There are skateboards, surfboards, snowboards, dirtboards, motorboards, skimboards, and now this---the Flowboard *. Say what you will about this unique animal, but it is immediately recognizable. When I first tried it out in New York City *'s East Village, children, mothers, and even grandparents turned their heads to look at the way I "glided" on the cement.

With fourteen wheels *, seven in front and seven in back, the board pivots on the two center wheels like an ice skate. As you shift from side to side, the board's weight goes smoothly from one wheel to the next unnoticed by the rider. With so many wheels, the board is quite heavy, and is more suited for downhill * slalom * riding than street riding.

The thing I like most about the board is the way that it handled roadside impediments. With only one wheel in front and back touching during most of your ride, it seems natural that you'd be harder hit by small pebbles. Not so. As it turns out, when one of the wheels has an issue with a crack or gravel, the other ones pick up the slack.

Of course, no skateboard can handle all of New York's potholes, but the Flowboard did hold its own.

After a day or two of riding, I think many will find themselves wanting what I would hope for in such a board: distinctly sized wheels, beveled on one side, and a flexible truck. Having wheels designed for the way that your body presses against the board's motion, along with a less static truck, would make this a much faster and funner board to ride.

From the purist, expect guffaws when riding the flowboard. From the novice, expect a few soft laughs. From people in the street, expect more than a few turned heads.

If your iPod headphones and checkered tie have not already won her over, she'll be yours when you show up curbside on your new Flowboard.

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