JetSurf. The Motorized Surfboard

I'm not sure how I feel about this. A bit counter cultural, and will piss off just about everyone in the line-up, but looks fun.  Just stay in your own space guys.

 

Human Powered, Flapping Wing, Airplane

100 Foot Wave Surfed. World's Biggest.

The Aqua Skipper! YEAH!

I can't stop laughing at this one, but you gotta admit it's pretty cool and simple.  Looks like great exercise.

Waterbike Hydrofoil

This is pretty cool.  Hydrofoil biking.

Kite Scooter - a small & fast kite sailing boat

The Transparent Canoe Kayak.

This canoe-kayak hybrid has a transparent polymer hull that offers paddlers an underwater vista unavailable in conventional boats. Seating two people, the sturdy hull is made of the same durable material found in the cockpit canopies of supersonic fighter jets. The vessel supports up to 425 lbs., displaces a greater amount of water for more surface stability, and paddlers sit lower to the deck, resulting in better balance. Adjustable seats allow paddlers to personalize their leg room

More here.

A Very Cool Surf Film Coming Soon.

I Had Too Much To Dream Last Night - Trailer from Deus ex Machina on Vimeo.

Snow Ski Flying

Fresh Snow, Skis and Little Wings from overflow50 on Vimeo.

Flying Bicycle

The XploreAir Paravelo is the world's first flying bicycle; a conventional two-wheeled bike that transforms into an easy-to-operate aircraft requiring no licence to fly and capable of altitudes of up to 4,000ft.

Human Powered Helicopter

Sikorsky Aircraft recently offered a 250,000 prize to any group who could create the best human powered helicopter.  AeroVelo from Canada took the prize with this fascinating contraption, which used a large scale quad-copter design.

The Flyboard Jet Boots

This unreal device is spreading fast around the world.  Get ready to get your flying Aucuaman on.  This remotely jet powered set of boots let's users fly in and out of the water, literally.   I've never seen anything like. 
Good for few thrills while on vacation, but I doubt this will evolved into an actual sport.  That said, I can't wait to try it.

The Flyboard is basically a bolt on device that is attached to a jet ski and requires proper instructions and safety gear before being able to use the product successfully and efficiently. The PWC (Personal Water Craft) is powered from 100 horse power and up and follows the rider, permitting the freedom to go anywhere, even underwater. The thrust that comes from the PWC is run through a 180 degree adapter (which allows the rider to divert and control the device in any desired motion) and then goes into the hose that is 4 inches in diameter and roughly 55 feet long and has capabilities of putting the pilot above water 35 feet or below water 35 feet. ^[5] The hose is attached in a way so that the PWC follows behind the rider’s trail allowing the rider all types of freedom even allowing the rider to go under water if they desire. The pilot that is on the Flyboard is in complete control of the navigation while the throttle is controlled by the person in charge of the PWC. The pilot on the Flyboard is secured in by bindings similar to a wakeboard and the rider is propelled from water jets below the device. There are certain rules that one must go by when purchasing a Flyboard though. The Flyboard is buoyant for safety, which also allows the rider to rest in the water between rides if the rider happens to get fatigued.^[6] The use of a personal flotation device and helmet is recommended for safety purposes.
Two versions of the Flyboard exist: the Flyboard Standard Kit and the Flyboard Pro Rider Kit. The former is a board with hand-held stabilizers, which was the original design. The latter dispenses with the stabilizers.
Device power is controlled by a throttle on the PWC. The equipment may be used in two modes: The primary one requires two people, one to control the PWC throttle which regulates the power and height of the rider. The secondary mode relies on an accessory called an Electronic Management Kit (EMK) which allows the rider to control the jetski throttle.

Kiteboating

Inspired by the success of kiteboarding, many traditional sailors are trying to convert to the higher powered suspended sails.  The word "kite" to describe these sails is a bit misleading.  The kite of kiteboarding is essentially a suspended, curved sail.  It's curved shape is an efficient and stable flying wing, which can be maneuvered into the most ideal positions to catch wind.  Traditional mast sails are more limited, and also sit much lower to the water where wind is often the least strong.   A kite sail is a suspended sail, capturing more wind, more efficiently, and thus, the strong interest to adapt them to larger sailing craft.

