If it has wheels – even just one of them – people are going to race it.
OneWheel
If there was ever a prize for the most improbable success story in the world of oddball (but awesome) transportation devices, the Onewheel would certainly be a contender. And since the Onewheel has a wheel – even just the one – that means people are going to take it racing. Of course they are.
On Sunday at 2 p.m. PDT, a dozen helmeted Onewheel jockeys will pilot their self-balancing machines at breakneck speed down a mountain course in a quest for $10,000 in prize money, and for your slack-jawed entertainment. The race will be streamed for free on Onewheel’s YouTube channel, which is also showing last year’s competition (below) if you want a preview of the madness.
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The Onewheel is a truly unique device – and one that’s gaining in popularity. It consists of a battery-packed skateboard-like deck with what is essentially a large go-kart wheel in the middle. A brushless motor inside the wheel is activated by the rider leaning forward or backward, and you use body english to make it turn (work that core!).
Sophisticated electronics self-balance the Onewheel while you ride and once you get the hang of it (it does take a bit of practice), it’s one of the most entertaining and minimalist experiences you can have in motion. It’s similar to riding a snowboard, except much easier to master. Additionally, since the large and wide central wheel can traverse most any type of flat terrain, it can be ridden places you can’t take a skateboard, kick scooter or its distant cousin, the unicycle. It’s also nearly completely silent in operation, and bright LED lights front and rear add an element of safety. I’ve been seeing more and more of them around the Portland area lately.
I reviewed Onewheel’s latest offering, the Pint, last year and I’ve been following the company’s exploits since they debuted as a startup back in 2015. Racing them is a natural progression of the species. On Sunday, a dozen riders – sans crowds this year, of course – will bomb down mountain slopes in Utah as well as strut their skills on a stunt course while riding Onewheel’s $1,799 premier offering, the Onewheel+ XR. It could be the craziest racing event you see this year.
Full disclosure: I don’t own a Onewheel. Yet.
