by Chris |
Last Updated: May 30, 2020 Back in 2018 I didn’t even know what an electric skateboard was. Nonetheless, when I first heard about Boosted Boards it sounded amazing. I was in the States back then, so as soon as I got back to the UK, I ordered a Boosted Mini S, which literally just came out. Some of the best $800 ever spent. That’s how powerful Boosted’s brand was. So why did it all collapse? And more importantly, where can you find Boosted accessories and parts now that they’re out?
If you live in the US, you can find the last few boards, accessories and parts left on Boosted USA website. If you live in Europe, you can find Boosted Board accessories, parts and a few boards on the e-mobility store Fatdaddy.
What the hell happened to Boosted? Did they go out of business?
Boosted Boards, the company that basically created the electric skateboard market back in 2012 (if you didn’t see their Ted talk check it out), started having issues in 2019 around the launch of their latest product. The Rev, a $1,600 electric scooter was considered pretty much a huge let down from a company who built a fanatic community mainly around eboards.
Quality and craftsmanship was there as with all of Boosted’s products, but so was the cost of manufacturing it. Reason why the almost $80 million in VC funding the company raised, quickly evaporated into thin air. Add in Trump’s moves to discourage products manufactured in China and you get the picture.
So, around the beginning of March 2020, the company published a post on their site to explain the situation. The Verge quickly reported and dug deeper into the whole thing. Just like that, Boosted had to layoff a large part of their employees and close up shop.
On April 17, after some silence and a lot of speculation, former Boosted’s CEO, Sanjay Dastoor posted an informal AMA on Reddit announcing that e-mobility company Lime bought all of Boosted’s intellectual property and assets. This was the confirmation all the fans were unwillingly waiting for.
In the end, for a combination of different factors some under their control, some others not so much, the company had to accept their fate. I think this is a confirmation that there’s a market for manufacturers who will be able to differentiate themselves by innovating and by focusing on a good balance of customer support and product quality, while still making their products affordable.
Boosted laid out the map and all the competition that’s coming up (Exway, Meepo, Backfire in the budget lane) has to carry the torch. Good thing for us because more competition = better deals!
Goodbye Boosted and thanks, it’s been a terrific ride
So where to buy Boosted Boards now?
So you want in on the last pice of the legend who started it all right? Well, luckily for you there are some options. But first…
Are Boosted Boards still worth it?
If you’d ask me 4 months ago, before all this mess, I would have probably said hell yes!
Speaking as the proud owner of Boosted Mini S, I can confidently say that the quality and performance of these boards is unparalleled. And no, they are not the fastest in the market, but everything from their acceleration curve, to the breaks and the materials has been studied and curated to the tiniest detail to guarantee a comfortable, effective and safe ride.
After all those $80 millions must have gone somewhere. R&D is expensive.
But you’re asking me now, so should you still buy a Boosted Board? Well, if you can afford it, I’d say go for it, BUT also make sure you stock up on accessories and parts. You’ll get yourself a piece of e-skate history and the guarantee it will last a while.
If you’re not comfortable spending that amount of money (we’re talking about $800+ for the Mini and $1,600+ for the longboards), there are plenty of cheaper, but still great options.
You’re convinced you want in…
What stores still sell Boosted Boards?
If you live in the US: Boosted USA is your best bet. These guys did an awesome job and great service to all fans, buying all remaining inventory from the vanishing company. But as they say:
We can only sell the rest of the stock that we have. Supplies are extremely limited, this is the last of Boosted’s stock and when it’s gone it’s gone forever.
To get the whole backstory behind Boosted USA, check out this video (by “Alien Rides” Youtube channel):
Some advantages of buying through Boosted USA include;
- Free shipping (USA and ground transportation only) for orders over $100
- Help with service (belts, chargers, advice and more)
- Help with warranty/repair issues for boards you already own (though they obviously cannot provide a complete replacement like Boosted used to do, being a totally different company)
- Limited 60-day warranty on any of their products (covering manufacturers defects)
- Owned and managed by true skateboarding lovers and Boosted users
If you live in Europe (or can’t find parts and accessories from Boosted USA): the guys at Fatdaddy can hook you up with boards, accessories and parts. They are (were?) the biggest Boosted’s partner in Europe.
I sent them an email and as of today, May 30th 2020, it looks like they’re receiving quite a lot of products and parts:
You can use the coupon ” SURFINGCONCRETE ” at checkout to get free shipping in Europe and a €25 discount on orders above €450. I’m also speaking with the guys to get a special coupon code for parts and accessories specifically. We’ll see. Check out Fatdaddy’s Boosted Boards inventory here.
What you get with Fatdaddy?
- Free shipping in Europe or same day pickup in one of their stores
- Biggest Boosted partner in Europe and official repair service
- Test drive at their stores (Netherlands, Denmark and Croatia) available
- 6 months warranty
- 14 days to return unused products
- Boosted stuff coming in!
- Managed by friendly and passionate dudes
- Openly update the community
What should you do if your board is at Boosted HQ??
Boosted’s website is down. Luckily the excellent website Forever Boosted provides some answers gathered from the community. If your board has been sent to headquarters before everything went down, you can only send an email to bo[email protected] and wait for updates from them
Unfortunately not much you can do. You can also ask for help from the community on Discord.