Kick scooters glide their way into Jakarta

Kick scooters glide their way into Jakarta

By Danielle Bray

JAKARTA (JP): Move over skateboard, out of the way
rollerblades. Make room for the latest fad in foot-powered
transportation -- the kick scooter. These modified skateboards,
equipped with a handlebar and a rear brake, have become the
hottest means of transportation for the youth of the new
millennium.

During test-marketing in the United States, the scooters were
primarily bought by three groups of people: Young professionals,
college students and nostalgic adults.

Scooters were popular among the poodle skirt-wearing, bobby
sock-clad youth of the 1950's. They have since been modified for
the consumption of today's youth. Similar to their predecessors,
the scooters consist of a basic board on two wheels, steered by
handlebars and powered by the feet.

However, the new version is manufactured from lightweight
metals, sports shock-absorbent wheels and is sleeker in design.
It offers smooth riding through congested sidewalks and is
collapsible for convenient storage.

While kids scooters have been available for decades, the newly
designed kick scooter is the first high performance, folding mode
of transportation intended for teenagers and adults.

On flat surfaces, the scooter's glide is about as effortless
as that of a bicycle. When pushed uphill, they are lighter than a
bike.

These scooters are coasting their way across the globe. They
have a moderate following in North America, Europe, Japan and are
now being sold in Indonesia.

In Jakarta, these skateboards with handlebars, known as the
Glider IIK, are available in certain places like Pondok Indah
Mall and Plaza Senayan, or some sports stores. This particular
model is made from lightweight aluminum, and is manufactured in
Taiwan.

The handlebars are adjustable, and have a vast turning range,
allowing the operator to weave around objects with ease. The
platform is large enough for two feet to rest on, one behind
another, and the ride apparently is quite smooth.

The Glider IIK is selling at a rapid rate in Jakarta. They
appeared on the scene three months ago, and are quite a hot item.
A sales associate at MG Sports & Fitness in Plaza Senayan says
that "on average, we sell approximately seven units a day, and
more on the weekends". They ordered in new stock, as they sold
out of their first shipment in a matter of weeks.

A lady who had purchased a scooter for her son, Enrico, said,
"He saw all the other children riding them at Senayan Square and
he wanted one as well."

These units are sold to those with money to spend. They are
advertised at Rp 790,000 for the larger model, and Rp 448,000 for
the smaller version. They are not marketed as a toy, and the
slogan "Can be used for recreation, sports, transportation to
school, the office and for shopping" is printed on the flyers
that accompany the product.

Aris, a salesman at Gramedia in Pondok Indah Mall, remarked,
"These products have been in the store for three months, and have
been selling very well, I've sold 50 Gliders in the past four
weeks."

Rudy James Tikoalu recently purchased the smaller version of
the foot-powered scooter for his eight-year old son Tafito.

He said, "I have one friend who has a similar scooter; we ride
them around the neighborhood".

His father does not allow him to ride it to school or anywhere
near the street. "It is far too dangerous with the traffic.
However, it is very safe in a controlled community and around the
house," he said.

Soraya H. Shakti has just returned from a trip to Santa
Monica, California, where she rented a scooter to ride up and
down the pier. "They are very easy to ride, and are quite
relaxing. I enjoyed it so much that I bought two to bring home to
Jakarta." She added that she, along with her son, plans to ride
them around the neighborhood. "I bought mine in the U.S., as I
didn't realize they would be available in Jakarta so soon."

Claudia Motz, a visitor from London, commented: "They are
quite common in the U.K.; I see them everywhere. People are so
concerned about the environment these days, so they have become a
practical means of transportation."

It is apparent that in other parts of the world, the scooter
is mainly purchased by young adults, and used as a mode of
transportation. However, in Jakarta, where the sidewalks are
barely accessible to foot passengers, and the traffic would
merely crush a kick scooter and its rider, they tend to sell more
rapidly to children for the sheer sense of enjoyment.

According to a salesman at MG Sports & Fitness in Plaza
Senayan, locals buy the scooters due to their simplicity of
operation, the enjoyment factor and because they are easy to
maintain.