder. Then I kicked off by myself. As soon as you pivot once, and feel the board actually propelling you, you "get it." I was hooked.

Never have I seen a recreational toy where the disparity between perceived and actual difficulty was so great. If you kick off hoping for the reassuring support of four wheels, you're not going to make it. If, however, you kick off, and believe you're surfing/snowboarding/whatever, you will do fine. It's faith-based boarding! It's all about active balance.

I showed it to a friend. When he saw the swiveling casters, he said, "That's death-on-wheels!" I give him the prep-talk ("balance") Three kicks later, he's going around the parking lot.

The smoother the movements (swivel those hips!) the better. It's like riding a wave a couple of inches off the concrete.

A hit with kids from 6 to 99!!!
My daughter saw this when we were visiting F.A.O. Schwarz in NY. She is 8 and wanted one, bad. I ended up finding it for $99 with free shipping at Sports Authority (a long time ago, your mileage may vary!).

Adults will love it!!! It took me 10 minutes to get the hang of it, and about 3h to master turning at full speed. I used to skateboard a good deal as a kid, and that probably helped. I want one for myself now!

My daughter had to practice a bit more, but she never had any kind of skateboard; it took her about 5h total (and she still doesn't turn all that well). A kid from our street that is always skateboarding got it very quickly, she was turning and in full control of the board in about 2h.

These are, obviously, non-contiguous hours of practice. Who would do "the wave drills"? Not us, thanks!!! :-)

Every single kid in our street just wants one. They are always after us asking if they can try it. The other adults, when they see me riding, are split in two camps: "Are you trying to break your neck?" and "How is that even possible?"; but they all ask about it and some even are brave enough to try. Quite a conversation piece!

My only complaint is already very common in other reviews: the wheels... They almost melt against the street. We have rode for less than 40h, and we can already see cracks on them and feel some resistance while riding. Hence 4 stars!

Other than that: what a great board. And what great fun.

Excellent Ride!
Got the wave board about 5 months ago. Took me about an hour to get the hang of riding it. Was a bit daunting at first, but after using a wall for a few runs, I got the hang off it. One tip: I found the "advanced" launch method easier than trying to do the "beginner" technique. In the beginner you push off with your back foot. The problem is that with only 2 wheels you need to move your back foot into position quite fast. Makes it hard to get your feet properly placed, which is key to a good ride. In the advanced you start off with both feet on the board and then start twisting to gain momentum. I found this a much more controlled way to launch.

It has a great smooth ride and allows tight carving. I can already do 360s. Probably the best feature is that it is self-propelled, so you never need to touch the ground after you get going.

Some of the other reviewers complained of wheel problems, but I have had no excessive wheel wear. I have been riding 2 to 3 days a week for 5 months, and while I have worn the shiny cover off the wheels, they are still perfectly usable. Just this week the bearings in my back wheel have worn out, but given the amount of riding I have done and that I weigh 225lbs, I would not consider this excessive wear. Maybe the pavement they are riding on is more rough than where I ride.

All in all, a great board at a very fair price. Have had more fun on it than my $300 long board.
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UPDATE
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Found a good alternative to caster boards. Check out the Thruster 385. It is a skateboard with a special front truck that allows it to carve like a wave board but is stable through turns and smooth over bumps like a skateboard. VERY COOL.