Hoverboard

About

A Hoverboard is a levitating panel that resembles a skateboard without wheels, which was introduced as a future personal transportation device in the 1989 science fiction comedy film Back to the Future Part II.

Origin

On November 22nd, 1989, the film Back to the Future Part II was released, featuring a memorable scene in which the protagonist Marty McFly flees a group of teenage hooligans by stealing a young girl’s pink hoverboard after traveling in time to the year 2015 (shown below).

Spread

On April 3rd, 2007, YouTuber Aaron Shovlar uploaded a video featuring a mock Back to the Future II-style hoverboard floating in a backyard using special effects (shown below).

On January 30th, 2010, YouTuber Matthew Fagen uploaded a video titled “Hover Board,” featuring people riding on a hovering disc propelled by a leaf blower (shown below, left). In the following six years, the video received more than 3.4 million views. On May 26th, the whiteoffice YouTube channel posted footage of a hoverboard designed by artist Nils Guadagnin, which could levitate on its base using magnetic repulsion but could not carry a load (shown below, right).

On February 4th, 2015, YouTuber MagicofRahat uploaded a video titled “Hoverboard Prank,” in which he uses an illusion to trick pedestrians into thinking he has a functioning hoverboard (shown below, left). In the first five months, the video gathered upwards of 2.2 million views and 2,100 comments. On May 22nd, the Guiness World Records YouTube channel released a video of inventor Catalin Alexandru Duru breaking the world record for the “farthest flight by hoverboard” (shown below, right). In the first month, the video received more than 6.2 million views and 3,100 comments.

Various Examples

HuvR Hoax

On March 3rd, 2014, a YouTube channel for a company called HUVr was launched with a promotional video featuring Back to The Future actor Christopher Lloyd, professional skateboarder Tony Hawk, electronic musician Moby and pro football player Terrell Owens riding airborne skateboards modeled after the Back to the Future Part II board (shown below, left). The same day, HUVrTech uploaded a second video explaining how the skateboard uses a magnetic field to float in the air (shown below, right). In the first 48 hours, the videos received upwards of 3.6 million and 500,000 views respectively.

Shortly after the videos began circulating online, many expressed skepticism about the boards after recognizing various comedy actors in the footage. On March 5th, 2014, Funny or Die admitted they were responsible for the hoax and posted a video in which Lloyd apologizes for being a part of the “fake hoverboard video” (shown below).

Hendo Hoverboards

In October, 2014, a prototype hoverboard that levitates using magnets was unveiled by inventor Greg Henderson with a Kickstarter campaign for the device. To function, the board could only be used on a non-ferromagnetic surface, like copper or aluminum. That month, the campaign gained over $510,500 in funding. In an interview with The New York Times,^[2] Henderson revealed that he had no personal interest in skateboarding and that the hoverboard Kickstarter was more of a publicity stunt to spark interest in magnetic levitation technology.

Lexus Hoverboard

On June 23rd, 2015, the automobile manufacturer Lexus uploaded a video titled “Lexus has created a real, rideable hoverboard,” which featured footage of a levitating board on a sidewalk with smoke coming off of it (shown below). The company claimed the board was fully functional and used liquid nitrogen cooled superconductors with magnets, but still required special magnetic surfaces to levitate. In the first 72 hours, the video gained over 4.7 million views and 1,400 comments.

Search Interest

External References