“Eric Bjornstad, 14, and his brother Michael Bjornstad, 12, hit warp speed in an Oak Harbor parking lot aboard their scooters. The two-wheeled vehicles are extremely popular with school kids and were one of the hottest gifts this holiday season.Terrill SimeckiScooter SafetyWith the boom in scooter popularity, there has come a rise in scooter-related injuries. The American Physical Therapy Association has developed safety guidelines for riding scooters. The organization says a padded helmet, kneepads, elbow pads and wrist guards are musts for full protection. Broken and sprained wrists have become common because people tend to break a fall by putting their arms down first. Two types of knee injuries are also frequently reported: hard falls on the kneecap, which can do long-lasting damage to the bone, ligaments and tendons surrounding the joint; and stretches or tears to the medical collateral ligament that runs along the knee joint.Dave Watkins, manager of Velocity Bikes in Bayview, said store employees encourage new scooter riders to purchase helmets and other protective equipment. It would probably be a good idea, he said.The kids’ Internet site operated by Consumer Reports magazine at www.zillions.org rates scooters and urges riders to wear helmets. The site editors also provide other safety tips: Learn how to stop, bend your knees slightly when riding, and keep your weight low and centered over the middle of the scooter. Standing up straight or leaning back increases your chances of wiping out.Hula hoops, lava lamps, pet rocks, pogo sticks and now scooters fill part of the long list of trends that have taken America by storm. Still riding off this summer’s wave of popularity, scooters were found under many Christmas trees this year. A strange contraption with the body of a skateboard riding on wheels like those found on in-line skates kept under control by handlebars and a hand brake, scooters have become a fad again after falling out of favor 50 years ago.The scooter craze has already hit the streets of Langley, Coupeville, Oak Harbor and the rest of Island County. As Christmas neared, the foot-powered vehicles were flying off the shelves at stores both large and small. At South Whidbey’s Velocity Bikes, the scooter business has suddenly picked up this month. Store manager Dave Watkins said half of the store’s fall order of 10 scooters have gone out the door in December.We sold five in the last month, Watkins said.Up the island in Oak Harbor, big-box retailer Wal-Mart has had the same sort of sales, only in greater volume.There was a huge rush after Thanksgiving, Wal-Mart employee Jason Windsor said. We were sold out for a week-and-a-half.Eric Bjornstad, 14, and his brother Michael, 12, bought scooters in September.You can do tricks and jumps and they go fast, Eric said. It’s more of a fun thing, but they’re also good for transportation. The scooters’ versatility seems to be their selling point.They’re so small and light, and you can do so much with them, Michael said. You can get them almost anywhere. I’ve even seen 7-11 sell them.The brothers, who attend North Whidbey Middle School, even said that they are allowed to bring scooters to school, and some teachers will hold them for students during the school day.On South Whidbey, scooter riders need to follow a few rules. While the little vehicles are legal on Island County roads and on some sidewalks and streets in Langley, scooter riders are prohibited from the city’s downtown street sidewalks. With so many scooters out on the streets and sidewalks, injuries can occur. You can get hurt really bad, Michael Bjornstad said. My friend got a bloody nose, and his face got all scraped up from falling.Langley Police Chief Bob Herzberg said that even in quiet residential areas, he would prefer to see scooters on the sidewalks because they are difficult for drivers to maneuver around on the city’s narrow streets.We certainly don’t want them in the streets because the streets are only big enough for cars, Herzberg said.That’s probably good advice, since the population of these low-cost rides is bound to increase after Christmas. Velocity Bikes sells its line of shock-absorber equipped J.D. Bug scooters for $115. Wal-Mart and K-Mart in Oak Harbor sell scooters ranging in price from about $39 to $96. Windsor said the prices don’t necessarily reflect quality as much as brand name, and that some of them are really well built. Razor scooters, which is the company that is known for sparking the national trend, sell for about $88. K-Mart sells Extreme Limits scooters for about $70.Staff reporter Matt Johnson contributed to this story. “