We Need to Stand With Future Motion or We May See Onewheel Fail
Is this alarmist? Maybe. Am I worried? Definitely.
The Case for Future Motion
In 2007, Ben Smither released the details of his “one-wheeled balancing scooter / skateboard” on his website http://www.robosys.co.uk/. By 2014, Kyle Doerksen and Future Motion had apparently iterated on Smither’s original design. The Onewheel (with a capital “O”) was introduced and was successfully funded through Kickstarter. Until this point, relatively few people had seen a device like the Onewheel, but it would explode in popularity over the next few years.
Fast forward to 2022 and there are now hundreds of thousands of riders. There are races and events that grow year after year. There are third-party accessory makers, service shops, podcasts, YouTube channels, and news sites 😉. Groups meet every week all over the world to drink beer, chill, and ride. Because of the commercial viability of the Onewheel and because of Future Motion’s success, there is not only a vibrant community, but an entirely new sport centered on this device.
“Because of the commercial viability of the Onewheel and because of Future Motion’s success, there is not only a vibrant community, but an entirely new sport centered on this device.”
But we are in a precarious position. With the CPSC’s warning and recall attempt, they threaten the only company that is manufacturing a commercially viable onewheel (with a little “o”). If Future Motion were to suddenly shutter their doors, there would be no easy way for new riders to enter the sport. In a worst-case scenario, FM would hold onto their patents. The after-market would eventually dry up and the community would stagnate. Accessory makers, repair shops, and content creators would not be able to thrive in this type of market.
With their anti-consumer practices, quality control, and repairability issues, Future Motion is definitely not perfect. They absolutely deserve a lot of the criticism that they receive and I am beyond excited that we are finally starting to see real competition for Onewheel from the open-source community and VESC. But the barrier to entry into building your own onewheel is just far too high for newcomers. Future Motion has popularized the onewheel format and continues to help sustain our community.
“With their anti-consumer practices, quality control, and repairability issues, Future Motion is definitely not perfect.”
If the CPSC were to force a recall of every Onewheel, they could drive Future Motion out of business, and that would represent real existential threat to our sport and community. Yes, we might eventually see another company buy the patents and produce a new onewheel. But how long would that take? Personally, I’m not excited at the prospect of this sport stagnating for years or even fading away all-together. Even if FM were to survive, it’s not hard to imagine the creation of laws that ban onewheeled devices at every level, from local to federal. I believe it’s in our best interest to stand with Future Motion in their fight against the CPSC, at least until a competitor can bring another option to market.
“If the CPSC were to force a recall of every Onewheel, they could drive Future Motion out of business, and that would represent real existential threat to our sport and community.”
What can we do?
We need to let the CPSC know that we acknowledge and accept the inherent risk that comes with any board sport, including onewheel. Let them know that we are passionate and committed to riding. Here are a few things:
Take a moment to sign the official petition from Future Motion: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LetUsRide
Send an email to info@CPSC.gov and express your opinion regarding release #23046.
Tag @USCPSC on Instagram when you go for a ride.
