Trends on Campus: Not Your Little Brother's Skateboard

By Brittney Xu     10/19/11 7:00pm

So you're slogging to class, late as usual, and the shuttle has already pulled away from the curb just ahead. If only you had a faster form of transportation than your legs — one that doesn't need to be padlocked. Out of the corner of your eye, you see a blur of movement as a student goes zooming past on a skateboard. He is just one of the increasing number of students at Rice University who use unconventional boards to get around campus.

Skateboards have been around since the 1950s, when California surfers decided to conquer the streets. The first skateboards were boxes or planks with wheels attached and usually were not very safe. Over the years, different types of boards have emerged. At Rice, unusual types of skateboards can be found, each with its fans and distinct qualities.

Baker sophomore Jason Li rides the sole skate, which is triangular and has two wheels in front and one wheel in back, like an over-sized bike seat. Online at Toys "R" Us, a sole skate is priced at $30-$40.

---

---

"I think I'm one of the only ones on campus who has it because it's new," Li said.

Asked why he did not buy a regular skateboard, Li said he chose the sole skate based on cost, portability and ease of use.

"I think it's easier to ride than a RipStick [for example]," Li said. "That requires a lot of balancing."

The RipStik is another form of "skateboard," one that requires back -and-forth oscillation of the feet to propel it forward, much like riding a snowboard. The platforms for the feet are connected by a metal beam, and no contact with the ground is required to push off.

RipStik owner and Hanszen sophomore Zephan Chen argues that they are not as difficult to ride as people think.

"It's like riding a bike," he said. "There's just a steeper learning curve."

Chen was attracted to the RipStik because he wanted to challenge himself with a more difficult board, and it did not cost as much as a bike did. It can be found on Amazon for $40 to $60.

Hanszen sophomore Edward Tian prefers the longboard over the other types of skateboards.

"[The longboard is] meant for transportation," he said. "It has larger wheels, more flexibility and it's a smoother ride."

Longboards, as the name suggests, have a longer wheelbase than normal skateboards and are the most prevalent form of skateboard on campus. They are fully customizable, and tend to be more expensive.

"Mine cost $200," Tian said, "but I customized it with nicer bearings, softer wheels and more flexibility." He pointed out that longboards can be bought for less. "You can get one for less to use at Rice that's perfectly fine. I got mine customized because I plan on keeping it for a long time."

Even with a growing skateboard culture, Rice has no safety regulations for skateboard riders like it does for bicycle owners. For instance, there is a bike awareness week and a webpage dedicated to bike safety on campus, but no mention of skateboards or other types of self-propelled transportation.

"Cars definitely don't move out of the way for me as much as they do for bikes," Chen said.

Still, Li thinks that Rice is friendly toward boarding and that people readily move out of the path of boarders.

"They hear you coming," Li said. "The wheels are loud on the sidewalk."

Chen is accustomed to the strange stares when he rides his RipStik, as he mesmerizes passers-by with the quick back-and-forth alternation of his feet.

"People stare at me all the time," Chen said, laughing. "They look down at my feet, up at me, then back down."

Li agrees that students often marvel at his unconventional skateboard. Even as he rides away after the interview, balancing on his small sole-skate, Brown freshman Vikram Murali watches him leave with amazement.

"I've never seen that [kind of skateboard] before," Murali said.

However, Murali is still not interested in buying a skateboard.

"I think my bike is more practical because I have to go all over the place," Murali said. "But if I was just going to class, I would consider it."

---