One gift many have been given this holiday season has more swag than the others.
Self-balancing boards are all the rage right now, and one such device is known as a Swagway. The Swagway has had a number of famous riders since the device was unveiled earlier in 2015.
Pop music star Justin Bieber hopped on board of a Swagway during “The Ellen Show” with host Ellen Degeneres telling Bieber to “stop showing off” after he glided around the studio on one foot.
According to Swagway’s director of marketing Nicolas Villalobos, the Swagway can travel at top speeds of 10 to 12 MPH. The unit, which is similar to the much more established Segway units that have been on the market for more than a decade, has a range of 20 miles depending on the weight of the rider.
One difference between the Swagway and similar units to Segways is the price. Swagway sells for $400, while Segway units go for several thousand dollars.
“The key feature is it is self-balancing,” Villalobos said. “We have two gyroscopes that control the balancing on each side, so you don’t have to worry about balancing.”
Because the Swagway is self-balancing, Villalobos said it normally takes riders only a few minutes to learn how to ride the unit.
While the Swagway was originally marketed to a younger crowd, Villalobos said he has found people of all ages have wanted the device.
“We found it is for all age groups,” he said, “for recreational purposes, for work, even some messengers have used it as it is more efficient than a bike, and then the speed.”
While Villalobos could not say how many units he expects to be sold this holiday season, he said he has been surprised by how quick the response has been from consumers.
“We have been producing these for a while now, but as a brand, we are new so we didn’t expect it to take off the way it did,” Villalobos said. “It started off with two factories, and now we’re about to open a fifth one. That is only within a three-month timeframe.”
For the Swagway unit, Villalobos recommends individuals who weigh more than 220 pounds not use the unit. He also recommends children to have adult supervision when using the Swagway.
Justin Boggs is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk.Follow him on Twitter @jjboggs.
