Don’t get me wrong, remote controlled gadgets are right up there on my “ridiculous and unnecessary toys” list.  But I’ll let you in on a little secret, I really am all for racing cars and even though I’m not much one for modern gadgets, remote controlled cars and boats and other interactive toys have always given me a case of the giggles, though if any of the other elves call me on it I’d have their workshop badges in an instant.  My absolute favorite was a remote controlled R2D2 back in the late 1970’s.  In fact, I still have one on the shelf in my bedroom. But these little guys, they really take the cake.

The Air Hogs Hyper Actives are aptly named, for they really are hyperactive, which is one reason why I wouldn’t understand why parents of hyperactive children would buy them (come on, can you imagine the combination?  There wouldn’t be any rest for the parents until well after New Years!).  But the fact is that these crazy racers are at the top of the Christmas list for kids from New York to LA.  The question is why?

Well, for starters, these sleek little devils are cool to look at.  Bright colors and dune buggy styling add to their appeal and did I mention speed?  I haven’t seen racers this fast, ever.  But not only will they stand out for speed, they are also designed to doo incredible stunts.  You should see them, our toy electronics staff have been trying these out for the last two weeks; nearly killed Santa tripping him up on his way to check on the Reindeer, but that was before they got the bugs worked out of the system.

One of the awesome things about these racers, however, is the fact that they have a 2.4 ghz radio frequency, which means that you can race up to ten of them at the same time!  Talk about parties!  I’m surprised that entire neighborhoods haven’t outlawed them for their going to wreck some serious havoc on neighborhood peace and quiet over the next few months.

One more plus is that even after the most ridiculous stunts, these buggers actually right themselves instead of laying there revving their engines like an overturned turtle, and to top it all off, you can race them indoors or out, you’ll get great traction on linoleum to pavement with absolutely no problem.

 

And I really have to give Greg, our design engineer, a big round of applause.  He made them in so many colors and models that it’s going to be difficult for the kids to choose which they want.  Of course there are times during the course of the day when I find myself tripping over the ones being raced by the junior elves (who can’t seem to get enough of them).  Drives me batty, and me with that bum knee came from kicking Rudolph that one year.

Come to think of it, maybe I’ll set a few loose in the stables; payback can be sweet!