Hoverboards have become one of the most popular personal transporters since their release in 2015. The sale of these self-balancing scooters didn’t even slow down during the pandemic. By the end of 2020, 55% of the micro-mobility market was captured by hoverboards in Australia.
And well, the hoverboard fame did not stay limited to kids and adults. It also made its way into pop culture. But how did a hoverboard become so popular in pop culture? So, without further ado, let’s explore the rise of hoverboards in pop culture!
Brooklyn Beckham’s Double Spin
Hoverboards were officially released in 2014, but it wasn’t until 2015 that they became a must-have item for everyone around the world. Brooklyn Beckham – the eldest son of famous footballer David Beckham – was the first to show off this gadget on Instagram.
He posted a video of himself riding the scooter and doing a double spin. This video gained more than 300,000 likes and comments. People loved the trick, and then the trend started spreading like wildfire.
Chris Brown’s Wheels Around
One of the most prominent American rappers and songwriters, Chris Brown, also posted an Instagram video in early 2015 of himself riding a hoverboard. In the video, you can watch him swiftly taking turns on his glowing hoverboard in a hotel corridor. This fun video received 200,000+ likes from his followers.
Justin Bieber Shows Off Some Moves
On 1st June 2015, Justin Bieber was seen trying out his new hoverboard in an airplane. He wheeled around and did a couple of jumps in the Instagram video. His post got exactly 1,011,302 likes and thousands of comments.
Other pop celebrities instantly started to join this trend. Lily Allen, Jamie FOXX, and SKRILLEX are just a few names that were seen using hoverboards in daily life. This was when the hoverboard market exploded with high demand.
Wiz Khalifa & The August Gig
The hype was so much around hoverboards by late 2015 that Wiz Khalifa took his hoverboard to a concert in August. He performed and danced while riding a striking yellow hoverboard. This internationally recognized pop artist also rode a hoverboard regularly.
He was even arrested for refusing to stop riding a hoverboard at the airport. The celebrity posted on his socials and commented: “All because I didn’t want to ditch the technology everyone will be using in the next six months. Do what you want, kids.”
Hoverboard Dance Videos
In October, David Moore released the first premium conceptual hoverboard dance video on YouTube. His amazing crew of 5 members danced and showed off some cool choreography moves based on Justin Bieber’s song What Do You Mean?
More pop artists, like JME and Young Thug, also made music videos featuring hoverboard choreography. Meanwhile, singers like Famous Dex created entire songs inspired by hoverboards.
Today, the hoverboard trend remains at the top of pop culture. TikTok users and Instagram influencers routinely post videos of themselves hoverboarding while dancing to a particular song or doing a workout.
Image: Hoverboard (supplied)