Getting a Handle on Scooting Around

Sure, its name--the scooter--evokes an image of an innocent plaything of yesteryear.

Don’t be fooled. That new set of wheels zipping down sidewalks across Ventura County is but a distant cousin of its namesake.

The sleeker retooled version that is the current rage among the pre-driver’s license set features roller-blade-style wheels, mountain bike handlebar grips and a streamlined aluminum frame that will send daredevils flying.

And in a county where skateboarding is king, the new scooter is giving its fans a shot at adrenaline sport glory.

“I can do a bunch of tricks that other people can’t do,” said Kyle Johnson, 13, who rides his Titan scooter to the Thousand Oaks Teen Center every weekday so he can perfect his 180s and practice other tricks, such as the pogo and the bunny hop.

Christian Heyne, 14, gave up riding his skateboard altogether and instead lays it on its side and hurdles over it on his Razor scooter.

“The scooters take a lot less energy to ride than a skateboard,” said Christian, who will be a freshman at Thousand Oaks High School in the fall.

Skate parks across the county say report a steady increase in business from kids inventing and refining scooter stunts since the toy soared in popularity at the start of the summer.

“It’s really taken off in the last month or so,” Ojai skate park manager Jon Riddell said. “And I’ve seen kids doing jumps. I was pretty impressed.”

Daniel Muirhead, 15, said he regularly practices at Skate Street in Ventura and likes when the other kids watch him mastering scooter tricks.

“It makes you feel special,” said the home-schooled Ojai resident.

The scooters also feature certain practical advantages. They fold up when not in use, thereby becoming the perfect transportation for a trip to the mall or movie theater.

“When I saw ‘Me, Myself and Irene,’ I just folded it up and put it down next to my seat,” Christian said.

Those gliding around on streets and sidewalks say they haven’t heard any complaints about the scooters from police officers--yet.

The most popular brand on the market, retailers say, is the Razor, made by a Taiwanese company.

The scooters, even at $125 a pop, are in such demand that small sports stores can hardly keep them in stock.

Chaos, a Thousand Oaks skateboard shop, regularly turns customers away, telling them to return when the new shipment arrives.

“They’re pretty popular, so they’re hard to find,” said store manager Andres Estrada.

While they are easier to ride than skateboards, the scooters are overwhelmingly favored by boys, retailers say, perhaps because riders can still take a fall.

Christian’s sister, Genevieve, said she is alone among her friends as a scooter owner.

The 9-year-old said that despite being somewhat of a tomboy, she is not interested in having to bear the consequences of learning the new scooter tricks.

“My legs are already covered with mosquito bites,” Genevieve said recently during a break from tooling around on her scooter in front of her Thousand Oaks home.

Despite the scooter craze, there are already predictions that interest will wane.

“It’s just a fad, and it will die,” said Robert Rodriguez, manager of Five Points Skate & Snowboards in Ventura.

Todd Huber, part owner of Skate Lab in Simi Valley, said that he thinks of scooters as skateboards on training wheels and that those more adept at skateboarding will probably laugh at the kids on scooters.

“They’re kind of corny,” said Huber, adding that he thinks they are best used for transportation rather than tricks.

But Skate Street’s regular customer Daniel Muirhead brushes off the ridicule he sometimes hears from older skateboarders.

“I don’t care, I’m having fun,” Daniel said. “And I don’t think you should judge people for the sport they do.”

Times news assistant Alex Field contributed to this report.