THE FUTURE IS HERE
It is 2022, seven years past the date Marty McFly and Doc time-travelled to in Back to the Future II. Although flying cars and hoverboards today are not at the stage the film dreamed they’d be, other technology far surpassed anything imaginable back in 1989—artificial intelligence, smartphones and, in the world of surfing, jetboards. The future is here.
As a species, our fascination with advancing technology is unrivalled. Brilliant minds across the globe constantly brew up incredible ideas to make life easier, better, or purely fun. As a result, technology is advancing at an exponential rate. Innovative developments have infiltrated the surf industry with lighter boards, new fin set-ups, jet-skis, and motorised surfboards.
As futuristic as they sound, motorised surfboards are not new. First created in the 1930s, the “Surf Scooter” was used by Bondi Beach lifeguards and appeared in an Australian newspaper in 1935. Numerous prototypes were produced in the decades following. Yet, the first commercially available motorised surfboard didn’t arrive until 1965. The “Jet Surfboard” was available in Bloomingdale’s Department Stores in the US. There were only 200 units up for
