Kids, and some adults, can’t resist the chance to do some dangerous tricks on a patch of asphalt. As a matter of fact, give a twelve-year-old boy a 5×5 patch of concrete, and any wheel, and they will find a way to invent a new X-game.

I first saw a wave style skateboard in Walmart, and I spent five minutes trying to convince my roommate that it was a small oar for kayaking. When he told me that his little brother had one and that it was a new kind of skateboard, I lost it.

Small, Streamlined, and Champ-Building

Now that I’ve seen kids on these things, I think they are ingenious. Small, streamlined, and hard to use, these things make kids look impressive. Kids feel like champs knowing their parents could never get the hang of it.  This particular one has a bunch of bells and whistles, too, including flashing LED lights in the wheels (parents, remember how we only had sneakers that did that?) and a very trendy checkerboard pattern.

My stepsister did a lot of skateboarding, and she told me that a decent board, with brand-name wheels and all the right parts for tricks would cost over $200 where she used to buy gear.  Most waveboards today cost $75 or more. This little lightweight “Checkboard” by StreetWaveNow is only $35 on Amazon (granted, it isn’t endorsed by Tony Hawk or anybody, and it isn’t the name-brand Ripstik product).

It comes with a carrying case, tools, and a DVD that shows you how to ride it without falling and breaking your moneymaker.

Some parents might be concerned about safety issues, and yes, this combination of skateboarding, surfing, and snowboarding looks pretty treacherous. With such a low price, though, just snag a helmet and a tube of Neosporin to go with it.  It’s part of being a kid to fall down once in a while.

Now, if you’re an adult and want to try one of these puppies out, all I can say is good luck.

Technology never ceases to amaze me. At times, there are products that seem years ahead of their time, making what once seemed impossible a reality. Recently, Mindflex has been released and already is making new advancements in the entertainment industry.

Like something out of a science fiction movie, Mindflex by Mattel is operated by the user’s mind, as the name suggests. No, you won’t be able to levitate objects after using it, but it’s as close as you’re going to get. Rather, there are sensors that must be attached to your forehead and earlobes. These sensors measure your brainwaves and how much or little you are concentrating. Based on your level of concentration, a fan inside the console will blow, causing a foam ball to rise and fall.

Once the ability to control your concentration has been acquired, you can the guide the ball through an obstacle course. Numerous parts allow players to create their own course designs, providing potentially limitless entertainment. There are also games for up to four players, allowing for further enjoyment in finding out who has the best mental control.

Of course, there are some drawbacks. For one, understanding the relationship between the mind and the ball’s levitation will not come easily to many and frustration could easily set in. For around 200 bucks, that really would be a shame. Secondly, in order to play, the Mindflex requires a whopping four C and three AAA batteries. Lastly, the sensors look nothing short of ridiculous on the user’s head, but that’s more of a judgment call.

Either way, these shortcomings seem so inconsequential in the grand scheme of things, as this truly is an experience unlike any other. If you ever see a demo of it set up anywhere, don’t hesitate to try it out, no matter how silly you look.

If you can master your mind, there’s no telling how much fun you could have.  Mindflex  retails for under $250.