Splat! Videos of people falling off new hoverboards flood social media

Here’s how New York magazine described this year’s big Christmas social media fad.

“Let’s celebrate Christmas like Jesus did, by laughing at people who fell off of new hoverboards.”

Twitter and Instagram virtually exploded over the holidays with videos of people falling from hoverboards, many of them posted with the hashtag #hoverboardfails.

Despite pre-holiday warnings from the Consumer Product Safety Commission that at least 12 hoverboards had caught on fire, and that injuries associated with them had spiked 35 percent, people still gave them as gifts.

Injuries self-reported on social media over the Christmas weekend included sprained and broken wrists and arms, no doubt from folks trying to catch themselves before hitting the pavement or living room floor.

A quick check of Kansas City hospital emergency rooms turned up no rash of hoverboard injuries.

But all those Instagram and Twitter videos prompted Tony Le, CEO of hoverboard maker Glitek, to go on “Good Morning America” Monday to talk safety.

Wear a helmet, he said.

“And if you’re just starting out you should wear elbow pads, knee pads and also wrist guards,” he said.

Judging by all those hard falls captured for posterity, the learning curve is steep on a contraption that one mommy blogger dubbed “a poor man’s Segway, but without the handle bar for balance.”

Former Washington Nationals player Dan Uggla took a spill on one.

So did Florida congressman Carlos Curbelo.

Moms fell.

Dads fell.

Uncle David fell.

Auntie Linda tumbled, too.

Even reporters who were reporting on hoverboard falls hit the pavement.

And on ...

And on ...

And on.

But still, lessons were learned. For instance, a hoverboard doesn’t roll so well on carpeting, but it does pay to be wearing a puffy coat if you fall.

And don’t stand in front of a breakable wall while learning to ride one.

And if you’re going to fall, make it so spectacular that thousands of people will want to watch.

When all was said and done, Dan’s Nan was the only one who seemed to conquer the darn thing. Rock on, granny.

This story was originally published December 28, 2015 at 12:32 PM with the headline "Splat! Videos of people falling off new hoverboards flood social media."