Float History

Aggregating key points in the history of one wheel electric skateboards (both proprietary and open source), and of the community surrounding the sport.

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On December 8, 2022...

Utilizing the new “packages” feature in the upcoming VESC Tool v6.0 release, which allow easily installable extensions to the VESC Firmware, Nico Aleman releases Float Package on pev.dev.

Float Package replaces Mitch Lustig’s Balance App and is heavily based on surfdado’s ATR firmware. Key features greatly improved usability through organized configuration menus, safe default values, min/max ranges for all parameters, and descriptive help texts.

Float Package also introduced the “Remote Tilt” feature, which allows a handheld controller to be used to adjust the “level” angle of the board in real time. This enables riders to traverse much steeper inclines and declines while maintaining precise acceleration and deceleration control.

After its release, Float Package became the foundation for the continued development on the ride feel of VESC-based single wheel electric skateboards.

Category: open source

On September 23, 2023...

In conjunction with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), Future Motion, Inc. voluntarily recalls 300,000 Onewheel self-balancing electric skateboards, involving all Onewheel models. At the same time, Future Motion, Inc. released the Haptic Buzz alert functionality (release video), which addresses the safety concerns in the recall via a firmware update that was available by September 29, 2023 to Onewheel GT, and available via a much later update on Onewheel+ XR, Onewheel Pint, and Onewheel Pint X.

According to Future Motion, Inc., the original Onewheel and Onewheel+ models are not eligible for the firmware update, so they should not be used. Onewheel and Onewheel+ owners can confirm eligibility and possession to receive a $100 credit toward the purchase of a new Onewheel.

Although Future Motion, Inc. originally stated there would be a way for Onewheel Racing League members who met a mileage minimum to disable Haptic Buzz, this feature never actually launched. It is commonly speculated that the feature was scraped in order satisfy the CPSC.

(If you know the exact date the Haptic Buzz firmware was available for Onewheel+ XR, Onewheel Pint, or Onewheel Pint X, please send me a message!)

On May 2, 2025...

Float Hub, a “solution to an easy and streamlined setup process for your VESC-based board.” is released by The Float Life for iOS and Android.

Float Hub significantly reduces the barrier to entry for users to get started with VESC-based platforms.

Categories: open source, vendors

On May 22, 2025...

Get Stoked Media, LLC launches the Get Stoked! Magazine, a new publication “about adventure, articles, PEV lifestyles, Artwork, and culture.”

While initially advertised as a quarterly publication, the company has not yet followed up their initial release with any subsequent releases or official communication about the future of the magazine.

Category: vendors

On June 10, 2025...

Though there has been no official communication from the company (and so this is ultimately speculation), Craft & Ride, a once prominent 3rd party accessory vendor and frequent sponsor of many community events over the years, seemingly dissolved on or around June 10, 2025.

On this date, the craftandride.com website began redirecting to onewheel.com. Despite this, Onewheel Factory Team Rider Austen Silva confirmed Future Motion, Inc has no involvement with Craft & Ride.

Several community members reported their final purchases from Craft & Ride were never fulfilled. Their business address and warehouse was available for lease as of June 26, 2025.

Additionally, the Onewheel Owners Group on Facebook, the largest Onewheel Community of over 38,000 members on the platform and administrated by Craft & Ride, removed all other admins and moderators and paused the group indefinitely the next day. It remains paused today.

On September 3, 2025, the craftandride.com website returned, but only as a generic plug for their social media accounts and an Instagram story feed, despite their last social media post (as of Sept 3, 2025) being in April 2025.

(If you have any additional verifiable evidence of what happened to Craft & Ride, or if you’re a vendor who has verifiable unpaid invoices with Craft & Ride, please send me a message!)

Categories: news, vendors

On August 16, 2025...

Future Motion, Inc. hosts Race for the Rail (recap video), the finale race of the 2025 Onewheel Racing League season at Hollister Hills State Vehicular Recreation Area in Hollister, California from August 14-17.

Race for the Rail 2025 saw significant changes from past year’s formats where only top-ranked Pro class riders were invited to compete on a downhill-focused course.

This year’s race featured an open qualifier and separate competitions for each rider class. Instead of a downhill course, participants competed on a motocross course with varied elevation and an abundance of kickers. Also new to this year, a separate mass start race and freestyle trick competition.

Controversially, Race for the Rail 2025 was also the first Race for the Rail that featured board footholds, however only Future Motion, Inc.’s “FST” footholds were permitted.

Race Winners:

Freestyle Competition Winner: Bodhi Harrison (results)

Mass-Start Race Winner: Cody Thornton (results)

On August 17, 2025...

