See below for a RipStik mention in the Lake County News-Chronicle (circ. 3,532). The writer was walking around town looking for signs of spring and found someone riding the RipStik.

A neighbor’s grandson, in a short-sleeve t-shirt on a 45-degree day, was coasting down the middle of the street on a skateboard. Correction. A “rip stick.” Weird looking, wasp-waisted contraption that can be wiggled uphill as well as coasted down. It looked like spring to me, and so I clicked.

From the Lake County News-Chronicle article, “Stalking Spring - And Finding It” by Monica Isley

On Sunday, February 24th Fox Sports broadcast of NASCAR experienced a rain delay and they were doing on site interviews with NASCAR drivers and fans. One such interview ended up focusing on a kid riding a RipStik!

The RipStik was mentioned in Saturday’s Los Angeles Times (circ. 779,682). The article is about the 50th anniversary of the intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), well-known during the Cold War. The writer says that today the ICBM is more like a Hula Hoop in the age of the RipStik, which is a reference to the current popularity of the caster board.

NEW YORK – February 16, 2008 – The RipStik® Caster Board, one of the holiday’s hottest selling items, was awarded Outdoor Toy of the Year by the Toy Industry Association (TIA) during the T.O.T.Y (Toy of the Year) Awards Ceremony, February 16 at Pier 60 at Chelsea Piers in New York. The launch of the RipStik in 2007 ignited a nationwide trend, proving there is no other product on the market that provides the sheer fun and feeling of carving on dry land.

“We are thrilled that the RipStik has been selected for this T.O.T.Y award,” said Carlton Calvin, president of Razor USA, manufacturers of the RipStik. “The introduction of the RipStik has lead to a nationwide craze, with consumers of all ages carving on the streets, from Southern California to Florida and everywhere in between. This spring, RipStik fans can look forward to more RipStik products with exciting new features in stores nationwide.”

The RipStik Caster Board is innovative and patented with a unique mechanical design that blends the carving of surfing and snowboarding into a sport for dry land. The RipStik melds the motions and anatomy of both action sports into a distinctive ride. The independently rotating platforms and two inclined caster wheels generate speed and create a fun carving motion on the pavement while allowing tight twists and turns without pushing – just twist and go!

The RipStik features:

• Plastic end platforms connected by metal torsion beam
• Urethane wheels on 360 degree inclined casters
• Traction pads on each platform
• Independently rotating platforms generate speed and allow tight twisting and turning without pushing
• Kick tail and raised kick nose with concave design for tricks and improved footing

The T.O.T.Y Awards encompass 11 different industry categories that are designed to recognize the best toys and youth entertainment products, along with outstanding individuals, companies and team achievements.

The RipStik will be exhibited at Toy Fair, booth #2206 at the Javits Convention Center, February 17-20. The Company will introduce the RipStik “G,” the newest RipStik Caster Board, which features a spinning aircraft-grade aluminum “G” tube in the center for an extreme grinding experience.

RipStik products are currently sold in more than 10,000 retail stores nationwide and have received numerous awards and accolades including the Toy Industry Association’s 2007 “Toy of the Year” nomination, Creative Child “Seal of Excellence,” National Parenting Center “Seal of Approval,” Newsweek’s “Top Holiday Gifts,” USA Weekend “Top Toys for Teens”, Wal-Mart’s Top 12 Toys of Christmas and Toys R Us’ Hot Toys of Summer. For more information, visit www.ripstikusa.com.

See below for a RipStik mention in the Kidsday section of Newsday (circ. 387,503). This is probably the fifth mention of the RipStik within this section – their kid reporters love it! The mention this time around was in the “Stuff Kids Do” section. They did a great job explaining the RipStik saying it’s like riding a surfboard and snowboard combined.

Do you know what a RipStik Caster Board is? It looks like a skateboard, but it’s like riding a surfboard and snowboard combined.

It has two wheels and two boards that are connected, and they swivel when you move your feet. It is different from a skateboard because a skateboard has one board and four wheels.

RipStiks start at about $130 and are recommended for ages 8 and older. We love riding our RipStiks. We learn how to balance when we practice new and cool tricks on them.

For more information, visit ripstikusa.com.

The RipStik has been included in a fashion layout in the February issue of Earnshaw’s Infants, Girls & Boyswear Review (circ. 15, 357), which is a trade publication for children’s apparel professionals. The broader article is indeed about how toys influence boys’ fashion trends.

The RipStik was mentioned in the Salt Lake Tribune (circ. 128,186) gift guide for teens and tweens. The RipStik tops the holiday wish lists for many local kids.

See below for a link to the Consumer Reports Online’s (2,983,656 UVM) review of the RipStik. Overall, a very positive piece. They had an adult, teenager and younger child try out the board. There is also video included.

Here is a link to the article: Consumer Reports Online - RipStik review

Dr. Gadget (www.drgadget.com) will be appearing on the Montel Williams Show on December 17th for a gift guide segment. Dr. Gadget will ride on to the stage on the RipStik and explain it to Montel and the audience. In addition to the on-air mention, there would be web site links on drgadget.com and the Montel Williams Show web site. To find a local station and air time in your area log on to http://www.montelshow.com/ and search by state in the upper right hand corner. In the Los Angeles it airs at 1PM on KTTV Fox 11.

See below for the RipStik mention in the TopShopMag.com holiday gift guide. This is the second year for the TopShopMag.com online gift guide and they’re expecting 300,000-500,000 visitors.

From TopShopMag.com:
Don’t go into this expecting to have a skate board. The Ripstik is a great product, but it’s not a walk in the park. The Ripstik has two wheels, and it twists in the middle. Getting on it is a lot more like snowboarding or surfing and a lot less like riding a skateboard. It’s OK for kids, but make sure they wear their safety gear because you will fall a couple times before you get the hang of it. Once you do, it can be a lot of fun for anyone under 220 lbs. It’s durable, and the learning curve isn’t too steep. Just be prepared for one heck of a core work out.

You can pick up the Ripstik for as little as $80 at www.Amazon.com.