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SCOOTERS TO E-SCOOTERS: THE ESHAY WHIP

Before e-scooters took over the streets, there was a golden era (between the early 2000s to early 2010s) when almost every adlay/eshay in Australia was riding a scooter.


Whether it was to the skatepark or around the train station and shops, they were the youth adlays/eshays mode of transportation. If you were to leave your scooter unattended, possibly at the front of a shop to grab an energy drink from your local newspaper or convenience store, or in your front yard (or even backyard), you could expect it to be missing once you came to grab it for a ride.

Arguably, the brand that kicked it all off? Razor. You’d walk into your local Toys‘R‘Us and pick one up for under a hundred bucks. A folding frame and an unmistakable rattle noise when riding after a few weeks of use, even if you were just using it on the pavement. To be honest, I'd feel confident in saying that for a while, everyone either had one or knew someone who did.

You'd know how hardcore of a scooter rider someone was going to be just by the brand of scooters they've used or the amount of customisation was invested into one. Moving from Razor to brands like Apex, Tilt, Ethic, Aztek, Proto, Core or Longway. That's when things got serious.

Customising your scooter became a new way for youth adlays/eshays to flex to their peers or other scooter riders - chrome bars, anodised pegs, bright decks and chrome wheels. The chrome bars were cut low and had long handles, almost mimicking the low-riding Harley Davidson stereotypical bikie gang look. The chrome decks were plastered with stickers and had a grip tape that had unnecessary trend references at the time, much of that like the skateboarding scene. The chrome wheels had pegs that were grinded to death on and also mismatched for the aesthetics. 

Honestly, chrome and loud were the trend. If your setup didn't spark under the sun, were you even riding properly?

While skaters had the classic “do a kickflip” callout, Aussies had their own, “do a tailwhip!” And let's not forget, skaters hated the presence of scooters at the skatepark. Yes, this was universal and not exclusive to The States. You've probably seen compilations or videos on social media of skaters beefing with scooter riders. 

Nowadays? The classic scooter has mostly faded from suburban streets, skateparks and train stations. It’s been replaced by e-scooters, which are bulkier, faster and more practical. But let's be honest, it's missing that bit of soul. The crowd’s changed too.

What was once the domain of youth adlays/eshays doing tailwhips at the park has turned into a fleet of office workers and delivery riders zipping past. If at night, it'd be a bunch of drunks, tipsied or sober people renting an e-scooter to get home or to their hotel. However, every now and then, you'd always somehow find an adlay/eshay on a scooter doing 70km/h somewhere, which proves some things never change, they just evolve with innovation.

Funny how it’s come full circle? From the symbol of Aussie youth chaos to a tool of adult convenience. Different times, same wheels. OG adlays/eshays were ahead of their times.

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