HOVERBOARD disasters have led to dozens of injuries, the evacuation of a mall... and now a Catholic priest's suspension.
A Filipino priest has been condemned by diocese authorities after a video of him gliding on a segway inside a church during a Christmas Eve service went viral.
Father Albert San Jose can be seen zooming in and out of rows of churchgoers while singing a Christmas song in English and Tagalog.
Worshippers seemed to enjoy the performance, with many taking photos and videos.
But his bosses condemned the incident and said it was a violation of the "highest form of worship".
The Roman Catholic Diocese of San Pablo said in a statement on its Facebook page: "The priest said that it was a wake up call for him; he acknowledged that his action was not right and promised that it will not happen again."
"He will be out of the parish and will spend some time to reflect on this past event. He would like to apologise for what happened."
The video, from Our Lady of Miraculous Medal in Biñan, has garnered more than 14 million views on the Flow Cartagena's Facebook page but has drawn mixed reactions.
Facebook user Scott LaLonde said: "Complete and total disrespect not only for the Lord but also for the salvation of all those poor souls."
Other users showed support for the priest and applauded his intention to draw people to church.
Rob Trainor said: "I am Roman Catholic, but I am not a practicing one that attends Mass regularly.
"If there were more Priests like this one, I may be tempted to return to Mass. But if people keep calling for the Traditional Latin Mass to return, you will lose even the most ardent Catholics."
Hoverboards were one of the top Christmas presents this year, despite safety concerns surrounding the self-balancing, battery-enabled two-wheeled scooters.
The Philippines is the third largest Christian country in the world with an estimated 80 million Catholics.
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