Ripstik

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The Ripstik is a recreational caster board, manufactured by Razor. Razor is a recreational product designer. Because of the way the boards move by the X-axis, it is very similar to The Wave, though the Ripstik has a longer torsion bar and smaller boards. The price ranges from $75 to $129, with approximately $70 million in sales through September 2007. ^[1]

Sales of the Ripstik and the Wave, in particular, accelerated in 2007, and in 2008 a new board, called the Blade Board, was made. This new caster board has the ability to go backwards as well as forward, so a few tricks can be added to its arsenal. It has been estimated that roughly one million units will be sold during the 2007 holiday season, becoming one of the most sought after gifts during that year's season. Customers can find the items in retail stores like Wal-mart, Target, and other large retailers or online at Amazon.com. Throughout much of the holiday season, it remained at the top of the Best Seller's List within Amazon.com's Sporting Goods and Toys setions. Many toy industry insiders believe that its popularity will continue to grow into 2008 in the toys market, and start to gain additionally in the sporting market.

Replacement parts, such as wheels or casters, may be bought from Razor. Suitable wheels and bearings may also be purchased from inline skate retailers. Wheels generally wear after a 2-3 month period depending on the terrain in which the board is used and the skill of the rider. The rear wheel always wears faster than the front, as the majority of forward propulsion is rendered by the sideways motion of the rear caster. RipStik wheels are 76mm in diameter and are made of Polyurethene. The stock wheel bearings for the standard RipStiks are rated ABEC-5, and DLX models have ABEC-7 bearings. Currently there are three different models of standard-sized RipStiks. There, of course, is the standard RipStik that people have come to know and love. But recently, they have come out with two new ones, the RipStik G and RipStik DLX. The price between each consecutive one is currently $20 more. That is: standard = $100, G = $120, DLX = $140. The G is $20 more, because it has aircraft-grade aluminum around the tortion bar, allowing the user to grind. The DLX is even more expensive, because it has the aluminum tortion bar, as well as ABEC-7 bearings, which account for a very smooth ride.

But there is a fairly cheap and easy way to upgrade your standard RipStik to a G or DLX. Buy a 1 1/2 inch (in diameter) pipe, and using a metal saw, cut it to a length of 3 13/16 inches. Lay your RipStik upside down on a workbench or work area, and unscrew one of the bolts at the places where the tortion bar ends in one of the two halves. Once it is removed, you will be able to pull the two halves apart, and slide the length of pipe you cut off on to the tortion bar. Now, slide the two halves back together, rescrew the bolt into the hole, and you now have the ability to grind on your RipStik! As for making it a DLX, you may or may not already have the grind-able tortion bar, but you still want ABEC-7 bearings. Go to Razor's online store, where you can buy DLX wheels for around $20. Once you have them, simply unscrew the bolts holding the old wheels on, and replace them with the DLX wheels. Be careful not to lose any of the small parts, they are crucial. Now you have ABEC-7 bearings.

Contents 1 Uses 2 Controversy 3 Differences 4 References 5 External links

[edit] Uses

The Ripstik, like other caster boards, has multiple purposes: transportation, sport, core stability/muscle conditioning, and cardiovascular endurance, among others.

There are many ways to propel the Ripstik forward. The first method is by placing the main pressure on your back foot and pivoting it around your front. The front foot is used primarily for steering, while the back foot is used for sideways motion - and thus, forward movement. The second method is achieved by rotating your hips back and forth, while maintaining a constant position of the feet. This moves both ends of the board from side to side evenly. These movements cause a repeating change in the circle of motion the ripstik is rolling in. These repeated circles propel the ripstik forward in a wave-like motion.

Many of the common tricks performed on a caster board such as the Ripstik are borrowed from the skateboarding industry. The official Ripstik website contains tutorial videos that display how RipStik Team Rider Ali Kermani performs a number of established skateboard tricks, including the kickflip, body varial, and 360 spin.

There has not been any testing on the benefits of muscle conditioning compared to other sports, but riding the board requires considerable balance, similar to standing on a fitness ball. It often brings muscle pain to the bottom of the feet or the upper calf muscle to more unfit or new riders.

An official sport involving caster boards, including the Ripstik, is not established. There have been some attempts however to focus the attention away from tricks and towards enduranced based events, similar to how established endurance sports such as cycling, running, and adventure racing have developed. The Ripstik Ultimate Endurance Race, set for September 2008, is one such event. Others have even played regular sports such as basketball and hockey, and it works quite well if you play on a flat surface (gravel on a concrete court will stop the board and send the rider flying!).

[edit] Controversy

Razor has often been accused of copying the design of The Wave, a highly similar competitor offered by Street Surfing. Even the Ripstik's warranty is nearly the same as The Wave's. Also, a "combination of surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding" is used by both competitors, as well as the term "carving." The RipStik and the Wave are both newer versions of the original ESS Board that was originally sold in Korea, starting in 2003. (http://www.essboard.com/eng/company/sub02.htm) Both caster boards have a license to the U.S Patent Number 7,195,259 B2 owned by the Korean Company Slovie. (http://www.uspto.gov/patft/index.html)

However, the Ripstik is generally better known because the manufacturer, Razor, is one of the largest producers of kick scooters. The Wave was copyrighted and first sold in 2004, while the Ripstik trademark was issued on September 25, 2007, but first developed in 2006.^[2] The RipStik is more widely known because it has been advertised nationally on cable networks and broadcast channels such as The Sharper Image, Wal-Mart, Sky Mall, or other related stores.

[edit] Differences

As the Ripstik and The Wave are both highly popular competing products, controversy between enthusiasts at both ends is perpetually generated. Some differences can be easily found by examining both boards. The Wave's torsion bar is slightly shorter than the rubber-sleeved equivalent on the Ripstik. This rubber sleeve, offered on the standard models of the Ripstik (i.e., excluding DLX models), prevents such maneuvers as grinding. A newer model, the Ripstik G, employs a rotating aluminum tube to facilitate grinding. The angle at which the caster is mounted to the board also differs between models. The Ripstik's casters are mounted at a slightly steeper angle than the Wave. Ideally, this should provide a higher amount forward movement per x amount of sideways motion at the sacrifice of maneuverability and stability. The real-life dynamics of this aspect, however, is beyond the scope of this article, and both boards seem to yield similar speeds.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• The Wave Website
• RipStik website
• RipStik fansite