Over the course of the Onewheel Racing League 2025 season, riders competed at up to 8 ORL Season Events to earn cumulative points via a new dynamic event scoring model. Concluding with the Season Finale at Race for the Rail, the finalized season results are as follows:

Pro Men (full results)

  1. Hayden Bolling (213.3 points)
  2. Jahfari Silsley (185 points)
  3. Josh Ledford (154.7 points)

Pro Women (full results)

  1. Zayne Carter (239.4 points)
  2. Ashley Gnann (205.1 points)
  3. Emma Stewart (163.5 points)

Clydesdale (full results)

  1. Sebastian Cusick (208.1 points)
  2. Dee Montes (164 points)
  3. Andrew Coleman (135.5 points)

Legends (full results)

  1. Richard Stovall (197 points)
  2. Timothy Vandehey (190.7 points)
  3. Charles Leib (151.2 points)

Expert (full results)

  1. Nicholas Meeker (183.5 points)
  2. Max Leib (180 points)
  3. Joshua Rivera (151.7 points)

On September 11, 2025...

FloatLife Fest hosts the annual “Rider of the Year” awards recognizing standout individuals in the sport. These awards feature nominations and voting from the community.

  • Male Rider: Hayden Bolling
  • Female Rider: Zayne Carter
  • Rookie: Hazel Bueno
  • For the Sport: Austen and Mercedes Silva
  • Wipe Out: Nico Aleman (video)
  • Trick: Chris Richardson’s Mystic Flip (video)
  • Photo: Alex Mononen
  • Film: OLD TIMES by The Float Life (video)
  • Clip: Hayden Bolling (video)

On October 23, 2025...

Around 8:00pm EST (local), a long standing Thursday night group ride of over 60 riders on a variety of electric vehicles in St. Petersburg, Florida was targeted by the City of St. Petersburg Police Department in an organized sting at Beach Dr NE between 8th Ave NE and 7th Ave NE. Over 17 officers responded and systematically handed out 24 citations – 20 citations for one wheels and electric unicycles, 2 citations for electric bicycles, and 2 citations for electric scooters that violated state statues. All citations that Float History has been provided cite Section 316.2065(11) of Florida State Law.

Section 316.2065(11) reads “No person upon roller skates, or riding in or by means of any coaster, toy vehicle, or similar device, may go upon any roadway except while crossing a street on a crosswalk […]“.

The St. Petersburg Police Department cites St. Petersburg, Florida Municode Article VI Section 26-284 as establishing “motorized skateboards, motorized roller skates, hoverboards, hoverskates, hovershoes, one-wheeled electric boards, or other similar devices” as “motorized toy vehicles”.

However, this citation appears to be in conflict with Section 316.2128(1) of Florida State Law, which reads “The operator of a motorized scooter or micromobility device has all of the rights and duties applicable to the rider of a bicycle under s. 316.2065 […]” or, for riders whose devices qualify as their electric personal assistive mobility devices, Section 316.2068(1)(a), which reads “(1) An electric personal assistive mobility device, as defined in s. 316.003, may be operated: (a) On a road or street where the posted speed limit is 25 miles per hour or less.”

State preemption should preclude the City of St. Petersburg from exercising authority in a way that is inconsistent with the state constitution or statutes, so it is unclear if these tickets would hold if challenged in court.

When asked for comment, the St. Petersburg Police Department provided the following statement:

“The Police Department has received complaints about [the] ride group blocking traffic, riding in lanes of opposite traffic, and ignoring traffic signals. Our officers met with [the] group this summer to explain the state laws and local ordinances. Electric uni-wheels/unicycles are not permitted on roadways or sidewalks. Motorized scooters and e-bicycles that can travel above 28 m.p.h. are considered motor vehicles and must be registered with the DMV, insured, and the rider must have a driver’s license.”

Contrary to the provided comment and comments from officers present on the night of the sting, recordings of the previous meeting 2 months ago between the ride group and the St. Petersburg Police Department show officers placing an emphasis on illegal dirt bikes being the issue with the group ride previously. Multiple one wheel electric skateboards and electric unicycles were present during this prior meeting and were not emphasized as an issue nor issued a citation.

The targeted enforcement follows a string of 3 e-bike related deaths in the previous weeks which the St. Petersburg Police Department stated “[involved] e-bike riders who were not obeying traffic signals or the rules of the road.”

(source 1, source 2, source 3, source 4)

This is not legal advice. Please consult your lawyer for questions regarding Florida state law or St. Petersburg city ordinances and how they might apply or be litigated. A freedom of information act request from the community is pending for additional details.

If you received a citation related to this event and plan on fighting the ticket in court, I’d love to hear from you.

Category: news

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