Several inovators are testing new solutions to attach these sails to larger craft.  Yvez Parlier is exploring many industrial, and well as recreational applications for boat mounted kites.  Read more about his at his site Beyond the Sea.

Kai Concepts is aggessively moving forward with designs in the San Francisco bay area. Read more at their webiste here.  

Bladerider Sailboat

The Bladerider is most affordable high performance carbon fibre hydrofoil dinghy on the market. Bladeriding is the best fun you will ever have on water! The Bladerider is designed for all ages, male or female, experienced moth sailors or newcomers that want to get into foiling.

Learn more from their website here.

Inflatable Surfboards from ULI

The age old problem of storing and  transporting large surfing equipment has been solved by ULI Boards.  No, these are not air mattresses, but rigid collapsible boards.  They make traditional and SUP surfboards that you can take anywhere. 

BajaBoard - World's Most Extreme Electric Skateboard

Electric skateboard, versatile personal transporter or open wheel racer? You decide. Full suspension, shock absorption, 50km/h.

The BajaBoard is the world's first electric skateboard to feature independent suspension and steering, with high tech spring & shock absorbers. It has a four wheel drive chassis, fitted with four brushless motors for a total power rating of over 10kW.
No matter how you categorize the BajaBoard, just know that it'll take you on one hell of a ride.

Read more at Kickstarter

KIteboarding Working to Reclaim Sailing Speed Record

In Martha's Vineyard, the professional kiteboarder Rob Douglas trains to defend his title as the fastest human under sail.

Landboading with Tracktion Kites

This sport is much like Kitesurfing for the land locked, or those who like smashing into sand and dirt, rather than water.  Using a specialized offroad skateboard, with footstraps, the rider can enjoy most of the same thrills his waterboard counterparts enjoy.

Sandboarding

Sandboarding is a board sport similar to snowboarding. It is a recreational activity that takes place on sand dunes rather than snow-covered mountains. This boardsport has adherents throughout the world, most prevalently in desert areas or coastal areas with beach dunes.
It involves riding across or down a dune while standing with both feet strapped to a board, though some sandboarders use a board without bindings. It is less popular than snowboarding, partly because it is very difficult to build a mechanised ski lift on a sand dune, and so participants generally must walk back up to the top. Alternatively, they may ride a dune buggy or all-terrain vehicle back to the top of the dune. On the other hand, dunes are normally available year-round as opposed to ski resorts, which are usually seasonal.
Josh Tenge, professional sandboarding champion, holds the Guinness Book of World Records entry for the longest-distance back flip at 44' 10". Tenge is also a four-time world sandboarding champion and holds three world records. Erik Johnson, a professional snowboarder and sandboarder, holds the Guinness World Record for Speed on a Sandboard at 51 mph (82 km/h). Unofficial speeds of 60 mph (97 km/h) have reportedly been clocked.

Ultralight Aircraft

Ultralight aviation (called microlight aviation in some countries) is the flying of lightweight, 1 or 2 seat fixed-wing aircraft. Some countries differentiate between weight shift and 3-axis aircraft, calling the former "microlight" and the latter "ultralight".
During the late 1970s and early 1980s, mostly stimulated by the hang gliding movement, many people sought affordable powered flight. As a result, many aviation authorities set up definitions of lightweight, slow-flying aeroplanes that could be subject to minimum regulations. The resulting aeroplanes are commonly called "ultralight aircraft" or "microlights", although the weight and speed limits differ from country to country. In Europe the sporting (FAI) definition limits the maximum take-off weight to 450 kg (992 lb) (472.5 kg (1,042 lb) if a ballistic parachute is installed) and a maximum stalling speed of 65 km/h (40 mph). The definition means that the aircraft has a slow landing speed and short landing roll in the event of an engine failure.^[1]

In most affluent countries, microlights or ultralight aircraft now account for a significant percentage of the global civilian-owned aircraft. For instance in Canada in October 2010, the ultralight aircraft fleet made up to 19% of the total civilian aircraft registered. In other countries that do not register ultralight aircraft, like the United States, it is unknown what proportion of the total fleet they make up.^[2] In countries where there is no specific extra regulation, ultralights are considered regular aircraft and subject to certification requirements for both aircraft and pilot.

