“You’ll twist your ankle.” That’s the response of everyone over skateboarding age when they see the Shred Sled for the first time. But you know what? This little skateboard-esque good time is not created for anyone with rheumatoid arthritis concerns or bad ankles. No, the Shred Sled is for those who still play like kids, whether they are 8, 28, or 58. And you would be surprised by the large age range of participants we had joining into the Shred Sled fun. All without any twisted ankles, broken bones or injuries of any kind.
The Shred Sled is an in-line, four-wheeled, dual-sided skate deck that is attached by a bendable connector that can be flexed and torqued so both sides move independently of the other side. Hubby and I had to try it first, because there’s no way we’re sending our family barreling down the street on a contraption we haven’t tested first. Well, that and we were just dying to try it so when it finally arrived we couldn’t contain ourselves any longer.
The first Shred Sled ride took a bit to get used to, especially for me. The fact that the wheels of the Shred Sled were inline and the deck had two pieces frightened me a bit and it just didn’t seem possible at all that I would ever be able to ride it. Requiring balance and a good deal of trust that the first time you step on it won’t land you flat on your face, the Shred Sled seemed intimidating at first to merely stand on, even for hubby. I should preface this by saying that hubby was a skateboarder in all his high school glory… me, not so much. So, when hubby turned out to be a natural on the Shred Sled after just a few tries, no one was really surprised. The shocker was that not only was I able to stay on a four wheeled board for longer than a few seconds, I was actually able to get up some speed and agility.
After a few tries, we opened up the Shred Sled for riders and showed them the ropes. We all started out holding onto hubby’s van and pushing off as we learned how to balance on the board and then graduated to trying to twist our hips to pick up momentum. For the first few tries none of us could go uphill at all, as it required too much coordination to twist in the scissor-like motion required for speed. However, we had a blast going down the graduated slope of our street over and over by carrying the Shred Sled back up the slope each time.
Once you get moving, the motion of the Shred Sled is unlike anything you’ve ever ridden. With all four wheels in a straight line it feels like you are riding on a single blade, able to carve turns with fluid precision far superior to a broad wheeled skateboard. Add to that the fact that all four wheels actually rotate independently and it gets even crazier. We found that while in a sweeping turn if you push a little harder out with your rear foot on the rear deck you can add rotation into the turn, a feeling much closer to snowboarding or surfing, and make your turns even sharper but still smooth.
Hubby was the first to get going uphill and was slow at first but then really got going. Once he figured it out, it was easy for everyone else to get the technique down for themselves. I haven’t totally mastered the uphill, but I’ve got the downhill down fast and only a little wobbly. It was surprising to me how much more in control I felt the faster I rode, which sounds completely backwards but it’s not.
In fact, I really wasn’t scared at all on the Shred Sled, even as I wiggled down the hill the first time. This is partly due to how easy it is to stop on the Shred Sled and it makes me so much less nervous, especially when the kiddos are riding it. Since the board cannot roll on its own and requires your movement to move, you just have to step off the board to stop it, or you can tip either of the Sled sides to the ground where the “brake” is located on the side of the board.
Speaking of kiddos, I guess I should concede that the Shred Sled is easier to pick up the younger you’re introduced to it. Kids that had never ridden a Shred Sled before hopped on the deck and (gasp) pushed off, getting a running start at tearing up the streets as if they’d been Shredding it their whole lives. At least they didn’t laugh at us adults holding onto the van for support or the ones that required a stable buddy to lean on while they learned. The key point is that eventually we did learn and now are Shred Sledding it up with the kiddos, proving once again that you’re only as old as you play.
Price: $119.99
Looks: Like a whole lotta fun
Overall: Prepare to be the hit of the neighborhood, or maybe just the parent of the year.
And now for the Giveaway... Shred Sled was so kind as to offer a Rave and Review reader a chance to win their own Shred Sled! To enter, just visit the Shred Sled website and let me know something cool about the company, the Shred Sled or a move you would love to perfect. And, as always, there are extra entries available!
1) Subscribe to Rave and Review (1 extra entry, must be verified to count) 2) Tweet about this Giveaway (1 entry for daily Tweet, just post link here) 3) Blog about this Giveaway (1 extra entry) 4) Place my logo or link in your sidebar on your blog or website (2 extra entries, must have an active link) 5) Vote for Rave and Review on Top Baby Blogs (there is no need to sign up for anything, simply clicking this link is a vote for us. You can vote one time each day, leave comment each time you vote) 6) Share this post on Facebook (1 extra entry) 7) Email love. Share this Giveaway with friends and family via email and cc Leanne@raveandreview.com for two bonus entries (I will never, ever contact your email recipients) On October 13th at 11:59pm PST a winner will be drawn, announced here and notified via email Thank you to Shred Sled for sponsoring this review and giveaway
