[extropy-chat] Recreational Technologies

[Hal Finney]

Kara Devar writes:
> That air scooter looks like a hoot!  Probably slightly more risk than an 
> out-of-traffic-motorcycle.   (Oh boy--me on just a bicycle is enough 
> entertainment for the neighbors and don't get me started on the new "Land 
> Rollers." As a child I  never learned to skate but at age 42, I discovered 
> this great improvement to Rollerblade technology and spend four days at 
> "skate camp for middle-agers" in Hilton Head.  (Okay--old farts.)   What a 
> blast!   I look like the Michelin man, but I have a great time.  I highly 
> recommend "Land Rollers" to anyone who likes the Roller Blade concept but 
> appreciates small companies implementing better designs.)  Anyway, for the 
> air scooter I'd gear up as for motocross, train-up and have a blast!  (No 
> wind blasts, thank you.)

Those do look cool.  I have tried rollerblading a little but never got
too good at it.  BTW there is a recall notice at www.landroller.com
in case you have one of the ones that could have the wheel fall off!
>From the sound of it though these would be good at the one problem I
have with the rollerblades, hitting a twig or pebble on the ground.
They really get knocked back from that and my balance isn't that strong.

My attempt at recreational technology are my Powerisers, jumping stilts.
I'll go ahead and give the link to a video of me trying them out.
My wife Fran is running along beside me for part of it.  Nobody outside
my family has seen it so try not to laugh!

This was just a couple of weeks after I got them.  I got a little better
using them but in the end I stopped, it was too scary.  It may not look
like much but you feel like you're really up high, and there's just no
way to fall safely.  They're strapped to your shin and you'd just have
to come down on your knees and wrists.  At my age I'm afraid something
would break.  A couple of times on them I've stumbled a little, caught
my foot/stilt, but I've always recovered in time.  Scared me though.

Anyway here's the video: http://www.finney.org/~hal/PoweriserWeb.mov

Hal