Wingsuit Skydiving

This is probably the most dangerous and exciting extreme sport in the world, and surprising, not an new sport.  It was first attempt shortly after WWI by paratrooper veterans. 

A recent documentary showcases the state of the art in this extremely extreme sport.

Sailrocket - World Sailing Speed Record

Up until recently, the world speed record by sailing was held by a kitesurfer using a speed optimized kiteboard and sail.  The light-wight aspects of kitesurfing gave it a huge advantage over traditional sailing vessels.  However, this group from Great Brittain overcame that disadvantage and used it to their advantage, leveraging the size and strength of a large vessel, coupled with hydrofoil technology to reduce drag.

UP

Hydrofoil Surfboards

This device made its debut to the world when Laird Hamilton rode one towing in on a big wave in Maui in the film "Step into Liquid."  Audiences were blown away as they saw him seemingly fly over the water, without bump or turbulence.  Since then the device has been copied and improved, particually for use with kitesurfing.

The first models required a janky setup using Flow snowboard binding and soggy snowboard boots.  Since then then design of the foil has been improved to make it more stable, and eliminates the need for clunky binging systems, allowing riders to use traditionally loose food straps, or now straps at all.

Wake Kite

Are you getting bored with your wakeboarding jumping ability.  Now you can kick it up as far as your tow line will allow.  The folks at Wake Kite offer a unique piece of equipment to litterallly let you fly behind the boat.

The kite has been in testing and improvement for over four years now, and coming into it's own as a valid piece of wakeboarding equipment. 
 

Kite Surfing

Kitesurfing or kiteboarding is a surface water sport combining aspects of wakeboarding, windsurfing, surfing, paragliding, and gymnastics into one extreme sport. A kitesurfer or kiteboarder harnesses the power of the wind with a large controllable power kite to be propelled across the water on a kiteboard similar to a wakeboard or a small surfboard, with or without foot-straps or bindings. The terms kiteboarding and kitesurfing are interchangeable, although kiteboarding may also refer to kite landboarding or kite snowboarding.
There are different styles of kiteboarding, including freestyle, freeride, downwinders, speed, course racing, wakestyle, jumping and wave-riding.^[1] In 2012, the number of kitesurfers has been estimated by the ISAF and IKA at 1.5 million persons worldwide ^[2] (pending review). The global market is worth US$250 million.[

Ice Yachting

Ice yachting is the sport of sailing and racing iceboats, also called ice yachts. It is practiced in Austria, Germany, Great Britain, Poland, Norway and Sweden, to some extent, and is very popular in the Netherlands and on the Gulf of Finland, but its highest development is in the United States and Canada. The Dutch ice yacht is a flat-bottomed boat resting crosswise upon a planking about three feet wide and sixteen long, to which are affixed four steel runners, one each at bow, stern and each end of the planking. The rudder is a fifth runner fixed to a tiller. Heavy mainsails and jibs are generally used and the boat is built more for safety than for speed. The iceboat of the Gulf of Finland is a V-shaped frame with a heavy plank running from bow to stern, in which the mast is stepped. The stern or steering runner is worked by a tiller or wheel. The sail is a large lug and the boom and gaff are attached to the mast by travelers. The passengers sit upon planks or rope netting. According to some,^[who?] the Russian boats were faster than the Dutch-built ice yachts.

 

Ice sailing in the Netherlands in 1938.

