Longest Boosted Ever

So the other day, my friend Austin comes over to skate with me. Usually, he rides the Snubnose while I take the Bamboo series two.

But this time, the Snubnose was out of commission. The zip ties that hold the battery pack onto the bottom of the board have been breaking. It looks like I’m going to need a better solution to holding it onto the bottom of the board. In addition, the drive belt is very loose. So we would have to use the other boards. I’m very territorial of my Boosted Board, and Austin has never rode the AT wheels, so I figured I’d give him a taste of the all terrain.

We skated from my house to the restaurants across the street from campus. The plan was to get some food and skate back. It was a run I’ve done many times on my Evolve boards. First time doing the run on my Boosted Board.

It’s worth mentioning that the ride to campus, the run we were doing, is mostly uphill going there, and more downhill coming home. But by the time we got to the Pita Pit, I checked the battery left on the Boosted. Two of five lights. Meaning I’d burned through more than half of the battery.

Now this is a kinda scary feeling. I’ve never kicked a skateboard anywhere in my life, so as an electric skateboard enthusiast, the scariest thing in the world is the idea that you’re stranded somewhere and you have to kick push home. Or worse, carry the board. I wasn’t sure what to do. Maybe I’d make it home. Maybe I’d only make it part way. The only thing in my favor, was that there was more downhill for the ride back.

So we started skating home. About halfway we stopped and did another battery check. I was down to my last light, but still perhaps two miles from home. Austin, thirty pounds lighter than me, suggested we change boards. He was more interested in riding the Boosted, but I agreed. What difference does thirty pounds make? Well if it would get us both home, I was willing to give it a shot.

Austin wasn’t scared to maybe have to kick home. He raced the Boosted home, wasting more battery than I would have dared to. But guess what? We made it home. Not bad. I checked the GPS. 7.73 miles. It was the longest run I’ve ever made on the Boosted. Remember they advertise about six. I think it’s fair to say it would really go eight miles. And that’s up hills and carving for joy.

So I just want to give another kudo to Boosted for giving their customers a conservative estimate of the range of their boards.