From:	Wafflemeisters <evamarie@**********.NET>
Subject:	Re: Skateboard mishaps
Date:	Sun, 10 May 1998 03:41:33 -0500

> Re: Skateboard mishaps (wuz: rollerblades) (Paul Gettle , Sat 9:31)

> However, my 'skimboards' are based the concept of air cushion
> vehicles. We've had ACVs since the middle of _this_ century, and there
> are FASA published rules for Air Cushion Drones on the scale needed to
> make something a person could ride on.

I've worked the stats ; take a bod 1 or 2 skimmer drone with a high
enough load, add a datajack port and secondary controls and a place to
sit (or, for the micro, "external cargo") so its not just a remote
thing, and viola. Easy enough, sure.
What this souds like is more a recreational motorcycle / waterbike type
thing than a "skateboard", especially since one of the best things about
SK8's is thier good cornering and dircetional stability. Hovercraft
lack both, or at least, what your BODY does won't affect what direction
the hover - its all in the directional fan thrust. Probaly BAD in
trafic and other "manuever critical" aplications- which most SK8ing IS.
MAYBE with big "rocketman" fins for "pushing" against the air- naw,
thats DUMB. SK8's need STYLE, to.
If you LIKE floating on a frictionless, small, high speed puck, fine-
for me, it would lack the visceral apeal and dynamic control of a
motorcycle, jetski, or anykind of "board". I would NOT want to
"downhill slalom" a hoverboard. And I've tried half the idiot
contraptions out there. They might be "fun" for SURFING, since youd
have fan power AND the wave...


-Mongoose