If you ever thought that the propelling-yourself-forward-part is the one thing skateboarding can do without, then do we have a board for you. The Riptide R1 Black might look (sort of) like just another skateboard, but it’s actually an electrical one, capable of hitting speeds of up to 28 km per hour.

As a matter of fact, the Riptide R1 is a bit more than that too, since it’s also a carving board, allowing you to basically ‘surf’ on the pavement. Designed in collaboration with Waterborne Skateboards, you’ll find that company’s Surf Adapter on the front truck. According to Waterborne this allows for deep carves and 3x tighter turns than on their regular trucks. This is helped along by a Rear Rail Adapter, so that the back wheels sort of do what the front ones are doing, helping to keep things aligned.

With the Riptide R1 it seems like everything is about flow, with the electrical motor allowing you to keep your feet firmly on the board. Like most electric-powered devices, range isn’t the best, and you’ll manage 11 km before you need a recharge – actually, not bad if you think about it.

The dual-motor powertrain comes with a Bluetooth remote control. With a push of your thumb the board will accelerate forward, or regeneratively brake, putting some power back into the motors. There are also three riding modes to guide you: Beginner (reduced acceleration/reduced top speed), Eco (reduced acceleration/maximum top speed) and Expert (maximum acceleration/maximum top speed).

We’ll be honest, the Riptide R1 Black skateboard looks like a lot of fun, just don’t bargain on seeing it in South Africa soon. Stateside it’s retailing for $749, so place your order here.