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BIG COTTONWOOD CANYON - The streaking figure on the dirt trail at Solitude was too colorful to be a deer and, a second glance revealed, wore a silver helmet. But this was no kamikaze mountain biker.
No, the latest wave of mountain downhill thrill sports looks like what the kids on the block are doing.
Diggler Mountain Scooters are the brainchild of Rob Fruechtenicht, who grew up in California's Marin County, the birthplace of mountain bikes.
"I watched that whole process with the emergence of mountain bikes; it was amazing. I wanted to invent my own sport in the same flavor," Fruechtenicht said.
That flavor involves dirt, the salt of sweat and the odd quaking aspen leaf from a branch you failed to duck.
Diggler Scooters are equipped with 20-inch BMX wheels, off-road tires and shocks that make bike riders comfortable. A foot platform that acts like a skid plate pleases the snowboarding and skateboarding crowd. And, yes, there are handbrakes so you don't have to drag your feet on the ground to stop.
"You get a carving, surfing kind of feel and yet it tracks like a mountain bike," Fruechtenicht said. "It is always interesting to see people try it for the first time. They apply the disciplines they know best. You can interpret the scooters whatever way you want."
A recent excursion to Solitude, where the scooters can be rented, provided thrills, spills and a need for pills.
The thrills come from flying down the trails as fast as on a mountain bike, catching air in the usual places and picking a route through roots, rocks and vegetation. Spills result from a mistaken belief that bailing from a scooter is easier than taking a tumble on a bike.
The pills might be needed at the end of the day, knowing how sore your body will be after trying a new sport.
Like other means humans have created for flying down the mountainside, scooters aren't for everyone. The Purdy family of Ogden discovered recently that riding a scooter down a rocky mountain isn't as easy as it sounds.
"My wife decided it would be a fun way to spend the afternoon and a good reason to ride the ski lift. We rented two for the kids and we were just going to walk down," said James Purdy. "My daughter [age 15] gave it up and I ended up riding her scooter down. I went head over heels a couple of times."
The Diggler scooters are available for rent at four Utah resorts. Solitude carries two models: the Alpha Dog for adults and the Dirt Dawg for young and more petite riders.
Bob Stewart, at the Stone Haus at Solitude Village, says Solitude now rents more scooters than mountain bikes and the resort doubled its fleet of Digglers for this summer.
"We get a lot of families with older kids. Teenage girls seem to especially like them," he said.
Solitude recommends that riders be at least 10 years old to ride the mountain; all rentals include a helmet. Lightweight gloves, sunscreen and water are other items riders should use or carry. Some people bring their own elbow and knee pads.
Diggler scooters have been available for rent at various ski resorts across the country since 1999. But they're showing up in other places, including sidewalks.
Fruechtenicht said the scooters have taken on lives of their own. Adventure race organizers have developed an interest, as have dog trainers.
"A lot of people are using the scooters as a way to get their dogs and themselves into shape," he said. "There are no bad dogs, only dogs that need exercise."
And, according to Fruechtenicht, a Diggler scooter rider recently won a downhill mountain bike competition.
The scooters range in price from $450 for the Alpha Dog to $150 for the Dirty Dawg.
Fruechtenicht is now working on an electric model of the adult scooter for commuters that would have a 30-mile range and reach speeds up to 35 mph.
Renting mountain scooters in Utah
Snowbird
Rates: $25 for two hours, $35 for four hours; all day tram pass is $6 with rental.
Hours: Tram runs daily, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.; scooter rental from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Solitude
Rates: $26 for two lift rides and a two-hour scooter rental with helmet; or $10 an hour with a two-hour minimum.
Hours: Lift open Thursday-Sunday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Park City
Rates: $18 per day or $8 per hour
Hours: Lift is open Monday-Thursday, noon to 9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Sunday, noon to 8 p.m. Last lift is one hour prior to the daily close.
Sundance
Rates: $30 for a full day (10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.), $20 half day (2:30 to 6:30 p.m.) and $20 twilight rental from 6:30 to 10 p.m.
Hours: Lift runs daily, 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Buying scooters
Youth models are available at Red Balloon stores in Salt Lake and Sandy. The entire Diggler line is available at JW Allen and Sons and Cole Sport in Park City. The scooters are also available at http://www.diggler.com.