Surfing scooter

Abstract

A two-wheel scooter-like vehicle is adapted for use by acrobatic adults by using not only the wheels, but a snag-free, omni-directional sliding surface, under a large standing area, which may be maneuvered by a rider into engagement with the ground and ground-supported objects to perform a variety of tricks and displays of acrobatic skill.

I claim:  
     
         1 . An adult scooter, comprising: 
 first means for providing a steerable front wheel that is rotatable about a first axis of rotation;    second means, connected with and supported by said first means, and forming a wide upper platform for carrying both feet of standing rider in a variety of positions and locations, and a lower surface for omni-directional sliding engagement with the ground and ground-supported objects, and    third means connected with and supporting said second means and carrying a rear wheel rotatable about a second axis of rotation.    
     
     
         2 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said lower surface includes an upwardly sloping surface adjacent said front wheel.  
     
     
         3 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said lower surface includes side edges adopted for engagement with the ground and ground-supported objects.  
     
     
         4 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said front and rear wheels have radii of at least about 12 inches, and 
 the upper platform is supported by said first means and third means below said axes of rotation of said wheels.  
 
     
     
         5 . The adult scooter of  claim 4  wherein said front and rear wheels have radii less than about 22 inches.  
     
     
         6 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said lower surface comprises a smooth, snag-free surface.  
     
     
         7 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said lower surface is comprised of a tough plastic material.  
     
     
         8 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said lower surface is removable fastened to said scooter.  
     
     
         9 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said upper platform has a width of at least about 6 inches.  
     
     
         10 . The adult scooter of  claim 9  wherein said upper platform has a width of less than about 16 inches.  
     
     
         11 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said upper platform has a length of at least about 14 inches.  
     
     
         12 . The adult scooter of  claim 11  wherein said upper platform has a length of less than about 36 inches.  
     
     
         13 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said wheels include knobbed treads adapted to engage the ground with reduced slippage.  
     
     
         14 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said tires are air-filled to provide pneumatic cushioning.  
     
     
         15 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein the distance between said axes of wheel rotation is at least about 36 inches.  
     
     
         16 . The adult scooter of  claim 15  wherein the distance between said axes of wheel rotation is less than about 66 inches.  
     
     
         17 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein the lower surface is supported at least about three inches above the ground.  
     
     
         18 . The adult scooter of  claim 17  wherein said lower surface is supported less than about 12 inches above the ground.  
     
     
         19 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said wheels is provided with a brake operable from said first means.  
     
     
         20 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein both wheels are provided with brakes operable from said first means.  
     
     
         21 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein said front and rear wheels are held to said scooter with quick release fastening means.  
     
     
         22 . The adult scooter of  claim 3  wherein said side edges of said lower surface are angled upwardly.  
     
     
         23 . The adult scooter of  claim 1  wherein at least one of said wheels is supported by a shock absorber.  
     
     
         24 . A vehicle having a front wheel and a rear wheel for carrying a rider while standing and moving under the influence of gravity, comprising: 
 a standing platform sufficiently wide and long to support both feet of the rider in a variety of orientations and locations on the platform to permit the rider to apply body weight from side to side and front to rear of the platform while maintaining reliable contact between both feet and the platform,    a smooth, planar, snag-free, surface-forming means below and connected with said standing platform and adapted to be engaged by the rider with the ground and ground-supported objects.    a first fork for rotatably carrying said front wheel, said fork being pivotably connected with and supporting said platform and surface-forming means by said front wheel and further connected with a handlebar to permit the rider to steer the vehicle, and    a second fork connected with said platform and surface-forming means for rotatably carrying said rear wheel.    
     
     
         25 . The vehicle of  claim 24  wherein said platform is at least about 6 inches wide and at least about 24 inches long.  
     
     
         26 . The vehicle of  claim 24  wherein said front and rear wheels have a diameter of at least about 12 inches, said platform is supported below the axes by rotation of said front and rear wheels, and said surface-forming means is supported several inches about the ground.  
     
     
         27 . The vehicle of  claim 24  wherein said surface-forming means comprises a replaceable plastic element forming a planar lower surface, an upwardly sloping forward ramp-like, forward surface and a pair of smooth, snag-free side surfaces.  
     
     
         28 . The vehicle of  claim 24  wherein said front and rear forks carry brakes for the front and rear wheels, and the handlebar carries individual hand-operated actuators for the brakes.  
     
     
         29 . The vehicle of  claim 24  wherein each of the front and rear wheels carries an air-filled tire with rough tread adapted for secure ground engagement and at least the front wheel is carried by a shock absorber system.  
     
     
         30 . The vehicle of  claim 24  wherein a strong tubular frame extends between the first and second forks, and the standing platform and surface-forming means are removably fastened to the strong tubular frame and to each other.  
     
     
         31 . In a steerable two-wheeled adult vehicle, the improvement comprising a standing platform and an omni-directional lower sliding surface below said standing platform and between the two wheels, said standing platform having sufficient width and length to support both feet of the rider in a variety of positions on the platform to permit an acrobatic rider to engage the lower sliding surface with the ground and ground-supported objects while pointed in multiple directions.  
     
     
         32 . The vehicle of  claim 31  wherein the improvement further comprises front and rear wheels of said vehicle having diameters of from about 16 to about 20 inches, said standing platform having a width of about 8 to about 10 inches and a length of about 24 inches to about 27 inches and being supported by said wheels below their axes of rotation and several inches above the ground.  
     
     
         33 . The vehicle of  claim 32  wherein the improvement further comprises front and rear wheels being provided with air cushioned ground-engaging treads and hand-operated brakes.