Which electric skateboard should I get?

I’ve been on this electric skateboard kick for what now? Two years? The most common questions I’m asked are:

Does it have a motor? Yes

How much does it cost? Enough to probably make you lose interest

Which model should I get?

In all the time I’ve been writing, I never had a good answer for that third and most difficult question. But now, after yesterday’s skate, I think I finally have a simple answer.

Yesterday was perfect weather here in Northern Florida. I never realized before how awesome February in Florida could be. While the rest of the world has record heat, I happen to be in the one small pocket of record cool.

Again, I was riding with my friend, who has years of experience riding his orthodox longboard. Again, he prefers the Boosted, and I prefer the Evolve.

This ride, we decided to go a little farther into campus than usual. He was able to keep up with my Evolve board by supplimenting the smaller Boosted battery with some good old fashioned leg power. Which is really quite incredible when you think about it. I have this superior battery in my board that can take me for rides in excess of ten miles. And he’s got this smaller battery that’s really only good for six or seven miles.

And yet, he was able to skate all the way home, simply by assisting the Boosted Board with a few good kicks. It was almost like he was doing a magic trick in my presence. He’s become skilled in the art of milking the electric skateboard battery for everything it’s worth.

So to answer the question of which board you should get, all I need to know is one thing. Are you already a skater? Have you put more miles than you can count on your deck? Or are you a person with little to no skating experience, for whom the electric board is your draw?

If you are already a skater, you want the Boosted Board. The main reason is for the balance. It’s the only electric board that truly skates like an orthodox board. It’s the lightest board, it’s easily kickable, and you won’t mind the smaller battery, because after you’ve been riding it for a while, you’ll be able to supplement the battery to effectively increase its range to whatever you need. Downhills will be just as enjoyable on the Boosted, because of the balance.

If you’re just getting into skating, you’ll want an Evolve board. You’ll probably never really learn to kick a board, and instead plan your trips around the board’s battery life. You won’t mind or even notice the slight imbalance in the board, and you’ll likely ride the brakes down any steep hills.

Of course, all eyes on the new Zboard coming out soon. I’d really like to ride this board, because I’m anxious to see how skating using foot pads, and not a remote, feels. But the same logic still applies. An orthodox skater probably won’t like the Zboard, because it requires you to place your feet in a particular place. That, and the board clearly isn’t balanced.