The king of the skateboard has
probably done a million Ollies in his storied career, but this may be
the first time he’s gained air and stayed there.
Yesterday, Tony Hawk finally got
his feet on a Hendo Hoverboard, the world’s first flying skateboard,
taking it for a spin (literally) at the headquarters of its inventors,
Arx Pax.
The Hendo works by generating a
magnetic field over a conductive surface like copper or aluminum, which
then generates an opposing field, causing the board to hover about an
inch above the ground.
Hawk was infamously recruited for the HUVr video prank perpetrated by Funny or Die last March, which fooled some 13 million people into believing the hoverboard of Back to the Future 2 had arrived.
The Hendo, however, is real, if
rather expensive and limited. The current model works only over a copper
surface, with a battery life of approximately 7 minutes. In the Kickstarter campaign launched by Arx Pax
last month, 10 Marty McFly wannabes paid $10,000 for the privilege of
owning one in a year’s time. The campaign has raised nearly $500,000,
close to double its initial goal.
Reassuringly, Hawk experienced
the same vertigo-inducing spin effect as our intrepid reporter, though
he managed to ride the bull somewhat longer before bailing.
Also featured in the video:
freelance skateboard journalist Dave Carnie. Be sure not to miss the bit
at the one-minute mark where he does a header into the wall.
Remember, kids: This is why you always wear a helmet.
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