If 5-Minute Crafts were a blog, this would be pretty similar…with this in mind, I invite you to continue reading…
Have YOU ever been ankled by your scooter? These pesky occurrences usually happen while you are trying to make a swift turn to keep up with your friends…but it does not have to be this way.
Introducing the Ankle Saviors. Ankle Saviors are a sort of padding that creates a barrier between the edge of the scooter and the ankle. They would be made of rubber or some sort of cotton, that could be easily inserted on the last 1/4 of the deck. Very simple.
(side view)
Now, when the edge of your scooter comes into contact with your ankle, it just bounces off, and you can continue on your way. No more pain, no more ankle scabs, and no more falling behind.
Some may say “just wear ankle pads!” However, this solution is not realistic, as when you and your friends decide to ride your scooters to the park on a whim, who has time to put ankle pads on? Ankle pads reduce mobility, are uncomfortable, and inconvenient. I would rather be grazed in the ankle occasionally by my scooter rather than wear ankle pads every time I want to go for a ride. With the Ankle Saviors, they look cool and you never have to worry about putting them on, as they can be taken on and off quickly and easily.
Ankle Saviors are great for parents who are worried about their kids’ ankles, as well as kids who do not want to be slowed down for anything. If I was a kid and I saw one of those flashy commercials promoting this, I would be sold. Designs would include glitter, flames, and light up.
Now, in this world of ever-growing consumerism, an Ankle Savior for some of our less pain-tolerant citizens may seem like a waste of time. I was doing some research on scooter ‘accessories,’ and what I found astonished me. Amazon offers a range of scooter accessories: scooter bags, scooter phone mounts, scooter LED light strips, scooter shoulder straps, scooter rear racks, and LED disco lights for the handlebars. So, if finding an investor that is willing to put down a few hundred thousand dollars for the Ankle Saviors is not possible, I have a DIY option you can try out.
You will need an old t-shirt, pillow stuffing, hot glue, string, and paint/accessories. First, cut two 5×4 inch rectangles out of the T-shirt. Then, hot glue three of the four sides together. Now, you should be left with a pouch, fill that with pillow stuffing, and hot glue that is closed. Now, you can paint, bedazzle, or decorate the mini-pillow any way you want. Now repeat so you have two mini ‘pillows.’ Then, cut two 1 ft pieces of string (make sure your string is not too thin). Finally, hot glue the pillows onto each string longways, then tie the string onto the last ⅓ of the deck. (see diagram for finished result)
With the Ankle Saviors, you will say “OUCH! My ankle!” no more.
Hello Kaetlyn! To answer your question, yes I have been ankled by my scooter. I did not know this incident had a name but I am glad to hear it does. I love this topic because so many kids can relate to it. Thinking about being hit in the shin by a scooter did not bring me back to that painful place, but instead reminded me of my childhood. This could be a great selling point. Use peoples childhood memories and swear you can improve upon them. Take out their pain. Your idea is easy and applicable for all scooter riders. I love five minute easy crafts that improve our everyday life. The fact that you even took it a step further by kicking the competitors to the curb was impressive. Ankle pads could never compare to your invention. Ankle saviors are easier to install, less expensive, and more useful. I was sad to hear getting an investor would be close to impossible, but I want to remind you our school does offer business incubator. This would be a great idea to pitch. Your written diagrams were very helpful when I was picturing the ankle saviors. I will for sure be subscribing to your blog in the future. Overall great work, very creative.
When I read your title, I am going to be completely honest and say that I laughed. Not the kind of laugh that is done in your head but a laugh that resembles an out-loud chuckle. This brings me way back to when I was in elementary school. I remember riding my scooter around everywhere with my sister. But, even more clearly, I remember performing my cool tricks where I would flick my scooter up and let the bottom half spin in a circle (in the air) and then put the scooter back down. Even though I thought this trick was cool, it came with a lot of accidental hits on the ankles. Ones that would leave scratch marks and bruises. I know that I would have been a lot more confident in my trick if I were to have your cool new invention. When I get older I will certainly be looking out for this one so my kids can go through their childhood without having to experience the same pain I felt. I will be subscribing to your blog, so that when you start to sell the “Ankle Saviors”, I will be the first to purchase them. And for now, I will be using your 5-minute DIY project and teaching my little neighbors how to create the “Ankle Saviorrs” themselves. Thank you for sharing!
Hi Kaetlyn, I indeed have been ankled by a scooter, too many times. I love the creativity of the Ankle Saviors and how they put ankle pads to shame with their simplicity, comfort, and convenience. These would’ve been so useful for me as a kid, I could’ve saved my ankle hundreds of times. I also love how you included a DIY option so that kids could make their own ankle saviors at home. This also allows kids to be creative with their designs so they could look cooler as well. I think that your invention would do really well if it was on the market as every kid that owns a scooter would buy it. I know that if I was a kid, I would definitely buy it. I think the idea is great and I would definitely invest if I had the chance
Kaetlyn, I loved your blog post! It was so humorous and a great pitch. I would definitely buy the ankle saviors if you ever decided to start up the company. I also really loved the detailed drawings and diagrams – your passion about this project really shines through. As a fellow scooter rider, I have definitely felt the wrath of my razor scooter. I also appreciated how you gave a DIY option since the product is not actually created (I will be waiting though). Personally, I also run into this issue with bikes (do note: I am a terrible bike rider, Ivy can attest from our gym adventures) however I wonder if some type of accessory could be made for bike pedals. So when you stop the bike they do not ram into one’s bottom shin / ankle. Your blog post reminds me of the tiktoker who makes unnecessary inventions – your’s of course is an essential – but your post gives the same energy as he does. Overally, this blog post is extremely creative and I look forward to reading them in the future and maybe see you on Shark Tank one day 😉
First off, I think it is extremely important for me to mention that I am a big fan of your drawings. I think the first picture especially shows the raw, unfiltered emotions of a person who was ankled by a scooter. The tears welling up, the frown, the throbbing ankle – everything is perfectly illustrated! Anyways, I enjoyed getting to learn about possible solutions to the ever-so-relevant issue of being ankled. I think I will try out your DIY Ankle Savior innovation for two reasons. First, so I have an excuse to ride a scooter and reminisce about childhood youth, and so I can see how well it works! I think your unique value proposition was actually really relevant, because I remember how angry I would get at my mom when she asked me to wear knee pads when I went biking. I would be so embarrassed and annoyed at how long it took to get them on, and I think that frustration would be ten-fold if I were asked to wear something like that for a scooter. The Ankle Saviors would be the perfect solution, and it is connected to the scooter so you would never forget to bring it ! Perhaps this will be our written event. (Kidding!)
Kaetlyn, you have resurfaced a memory that has been buried deep in my mind for a very long time. I had a love-hate relationship with my Razor scooter and I blame all of the cuts and bruises around my ankles; I wish your product was around 10 years ago! Also, I never knew there were so many scooter accessories! Not that I had a phone at the time I was riding around on my scooter but I do imagine the scooter phone mount with some LED strips around it would have made me the coolest kid in the cul-de-sac. The DIY step-by-step is also greatly appreciated! I like that all the materials you listed can be found in most homes, aside from the hot glue. This makes your product accessible to so many people. I love anything that I can bedazzle and customize so I would definitely spend way more time working on this project than is reasonable. At times like this that I wish to go back to simpler times when my bedtime was 8:00 sharp, my mom basically ran my life, and I could spend my free time riding around on my Razor scooter. Thank you for sharing and I cannot wait to see what other DIY inventions you come up with!