Will esk8 take over regular skateboarding or longboarding?
Go!
no way! but maybe they will eventually merge into something new.
its another discipline: street, vert, park, pools, downhill, dancing, cruising, esk8, (next thing)ā¦
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Wellā¦for now esk8 is the next big thingā¦
So, do you suppose that after a while, because of esk8, skateboarding/longboarding will loose its appeal? People just skipping the basics and jumping right into esk8?
this is already happening for sure, I always tell people that are interested to get a longboard and learn some balance for safety.
But esk8 is weird because it can be used as an actual vehicle, a lot of people seem to see it as that, like a bike/car alternative. so in the end its bringing more people on boards.
its also a much different price range from a $100 longboard to a $600-2000 esk8, so not as much market overlap.
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I think a huge factor will be battery tech and hub motor techā¦ as we have all seen. Things just seem to be getting smaller and smaller. Maybe soon you canāt tell the difference between a normal penny board or an esk8 penny board. Maybe a stretchā¦ who knows.
Also, I definitely do see a trend with the older guys (me included). I donāt know abt youā¦but I sure see a lot of Middle Aged white guys on YouTube, riding on an electric skateboard, taking to themselvesā¦So, not what you would picture as a skateboarder/longboarder type.
So, whoās getting into esk8 these days? I donāt think most kids got a grand or two to blow on an esk8.
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Iām one of these. Me and my two friends into this had zero experiense about skating or longboarding. But iāve snowboarding since i was kid. We bought longboards first and while we waited esk8 parts (a month or something) we did practice basics of longboarding.
another decent jump in battery tech could change a lot of things!
One of my favorite things about esk8 is that there is no one type of rider. but early on its a lot of older guys (ex skaters) and rich kids because of the price. But so many options nowā¦and prices are falling near the āniceā road bike range.
I really see esk8 as its own thing. You can try to do tricks with a smaller esk8, but it seems unwieldy. You can go fast like a downhill longboard, but not AS fast. Then again would you want to? I think of esk8 more in terms of, as much as I hate the term, āthe last mileā of transportation. I want that to change. For example, I want to esk8 to work, which is 3 miles away from my home. At least 50% of the ride is uphill, and I am 205lbs/6ft tall. Cost increases dramatically for a functioning esk8 for larger people. which I see as a big barrier to esk8 becoming more mainstream and not seen as a toy. As battery tech improves, ESC/VESC/VESCX tech improves, and motor tech improves, I really think esk8 will bloom and become more of an āalternative energy vehicleā than a hobby or a toy. At least thatās what I hope will happen.
sadly - government policy will play a huge role in the future of eskate. Poor li ion publicity will put pressure on governments to dictate terms to us, as will accidents. Always assume drivers canāt see you.
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Which ever way this mode of transport (which is how I see Esk8 growing) goes I just hope it is welcomed in the same way cycling is. If the positives can be sold in before too many negative stories happen then we could be all good. Not sure if segways have paved the way or the negative coverage around the batteries have hurt more.
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@Norco I wanted a Segway when they first came outā¦till the one day I was driving on Houston St. in NYC, stopped at red lightā¦and this dude came rolling by on a Segway. I went fromā¦I want one!.. to looking at this ātoolā riding a Segway and saying to myselfā¦āMan Iāll look like an asshole riding that thing.ā Lol 
Sorry you made me think of that lol
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It doesnāt take too many of those sightings to put people off for life.
Lover or a hater Casey Neistat put eSka8 firmly in the cool camp for many.
I am dad of 2 and in my 30s - Iām not building this to be cool but to have a more fun commute than everyone else.
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Lolā¦I hope I didnāt sound like an ass ā¦
But I get the appeal from a novice point of viewā¦one thing anyone canāt really deny that itās automatically DOPE the first time you see one. And great you have friends that are starting out with you as wellā¦spreading the esk8 love 
The learning curve is not that steep in esk8 which is another reason people skip a stepā¦because I doubt very much you went down a hill at 20mph when your were practicing the ābasicsā.
And so another questionā¦ is learning the ābasicsā even necessary? Is kicking the same as esk8.? Should there just be ābasic esk8 101ā for future Esk8ers?
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@Wubbalubbadubdub I think it kinda started that way. Or I like to think of it as āthe great excuseā to legitimize a motorized skateboard. But no doubt there are plenty of esk8 commuters out thereā¦but Iām gonna bet that the weekend thrill seekers out number them.
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What would rain on the esk8 parade? Is there something that we could do now to effect a positive esk8 future?
So I hear regulations on our boards and how we ride themā¦
Should we have our own standards? Should we have our own guidelines to govern ourselves?
I honestly think as soon as someone can nail a modular approach that works well and isnāt truckloads of money you will see a boom in esk8 and it will transform into a (more) mainstream mode of transportation. Unless you have disposable income or are a eski building enthusiast, it is difficult to break into the market without seeing good expensive products like the boosted, enertion, evolve, mellow etc, and then hope that questionable products like benchwheel, koowheel, genesis, landwheel (all the wheels really) will work well, and it is a mixed bag. The alternative being diy, which costs time.
It is difficult for someone like me, with a more than full time job, a family and a dog to get into esk on a budget without sacrificing time with the fam (or more importantly, the dog) to try and figure out vescs and bmss and motors.
I think there are a lot of people out there like me; who either get burned once and say forget it, or just donāt get past the āthat looks cool, but impractical/not worth the money, time, etc.ā
Thatās fine. We just had almost same conversation with my friends. I have been always very interested about longboarding, but itās a bit boring at flat area with few short and narrow steep hills.
In my opinion these ābasicsā are nessesary. It good to know how to handle wobbles and how to brake if you electrics fail. Or how to crash to the ground orthodoxly because i had no brakes at all in my first board.
When the my office board (Acton Blink HUB) broke last week, I was glad it was the hub board since I was able to kick it back to the office. I forgot how great skating manually was, itās been 15 years since Iāve really skated. I donāt think eks8 would ever replace or take over skating and longboarding as they are a different kind of adrenaline rush.
I hear ya. I started this āhobbyā only a year ago a little after my daughter turned ONE. I only worked on the boards at night after my wife and daughter falls asleep and have very little time for long rides with play time and play dates on weekends, I do love getting my haircuts though, My barber is 5 miles away, so thatās a 10 mile trip every 2-3 weeks. With the CarvOn V3 coming soon, Iām looking forward to the next build in the middle of the night.
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Those first couple of years are tough. Donāt fall asleep at the err, board!
Unless they have a job and build them for $500 USD