Everyone from 4 year old kids to businessmen are hopping on scooters to commute or just goof off. But is this just the latest fad or is the trend here to stay? “I really can’t figure it out,” said Jeff Halliburton, manager of Michael’s Cyclery, 320 Main St. “But they are neat little devices.” There are over 40 models of kick scooters with prices ranging from $100 to nearly $600. They feature slicker designs than their predecessors, with smooth-turning wheels. Old features such as rear brakes and cushioned handles are still found on today’s models. The new-wave scooters fold up, making storage convenient and transport easy. Models fit inside handy carrying cases. Allen Sanborn, junior in computer science, owns a K2 kickboard, which is a little different than other scooters. It’s a hybrid between a skateboard and scooter made from aluminum, carbon and wood. Sanborn bought his in Cologne, Germany, for about $220. “It’s better because you can’t take a bike with you into class and with Rollerblades you have to sit down and take them off, and that can take a lot of time,” Sanborn said. “People like to go around on them because it’s faster than walking.” “I was in Germany last summer for an internship and everyone over there was riding on them,” Sanborn said. “They are very popular in larger pedestrian zones, like in bigger cities I was in this summer.” Mostly made of steel or aluminum, the new wave of scooters are lightweight and durable. Not as durable, however, may be the popularity of this trend. “All signs point to it being somewhat of a fad,” Halliburton said. “It’s like in-line skates. First you had one company making them and then overnight there were 10 other manufacturers trying to cash in. When you get that many manufacturers and stores trying to stock it, the market becomes flooded, prices start to drop, and quality starts to drop.” The craze started in Asia and came to America on the West coast last Christmas. “We had them maybe two or three months before Christmas last year, but people were hesitant [to buy them] because of videos games and other more popular things,” said Micah Noe, assistant manager for the Palo Alto California branch of The Sharper Image, which sells the popular Razor scooters. “After Christmas we got a wave of parents asking for help because their kids were begging for them.” Even scooter owners see the hype eventually fading away. “It is probably just a trend and it will burn itself, but as far as I know I am the only one with a three-wheeler,” Sanborn said. “I get lots of weird looks and one word comments like `cool.'” So is the scooter here to stay or will it go the way of Tickle Me Elmo, Cabbage Patch Kids and Pogoballs? “It went from selling about 25,000 to 50,000 in the U.S. last year to 4 million this year, but that’s how fads work,” Halliburton said. “People grow tired of stuff really fast. By this Christmas, it’ll be something new,” Noe said. “I don’t remember what happened to my Pogoball.”