Ice sailing on Lake Balaton, Hungary

In 1790, ice yachting was in vogue on the Hudson River, its headquarters being at Poughkeepsie, New York. The type was a square box on three runners, the two forward, ones being nailed to the box and the third acting as a rudder operated by a tiller. The sail was a flatheaded sprit. This primitive style was in general use until 1853, when triangular frames with boxes for the crew aft and jib and mainsail rig were introduced. A heavy, hard-riding type soon developed, with short gaffs, low sails, large jibs and booms extending far over the stern. It was over-canvassed and the mast was stepped directly over the runner plank, bringing the centre of sail-balance so far aft that the boats were apt to run away, and the over-canvassing frequently caused the windward runner to swing up into the air to a dangerous height. The largest and fastest example of this type, which prevailed until 1879, was Commodore J. A. Roosevelt's first Icicle, which measured 69 ft (21 m) overall and carried 1,070 sq ft (99 m²) of canvas. In 1879, H. Relyea built the Robert Scott, which had a single backbone and guy wires, and it became the model for all Hudson River ice yachts. Masts were now stepped farther forward, jibs were shortened, booms were cut down, and the center of sail-balance was brought more inboard and higher up, causing the centers of effort and resistance to come more in harmony. The shallow steering-box became elliptical. In 1881 occurred the first race for the American Challenge Pennant, which represents the championship of the Hudson river; the clubs that competed included the Hudson River, North Shrewsbury, Orange Lake, Newburgh and Carthage Ice Yacht Clubs. The races are usually sailed five times round a triangle of which each leg measures one mile, at least two of the legs being to windward. Ice yachts are divided into four classes, carrying respectively 600 sq ft (60 m²) of canvas or more, between 450 and 600, between 300 and 450, and less than 300 sq ft (30 m²). Ice yachting is very popular on the Great Lakes, both in the United States and Canada, the Kingston, Ontario Club having a fleet of over 25 sail. Other important centers of the sport are the Lake Geneva, Wisconsin area, with an average of twenty-five sailing days a season for the last five years, Lakes Minnetonka and White Bear in Minnesota, Lakes Winnebago and Pepin in Wisconsin, Bar Harbor Lake in Maine, the St. Lawrence River, Quinte Bay and Lake Champlain.
A modern ice yacht is made of a single-piece backbone the entire length of the boat, and a runner-plank upon which it rests at right angles, the two forming a kite-shaped frame. The best woods for these pieces are basswood, butternut, and pine. They are cut from the log in such a way that the heart of the timber expands, giving the planks a permanent curve, which, in the finished boat, is turned upward. The two forward runners, usually made of soft cast iron and about 2 ft (1 m). 7 in. long and 24 in high, are set into oak frames a little over 5 feet long and 5 inches high. The runners have a cutting edge of 90%, though a V-shaped edge is often preferred for racing. The rudder is a runner about 3 ft (1 m). 7 in. long, worked by a tiller, sometimes made very long, 7½ feet not being uncommon. This enables the helmsman to lie in the box at full length and steer with his feet, leaving his hands free to tend the sheet. Masts and spars are generally made hollow for racing-yachts and the rigging is pliable steel wire. The sails are of 10-ounce duck for a boat carrying 400 sq ft (40 m²) of canvas. They have very high peaks, short hoists and long booms. The mainsail and jib rig is general, but a double-masted lateen rig has been found advantageous. The foremost ice-yacht builder of America was G. E. Buckhout of Poughkeepsie.^{[citation needed]}

Greenbird Land/Ice Sailer

Two vehicles - for land and ice - powered only by wind.

The Greenbird is two vehicles: a land craft and an ice craft, powered only by the wind. The project's aim is to break both the land and ice world speed records.
On March 26, 2009, the Ecotricity Greenbird set a new world land speed record for wind powered vehicles of 126.2 mph. The team hopes to both better that new record, and continue to work toward breaking the ice record in Winter 2009/10.

Part aeroplane, part sailboat , part Formula One car

The most basic principle of wind-powered vehicles is harnessing and optimising airflow. Just as airflow over an aircraft's horizontal wing pushes the aircraft up, the flow of air over The Greenbird's vertical sail pushes the vehicle forward.
The Greenbird utilises a combination of technology, usually found on aircraft and Formula One, to achieve staggering efficiency. Made from carbon composites, the vehicle takes huge forces at top speed, being able to transfer up to one ton of side force into the ground.
Wind powered speed records are unlike any normal speed records where more power will almost always equal more speed. With land sailing speed records, more wind does not always equal more speed - instead a technical solution is required, where lift is maximised, but more importantly, drag is minimised.

The Greenbird can travel faster than the wind thanks to a phenomenon known as ‘apparent wind’.
For example, you are riding your bicycle on a completely calm day with no wind. However, you can feel wind on your face and it feels stronger as you pedal faster. That is because as you move forward, the motion creates its own wind.
Now imagine you are riding your bicycle but there is a strong breeze coming at you from the right. This natural wind is called "true wind".
When you add this side wind to the cycle ride, the wind the rider feels is now somewhere between the true wind (from the side) and the man made wind (from ahead). This resultant wind is know as the ‘apparent wind’ and will have a speed and apparent wind angle, measured from the direction of travel to the apparent wind angle.
The Greenbird is so efficient that it can travel at up to 3 to 5 times the true wind speed on land.

