Mattel Back To The Future hover board announced

 

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Posted on 14 Feb 2012 at 10:16

Toy maker Mattel has made the announcement for which almost every child of the eighties has been waiting: it's finally making the hover board from Back To The Future a reality.

The use of the Mattel logo to lend a bit of realism to the hover board used by Marty McFly in the second and third Back To The Future films caused quite a stir at their release. Even now, rumours persist that Mattel has perfected the technology required to create a hovering skateboard but that it can't legally sell the devices due to consumer safety laws.

While the company's latest announcement, made this weekend at the New York Toy Fair, doesn't admit to having anti-gravity technology it does offer film fans a chance to own an official replica of the famous board.

The Mattel Back To The Future Hover Board, to give the gadget its full name, is a 1:1 replica of the film's board designed to be as screen-accurate as possible - to the point where it even features a hole where McFly ripped the hand pole to transform the board from a scooter into a hovering skateboard.

Although the board doesn't actually hover, Mattel promises that it will glide over most surfaces - with water being a prominent exception for anyone who fancies recreating the hover board's introductory scene - and includes sound effects recreated from the films.

Mattel has warned, however, that the replica is likely to be a "high-cost item," and while it's not announcing the price just yet it is warning that the construction may not go ahead. "There will be a minimum number of orders required to go into production", the company announced. "If we don't receive the minimum orders, [it] won't go into production and customers will not be charged."

The hover board is expected to open for pre-order in March, with the final product delivered some time in November or December - assuming enough orders can be taken in that time.

Author: Gareth Halfacree