Tony Ward is not your typical boarder.
“For years, I have had long boards and that sort of thing, before they were in en vogue,” he said.
But he is an idea guy, someone who prides himself on developing innovative ideas.
A few years ago, Ward was trying to develop an electric skateboard, but that idea has since gained traction.
So Ward, a 43-year-old who has spent his entire life in Langley, shifted gears.
And what he came up with has started to turn some heads.
“I have always had quirky ideas and just came up with the idea of a drill-powered skate board,” he explained.
“I just thought it would be fun to try and then I tried it, and it kind of worked.”
This was about two and a half years ago.
And what he has come up with since is the Kranx Powerstik.
The Kranx Powerstik sees riders attach a cordless drill to their skateboard.
The boarders hold the drill in one hand as they navigate their path.
It allows the boards to reach speeds of up to 23 km/h, Ward explained.
The speed depends on the drill, the board, the wheels and the weight of the rider, he added.
Ward has partnered up with Jon Kroeker — the founder and president of Ktech Manufacturing Inc., a machining company on the Langley/Surrey border — to launch their project.
The pair had the project on the crowdfunding website www.kickstarter.com which allows supporters to pledge toward the project and in exchange, they received certain gifts.
They raised just over $4,000, a quarter of their $15,000 goal.
“The two of us are just trying to kick this off,” Ward said.
“I am excited to share what I have been relishing for over two years with others from around the world.
“Regardless of if this gets any traction or not, this has been a lot of fun.”
“The neat thing is when I am blasting around on this …. I have been getting lots of good response from people.
“A lot of people are rubber-necking, asking questions.”
Ward said he has received lots of thumbs-up and smiles from drivers and pedestrians.
A short video on their Facebook page had more than one million views and thousands of likes and comments.
A lot of times, Ward will strap a Go-Pro camera on his helmet and shoot video as he whizzes around on his contraption.
The device is easily removable if a boarder wants to ride the traditional way.
“I really enjoy this just because it is fun,” Ward said.
“My goal was to make something that put a smile on my face and a smile on other peoples’ faces just so they could have a good time.
“We think this could be a lot of fun.”