Sporting Sails

A notable effort from a group from Santa Barbara, California, the Sporting Sail is a multi-purpose, wearable sail to help speed up, or slow down a variety of existing sports.  Skaters, snowboarders, and skiers can use it to regulate their downhill speeds.  Stand up paddlers and kayakers can use it to travel downwind.

The device is fairly basic and not a sport in itself, but could offer a unique twist on many extreme sports. 

Kitewings

A very sexy looking piece of equipment from Finland is called the Kitewing.  With lots of snow, ice, and good winds,  these handheld sails offer a lot of fun to locals.  

While favored by snow and ice sailors, the wing can be used on any low friction surface. Mountain boards, skateboards, dirt surfers, roller blades, and others are used on everything from pavement to desert sands to beaches. When it comes to low friction sailing, Kitewing has you covered.

The wing folds and travels easily in a lightweight ski bag. Take it with you on ski trips to expand your options. Windy or icy conditions can wreck a mountain ski vacation. With a wing, a wind blown lake or field becomes a playground. Take it home to get after work sessions on a local field, lake, or golf course.

"No strings attached" means that a wing can sail in small places, close to trees, and without fear of sudden uncontrollable surges. The wing lets you safely master the wind, and fly where you want to sail. Drop it to Stop it! Kitewing keeps you and your family safe with total control.

I've personally owned and used a kitewing, and will say it's not as exciting as it looks.  It  requires a low friction surface, such as ice or snow, and perfects winds to be fun.  The conditions in northern Europe are probably the most ideal for this unique sail.  I used it on a beach with good winds and a landboard, and got very little movement, and found myself fighting with the sail more than being pulled by it. 

The design is very clever.  It looks like a small hang gliding  wing, but it must be seen more as a double ended wind surfing sail.  The rider can jibe by lifting the sail up and over his head to orient in the opposite direction, instead of flipping a horizontal boom around as one would do with a traditional sailing vessel.  

George Greenough

George Greenough is an innovative surfer and cinematographer from Santa Barbara, California who now resides in Byron Bay in New South Wales, Australia. He was born to a wealthy family but despised its trappings and spent most of his time in the ocean. Greenough is best known for creating the modern surfboard fin. He altered the design from a wide-based, cumbersome keel to a more powerful and efficient dolphin fin-like foil.

In the 1960s Greenough's equipment was distinctly different from the longboard design of the day, and he rode short kneeboards under 5' 5" and air mattresses regularly. He is credited as being the best mat^{[clarification needed]} rider ever, and still surfs the unique waveriding craft. His most famous board was a fiberglass spoon^{[clarification needed]} using only small amounts of buoyant foam, shaped kneeboard he christened "Velo". Greenough is also known as a genius level inventor and the master of fiberglass engineering, design, and construction, having used the material to build surfboards, camera housings, and boats.

In the late 1960s and early 1970s, Greenough released two feature films The Innermost Limits of Pure Fun and Crystal Voyager. His footage above and below the water were personally selected by the members of Pink Floyd as the imagery for their "Echoes" film after the group saw Crystal Voyager, which used the Pink Floyd track as the music for the final sequence of the movie. Greenough is also featured in an early scene in Bruce Brown's surf film The Endless Summer.

Origami inspired foldable Kayaks from Oru.

Recently featured on Shark Tank, this little startup called Oru Kayak has put together a very exciting new product. They have developed an Origami inspired fold-up kayak, which packs down to the size of large briefcase. Users can store the folded kayak in a small apartment, and transport via just about any means of transportation. Once on location, the kayak can be quickly unfolded, and sealed on top with a few clip mechanisms. They claim the performance and durability is comparable to similarly sized, rigid body kayaks.

 I love the innovation and creativity embodied in this groups effort and look forward to seeing great success in their company. They are currently in an early growth phase, just having recently finished initial R&D and manufacturing processes. I'm sure in short time, iterative improvements will arise, and hopefully push this company's unusual take on a kayak into the mainstream.

View the quick assembly process (about 5 minutes total).