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WATCH: Montrealer invents hoverboard, sets flight record


Daniel Martins
Digital Reporter

Monday, May 25, 2015, 11:56 AM - 'I was told there would be hoverboards' was the bitter refrain of any Back to the Future fan upon entering 2015.

Alas, the 2015 future timeframe of the second film in the franchise has proven to be off about a few things (mercifully, in some cases. Remember those double-ties?). But when it comes to future ways of getting around, it looks like Marty's hoverboard may be a reality after all.

The YouTube video above shows Montreal resident Catalin Alexandru Duru effortlessly cruising into the record books atop his home-made hoverboard.

According to Guinness World Records, Duru flew a total distance of 275.9 m over the waters of Quebec's Lake Ouareau, at an average height of 5 m. Guinness assures us the cruise shattered the previous record of 50 m.

Duru tinkered with the prototype, which actually looks more like something the Green Goblin would ride, over the course of about five years. The Guinness video was shot in August.

"To tell you the truth I always thought [flying] was something possible," Duru told the Canadian Press. "When I saw the new high-powered motors I thought, 'We can do that!"

Duru and a business partner, Philippe Maalouf, do in fact intend to have a marketable version out one day. They expect to have a prototype finished by the end of the year, according to the Canadian Press.

It'll likely be pretty pricey (Duru won't say how much it'll cost exactly), and they'll only be able to fly 1.5 m off the ground. 

It won't be easy to fly, either, as the pilot can only control it using their feet.

And, sadly, Duru says it won't be as sleek as Marty's hoverboard.

SOURCES: Guinness World Records | CBC/Canadian Press

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