AN INVENTOR who has developed a new type of spring powered skateboard has reached the finals of a national competition.
Steven Spong, 23, who grew up in Leigh, entered the Smiles per Hour competition run by Fiat with his “Longbow” design. The board works by the rider jumping up and down on it and they are pushed forward by a spring.
The competition to discover Britain’s budding inventors ran this summer and was based on the design brief of making travelling more fun.
Mr Spong must now beat four other finalists to win the £50,000 prize and fund production of his invention.
He needed eight prototypes to perfect his design.
He said: “Each one was hand built and I perfected the design through trial and error.
“It’s an entirely new and exciting transport of leisure board and on flat ground it allows the rider to propel themselves forward by pumping.”
The former Southend High School for Boys student and university graduate, now lives in Putney, but until October last year lived with his parents in Westleigh Avenue.
He works as a product designer for a travel company.
The finals of the competition are being held in Fiat’s flagship London store in Wigmore Street.
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