Riptide’s latest electric skateboard lets you carve up the pavement

Skateboarding was originally invented as something for surfers to do when the sea wouldn’t play ball. But pavements don’t exactly behave like waves, so you need a bit of help when it comes to carving, which is why Riptide has fitted its new R1 Black electric skateboard (US$649 during pre-order, $749 after that) with Waterborne’s Surf Adaptor and small, hard wheels, so you can make flowing turns that are 3x tighter than on a set of normal trucks. There’s a wireless remote that lets you switch between three riding modes: Beginner, Eco and Expert, and if you’re brave enough it’ll hit a top speed of 18mph, with a seven-mile range from one charge (the optional RX battery pack will double that). Waves? Where we’re going (er, Barnsley, since you ask) we don’t need waves.