No 8 wire solution to grandchild’s skating problem

After 4 1/2 years developing his all-terrain skates, 71-year-old Reg Reid predicts a bright future for them worldwide. Picture / Amos Chapple

When 71-year-old Reg Reid saw his two grandchildren could not use their inline skates on the grass, the former dairy farmer and self-taught engineer knew he could devise something better.

A Matamata garden shed, a bit of No 8 wire ingenuity, 4 1/2 years and $1.3 million later, and he and his son are taking their all-terrain skates to the world.

"All my life when I've needed something I've made it," he said.

He found an aluminium plate, then attached a sports shoe and four industrial trolley wheels to it.

Mr Reid said he tried a few prototypes on grandson Daniel but they got the thumbs-down.

"I came up with this and got Aana [his granddaughter] to try them and she was off around the lawn."

Skorpion Skates started in his Matamata garden shed in 2000, among his gardening tools.

About 4 1/2 years later, $1.3 million has been raised - largely from friends and family - to develop the skates, which can be used on almost every surface.

 

Now with the help of his son Gary, Skorpion Skates are going worldwide.

"We've really hit oil this time," Mr Reid said.

The skates were trialled in Warehouse stores but after Gary showed them at a Munich conference last August, they had orders from Spain, Portugal, Cyprus and Germany, with possibilities in Britain.

"The idea is No 8 wired but it's ended up a pretty high-tech thing."

DuPont came up with special grip wheels for the skates, which have been patented in 34 countries.