I ride a Meepo Hurricane. I want to be clear about that upfront, because this is not a neutral review written from a distance. This is a Best Day Ever article, and the best days I have had on wheels in the last two years have all started with stepping onto that board, thumbing the remote, and feeling the world tilt forward.
Meepo is a Shenzhen company founded in April 2017 by Kieran Mao, a mechanical engineer who built himself an electric skateboard, posted it on YouTube hoping for B2B interest, and instead got flooded with orders from riders who wanted one for themselves. He quit his day job. Meepo Board was born. Named after a character from the game Dota 2, the company now ships to 70 countries and has over 120,000 riders. The Hurricane — their flagship all-terrain board — is why most of those people stayed.
What Kieran understood from the beginning, and what the Hurricane proves completely, is that electric skateboarding is not a toy category. It is a transportation and lifestyle category that happens to be genuinely, unreasonably fun. The best day ever on a Meepo is not a special occasion. It is Tuesday morning on the seawall. It is a Saturday afternoon on the trail. It is any day you decide to leave the car in the driveway.
"The best day ever on a Meepo is not a special occasion. It is Tuesday morning on the seawall."
THE BOARD
The Hurricane.
Everything Changed.
The Hurricane is a 2-in-1 all-terrain board. It ships with 155mm pneumatic wheels for off-road and grass, and 90mm street wheels for pavement. One board, two completely different riding experiences. The deck is T700 carbon fiber — the same grade used in drone cameras — stiff, wide, double-drop, with a top-access electronic compartment that makes battery swaps and maintenance genuinely easy.
The numbers are serious: dual 3,500W belt motors, a 12s4p Molicel P42A battery pack at 725.8 watt-hours, a marketed top speed of 35 mph (56 km/h), and a range of 31 miles on AT wheels or 44 miles on street wheels. Double Kingpin trucks tuned for stability at speed. Four independent speed modes and four brake modes. The LingYi FOC ESC is now considered indistinguishable from the gold-standard Hobbywing units that cost twice as much.
The current generation is the Vader — Hurricane Carbon, starting from $999 USD, rated 4.9 stars across 216 reviews. The Pro AWD version takes it further with four-wheel drive from $1,599. Both are available direct from meepoboard.com with fast US warehouse shipping.
HURRICANE SPECS AT A GLANCE
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THE RIDE
What It Actually Feels Like
Mode 1 and 2 are for learning. Mode 3 is where the board starts to feel like itself — smooth, powerful, with a pull that makes you lean forward instinctively. Mode 4 is for when you know what you are doing and you want to feel it. The acceleration is strong enough that new riders should absolutely start in Mode 1. The brakes are equally serious: four independent settings, from gentle regenerative to a firm, confident stop that will throw you forward if you are not ready for it.
On the AT wheels, the Hurricane handles grass, gravel, and packed dirt with confidence. It is not a mountain board — it will not climb loose rock or steep mud — but it will take you places a street board cannot, and it will do it smoothly enough that you forget you are on pneumatic tyres. Swap to the street wheels and the whole character of the board changes: lighter, faster, more precise, a proper commuter tool with serious range.
The double kingpin trucks are tuned for stability rather than carving, which is the right call for a board this fast. You will not be doing tight slalom runs on the Hurricane. You will be covering ground — long, confident, effortless ground — and arriving places with a grin that is difficult to explain to people who have not tried it.
THE FOUNDER
Kieran Mao Built It for Himself First
In April 2017, Kieran Mao — a mechanical engineer with a decade of experience in consumer electronics — built an electric skateboard for himself. He put a video on YouTube. He was not trying to start a company. He was trying to get noticed by retailers. Instead, the electric skateboard community found him and the orders came in faster than he could process them.
He quit his job. He named the company after a Dota 2 character. He launched the V1.5 with a uniquely designed concave deck that became an immediate bestseller in the US. Less than two years later, there were 120,000 Meepo riders in over 70 countries. The company now runs group rides in cities around the world and co-founded International Eskate Day, first held on June 16, 2019.
What makes Meepo different from the premium brands is not just price — it is philosophy. Kieran's mission from day one has been to make electric skateboarding accessible. The Hurricane is the proof that accessible does not mean compromised. It is the board that competes with boards costing twice as much, and in most real-world riding conditions, wins.
THE COMMUNITY
The Friendliest People on Wheels
This is the part that does not show up in the spec sheet. The Meepo community — on Reddit, on Discord, on the r/MeepoBoards subreddit, at group rides in cities from San Francisco to Singapore — is genuinely, unusually friendly. People post about their first rides. Veterans answer questions from beginners. Upgrade guides are shared freely. The company organises group rides and responds to customer messages with a warmth that is rare in any consumer electronics brand.
When I first got on the Hurricane, I had questions. The community answered them. When I wanted to upgrade my wheels, the community had already done the comparison. When I wanted to know which mode to use on the seawall versus the trail, someone had already written the guide. Electric skateboarding has a reputation for being a solitary activity. In practice, with Meepo, it is anything but.
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THE LINEUP
There Is a Meepo for Every Rider
Meepo V5
The current entry-level board, now in its fifth generation. Hub motors, street wheels, 4.8 stars from 1,367 reviews. The best first board in the category.
Meepo Vader — Hurricane Carbon
The Hurricane. T700 carbon fiber, dual 3,500W belt motors, 2-in-1 wheels, 35 mph. 4.9 stars from 216 reviews. Gerald's board.
Meepo Vader — Hurricane Pro AWD
Four-wheel drive. Maximum torque, maximum grip, maximum everything. For riders who want the absolute top of the range.
Meepo Rover
The accessible all-terrain option. Hexagonal bamboo deck, big AT wheels, 4.8 stars from 109 reviews. Great for trail exploration.
Meepo Flow
Surfboard-inspired carving board. For riders who want to feel the wave on land. A completely different riding experience.
Meepo Ninja — Hurricane Bamboo
The bamboo version of the Hurricane formula. Slightly more flex, slightly more comfort, same all-terrain versatility.
THE HARDWARE
Left to right: Vader Hurricane Pro AWD · Meepo Rover · Meepo Flow
GERALD'S VERDICT
The Best Day Starts Here
I have ridden the Hurricane on the seawall, on gravel trails, through parks, and along coastal roads. I have taken it to places I would never have gone on foot and arrived faster than I would have in a car. I have stopped to talk to people who asked about it. I have had strangers film it. I have had children ask if they can try it. The Hurricane does not just change how you get around — it changes how you interact with the places you go.
Meepo is a friendly company. Kieran Mao is a genuine person who built something because he loved it, and that love is still visible in the product. The community is warm, the support is responsive, and the boards are honest — they do exactly what they say they will do, at a price that makes the competition look overpriced.
If you are thinking about getting into electric skateboarding, start with the V5 and see if you love it. If you already know you love it, get the Hurricane. If you want the absolute best, get the Pro AWD. Any of them will give you a Best Day Ever. The Hurricane gave me dozens.
JUST GERALD SCORECARD
JUST GERALD RATING
Meepo Boards — The Hurricane
BEST DAY EVER
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