Now the hard work seems to have come to fruition in the form of the Slide video series, which shows pro-skater Ross McGouran testing out the surreal prototype.
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On Tuesday the company posted a video to YouTube stating “The Lexus Hoverboard is here”.
“I’ve spent 20 years skateboarding”, said McGouran after riding the hoverboard, “but without friction it feels like I’ve had to learn a whole new skill, particularly in the stance and balance in order to ride the hoverboard“. It levitates over the magnetic surface thanks to superconductors fitted inside the body which are cooled down to 197°C through immersion in liquid nitrogen – that’s the “smoke” you see coming out of the board.
Apparently the vehicle manufacturer has been developing he product for the past 18 months, working alongside a team of scientists from IFW Dresden and evico GmbH to get the board to where it is today.
This meant the 29-year-old could try to perform all the tricks he usually would on a skateboard, but with one exciting difference – he could now travel across water, too.
Details slowly trickled out, leading to global headlines that Lexus was gearing up to sell a Marty McFly, Back To The Future-style hoverboard (it’s not), while the skating community speculated about who the legs in the teaser might belong to.
“We’ve experienced highs and lows and have overcome a few challenges, but through mutual determination we have created a demonstration of our philosophy in design and technology to create awesome in Motion”.
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Lexus has been clear that it’s not developing the hoverboard for commercial sale, just like it’s not going to work in every situation.
