| Being a baby boomer, it hasn't been that long ago at | | | | The ones you could purchase came in two forms. |
| least in my mind, that I was a kid and I think back to | | | | Already assembled or in a kit that you had to put |
| all the things that we had in the lines of recreation | | | | together. The kits were less costly and you could |
| and fun. Boy, I remember waiting for school to get | | | | buy them with or without a motor, but it took the |
| over for the year so we could get into some | | | | time and skill to assemble them. One of the kids |
| summer time fun. | | | | down the block came tooling by one day in a go-cart |
| The first thing that comes to mind in the lines of | | | | as his grandpa had purchased a kit, assembled it and |
| early recreation was of course the bike. This for all | | | | painted it for him. Oh yeah, we were jealous and |
| practical purposes was really the only other form of | | | | knew we had to come up with something. My one |
| transportation besides walking that we had as kids in | | | | good friend's dad had just bought a new lawn |
| order to get to where we wanted to go. Do you | | | | mower and he still had the old one in the garage. It |
| remember those days? Bikes back then were pretty | | | | was the ole reel type mower. It had a Briggs & |
| simple with only one speed and the ole back peddle | | | | Stratton 2-1/2 horse power engine with a horizontal |
| braking system. They did eventually come out with | | | | shaft which was exactly what you needed for a go |
| the 3 speed which was really exciting for us. Some | | | | cart. We grabbed our hammers and some scrap |
| even had the new handle bar brake levers. After | | | | pieces of 2x4 and plywood and put together a real |
| that, about the only other real excitement was when | | | | simple frame. |
| they introduced the banana seat. That was cool as | | | | The steering actually was nothing more than just a |
| you could ride two people much easier and more | | | | couple of 2x4's perpendicular to each other with a |
| comfortable. We also put the baseball cards on the | | | | bolt through them and a rope attached to the ends |
| frame with a clothes pin so that the spokes hit it and | | | | of the one with the front tires mounted on it. You |
| made noise. We thought that was awesome. | | | | pulled the rope to make the front wheels turn right |
| Compare that to what's available now a days. I don't | | | | or left. Very simple indeed but it worked. We took |
| even know how many speeds they go up to | | | | the pulley system off the mower and used it as a |
| anymore. Now you can get the BMX bikes, stunt | | | | way to engage and power one of the rear wheels. |
| bikes, speed bikes, mountain bikes and touring bikes | | | | We used everything off that mower, tires, engine, |
| with a wide variety of options. | | | | gears and pulleys, belts, chain and sprockets. We |
| The next thing that hit the scene back in my day | | | | managed to get a cart up and running. It didn't look |
| was roller skates. They were made to fit on your | | | | as nice as the other neighbor kids but if was faster |
| shoes with a strap to hold the back on to your foot | | | | which made up for the looks. We ran this thing for a |
| and a set of adjustable clamps that one would adjust | | | | couple of good years and had a ball with it. With that |
| with a special key to clamp to the front of the shoe. | | | | being said, I have to admit that not too long ago I |
| They also had a slot in the middle with a screw that | | | | built a frame with steel tubing, found a motor, |
| could be loosened to slide the front and rear wheels | | | | centrifugal clutch and everything else I needed and |
| apart to make the skates longer or shorter, | | | | put together a pretty nice cart for my son. |
| depending on the shoe size. These incredibly enough | | | | So what happened next? The neighbor kid up the |
| worked quite well and we really got some use out of | | | | street got a mini bike from his dad. The go-cart was |
| them. I also got some scuffed up knees, elbows and | | | | no longer cool. I had to have a mini bike. I even |
| hands falling on the cement sidewalks. It was worth | | | | bought plans for one that you could build, supposedly |
| it though. | | | | easy. If you're interested, you can get the story and |
| It wasn't too long after that when the first skate | | | | scoop on my mini bike adventure by simple visiting |
| boards came about. Once we saw these, but we | | | | the website at the end of this article. |
| didn't have the money to buy one, it didn't take long | | | | What about the recreational vehicles of now a days? |
| to cure that desire ourselves. We simple took our old | | | | The BIG thing that comes to mind is the invasion of |
| skates apart in the middle so we had the front | | | | the scooter. Sure they too originated from the past. |
| wheels and back separated and grabbed an ole 2x4 | | | | The self-propelled two wheel foot scooter has been |
| laying around and attached the wheels to it with | | | | around for a while. But, for the newer generation, |
| some nails or screws. Believe it or not, these | | | | they have added electric and gas power to these |
| homemade boards were loads of fun, but a little | | | | babies. We bought an electric one for our son and I |
| more dangerous than the skates themselves. No, we | | | | must say I wish I would of had this option when I |
| didn't have helmets back then and to this day I don't | | | | was a kid. They are fun. |
| know how there weren't more serious head injuries, | | | | But as time goes on, so does ones desire to find |
| at least not in my neighborhood. Have you noticed | | | | something new. Another of todays big hits to come |
| how skateboarding has developed into quite a | | | | about is the 3 and 4 wheelers. There were a lot of |
| competitive sport? If you have ever seen the | | | | accidents and injuries with the instability of the 3 |
| X-Games on TV, then you know that the things | | | | wheelers and they have pretty much disappeared |
| people do now a days with skateboards are amazing. | | | | from the scene due to regulations and laws. The |
| They have all the special ramps andequipment which | | | | 4-wheeler, is still going strong and very popular. Yes, |
| they use to really put on quite a show. You have | | | | my son would like one of these too. I don't know as |
| probably heard the names Tony Hawk or Bob | | | | of this writing, if this is in his future or not, lol. |
| Bernstein at some point in time as they are two of | | | | Who knows what the future holds in the lines of |
| the top competition skateboarders. | | | | recreational toys, but with all the latest technology |
| As a few years pasted, it didn't take long before | | | | and growing electronic accomplishments, I'm sure |
| these self powered forms of transportation were | | | | they will be quite different from anything I have had |
| getting old. We wanted something that had it's own | | | | in the past. What have you done or what are you |
| power. It was also around this time that some | | | | currently doing in the lines of recreational toys and |
| companies started producing go carts. Once we | | | | fun? |
| caught wind of this, everybody wanted to have one. | | | | |