Orbitwheels Offer New Spin on Roller Skates

We can’t decide if this new roller skate/skateboard hybrid looks really dangerous, really fun, or both. In any case, Orbitwheel skates have Mesmerizing-and-Therefore-Lucrative-Infomercial-Opportunity written all over them, because they look fun and easy (although admittedly, not in a still photo; check out the video of Orbitwheeled kids zipping around their neighborhood, unfettered by buckles, straps, or traditionally aligned wheels) but sound like a recipe for scar tissue. Invented by Shane Chen, a former developer of electronic instruments for plant scientists (don’t ask!) turned serial