Scooting Around in Style

Rol

lerblades are over. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but soon, and for at least the rest of the year, their novelty is likely to be supplanted by an alternate mode of self-propulsion. Scooters, those nostalgic vehicles of 1950s suburban youth, have been updated and repackaged as urban transport and are being embraced by metropolitan commuters, thrill-seeking teens and those who occasionally find walking too great an inconvenience.

In its essentials, the new scooter is much like the old: a board on two wheels, steered with handlebars and propelled by foot. The new versions, however, are made from lightweight metals, sport faster and more shock-absorbent wheels, are narrow enough to thread through congested sidewalks and have collapsible steering columns for portability. The top-selling Razor weighs about 6 lbs. and, when folded, can fit into a backpack. Unlike a bike, it requires no lock or parking space and incurs no hostile stares when crammed on a commuter train at rush hour.

The scooter frenzy originated last spring among teens in Japan, where entire magazines are now dedicated to scooter arcana. After storming Australia, the trend touched down in Hawaii and, since last Christmas, has been spreading east. "We started carrying the Razor in our catalog last August with moderate interest," says Tony Farrell, a senior vice president for the Sharper Image. "In early February, they began flying out of our store in Honolulu." Now the Razor is the top-selling item in many of the chain's U.S. outlets.

Retailing for about $119, the sleekly designed Razor is large enough for only one foot, and its relatively small wheels give a rough ride over potholes. Consequently, it is favored by teens and others who scoot for amusement, or for short runs to the subway. "The Razor is a fashion statement," says James Yu, who owns Basic Wheels in lower Manhattan. Serious scooter commuters with deep pockets favor the Xootr, whose Street model retails for $389. "Generally, these are for the guys over 40," says Yu. "They have wider wheels for a smoother ride and are sturdier."

For the past three months, Steve Becker, 45, an executive for an instant-messaging company, has been alternating between his bike and his Xootr for the eight-mile commute from Brooklyn to Manhattan. "It takes me an extra hour by scooter," says Becker, "but it's a great workout, it's fun, and it's a lot easier to ride through Midtown. Plus, people look at me and say, That man is having fun! I remember fun." But will they remember the scooter next Christmas?