It’s like jetpacks coming out of your feet.
A town in Southern France, called Cavalaire-sur-Mer, just hosted the first-ever European Flyboard Championship.
What’s flyboarding, you ask? The first Flyboard was created back in 2011 by Zapata Racing, and it’s essentially a type of jetpack/hoverboard contraption strapped to a (brave) user’s feet.
The Flyboard is connected to a jet ski via a hose, and the power of the jet ski propels water through the hose to send the Flyboard up in the air, upwards of 30 to 35 feet above the water.
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There have been Flyboard championships in Dubai, Japan, and North America, but mid-June (June 10-12) saw the first one to hit the beaches of Europe.
In order to qualify for the competition, each competitor had to perform five tricks in one minute for the judges. H2RO Magazine reports that the judges were looking for athletes to deliver a dive, spin, flip, superman, and one combo.
In addition to the Flyboards that are propelled by water, there are also Flyboard Air devices. It’s the same idea, except riders are shot up with air instead of water. Zapata Racing reports that the devices can fly up to 10,000 feet at speeds up to 93 miles per hour (150 km/h).
But back to the 2016 European Flyboard Championship: Sonnie Bean, a competitor from the United Kingdom, took first place. For the ladies league, Gemma Weston of New Zealand “dominated her division from beginning to end,” securing that number one spot, H2RO reports.
To check out some of the highlights from the competition, check out the video below.
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