Zipping around on a skyboard could cost you

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 16/10/2015 (3645 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Trevor Borland doesn’t travel around his neighbourhood on his new-age, two-wheel scooter to save time.

That’s because when he ventures out in Osborne Village, he has to stop regularly to answer questions about the contraption he’s on.

 

“Every time I ride it, I stop and talk to people. It’s the same questions, ‘What is it? How does it work?’ Everybody thinks it’s cool. Nobody has given me any grief. Some people have asked me if it’s legal,” Borland said.

That’s the thing — it’s legal and it isn’t. Also known as a hoverboard, skyboard or two-wheel electric scooter, these Segway-like vehicles — they lack the upright part to hold on to — are a close cousin to the skateboard.

One charge of the battery gives enough juice to travel 25 kilometres at a top speed of 15 km/h, all dictated by the pressure exerted by the operator’s weight, feet and toes.

Want to go forward? Lean forward. Want to turn left? Lean left.

According to the Highway Traffic Act, hoverboards fall in the same category as Segways and are considered a motor vehicle. However, because they can’t meet any of the equipment requirements for a motor vehicle, they can’t be registered, insured or ridden on a road. They also can’t be used on a sidewalk.

“The only place they are legal to operate is on private property with the permission of the property owner,” said Const. Eric Hofley, a spokesman with the Winnipeg Police Service.

As crazy as it might sound, these unique scooters are also subject to the same fines as if you were breaking the law behind the wheel. If you’re found riding one on a road, you could receive a fine of $300. It’s $143.75 if you’re caught riding on the sidewalk. The big one is driving without motor vehicle liability insurance — $673.65.

That’s all news to Borland, who has ridden his a few times to his job as a squash professional at the Winnipeg Winter Club.

“I can’t believe they’ve made it illegal already,” he said.

Borland bought his online for about $750 at amazon.com after seeing J.R. Smith of the Cleveland Cavaliers riding one on television during the NBA finals last spring.

“He rode in the concourse on it and the announcer said, ‘What was that?’ At first I thought he was driving with a remote control, but he was just on his cellphone. It looked like fun,” he said.

Lonnie Compayre, manager at the Urban Bakery, got about 10 of them in stock last month and sells them for about $900. He has one left.

They are also available online in a variety of makes and price points. Some of the cheaper models sell for as little as $300. Amazon.ca is offering at least a dozen different models ranging in price from around $450 to $830.

“The popularity of them comes from a lot of pro athletes and musicians riding them. They’ve been on Instagram and Snapchat and the word spread,” Compayre said.

geoff.kirbyson@freepress.mb.ca