The Pitch

Yesterday, while riding home on my Evolve Snubnose from work, I had a blast. The ride was fast and fun. Unfortunately, there weren’t any girls playing volleyball when I rolled by, but there were several long lines of cars for me to pass. Every time I pass a car, I throw my hands up in the sign a referee uses to indicate a touchdown. What might also be called the Universial Sign of Victory. Because that’s how good it feels to pass cars on a longboard.

As I’m there, speeding down the bike lane on the side of the road, I’m aware of everything aroundn me. Any small rocks or debris on the road ahead. Other bikes and pedestrians. And most importantly, the cars rushing by me. I always throw glances over my shoulder to know if a car is about to pass me.

But yesterday, a car kept pace with me. That’s not so unusual, if we’re in a 20 mph zone, or if we’re coming up to a long line of cars waiting at a red light. But this car had the whole road open to him. And still he slowed to my speed. Just when my spider sense told me to take another glance at this car, he rolled down his window and yelled, “Hey where did you get that?”

“On the internet. Evolve,” I said, holding up the controller. Maybe he could see the name imprinted into the plastic.

“How much?”

“A thousand!”

With that, the car sped off. I should mention that this conversation is nothing new. I’ve had tens, probably hundreds of similar conversations to this one since I started electric longboarding. Never with a moving car on the road before, but always the two same questions. What is it, or where did you get it, and how much?

I’m no salesman, but I know how to give a pitch. And with the amount of curiousity this board generates, I’ve had plenty of practice pitching this board. On the bus, in elevators, to my coworkers, and now on the open road. When someone sees it, they’re hooked. They like what they see. But every time I tell them the price tag, it’s an instant turn off.

Your average Joe just doesn’t have a thousand dollars laying around to drop on a skateboard. Even if it is a really cool electric one that they’ve never seen before. And your average orthodox longboarder absolutely has no chance of affording one. I guess my point here is that it all comes down to the battery. That big, bulky battery, always being too big, or too heavy, or too expensive.

When I got home to my apartment complex, I saw two young men, riding their orthodox longboards. I went out of my way, just to smoke past them. Just to show them what they wanted, but didn’t know they wanted. Hoping that maybe when they got home, they would google it and dream that one day, they might afford such a board. Before then I thought being in my 30s really sucked. A few gray hairs, a few more aches, getting old sucks. But then again, my increased buying power does have its advantages.

Then, once home, I was approached by my Mexican neighbors. They asked me about my board, in Spanish. It was the same conversation. (excuse my sub par Spanish) “Que es esto?”

“Un skateboard electronico.”

“Y quanto questa?”

“A thousand. Un mil.”

I think the Mexicans are going to stick to their bicycles. But still, two unique inquiries to my board, and a show off, all in the space of five minutes. Yesterday was a good day.