WingBoard – Backerjack

Athletes and other active types are always looking for new ways to up the ante. Extreme sports are the way to go, but once you’ve tried them all, they can get boring. That’s where Wake Wing comes in. It’s a new kind of water sport. Similar to wakeboarding or waterskiing, you’re dragged behind a boat attached by a rope. To set up, stand on the board before starting the boat. Once you get going, presumably you’ll be lifted up into the air, compliments of the ground effect; the same effect that allows airplanes to fly. The campaign claims the product will lift you up four to six feet into the air, though there’s no photographs or footage to substantiate this claim.

If this product actually works, it looks like a cool and fun way to enjoy the water. On Backerjack, we’ve seen all kinds of extreme sports devices like the WingBoard, a board that is similarly dragged, but behind an airplane (!) instead of a boat. Wake Wing lets you float in the air without the threat of death. The campaign is seeking to raise $4,000 on Kickstarter and does not offer the actual product at this time.

Thrill seekers can’t get enough of skydiving, bungee jumping and wingsuit flying. Now, they can up the ante with the WingBoard. This product combines wake boarding with sky diving. The user stands atop the WingBoard which is attached to a plane. YES, a plane. Okay, one of those little planes, but still. It has wheels on the bottom for take off and, in the sky, the rider holds onto a rope much like when water skiing. One will cost extreme backers basically $600 for only the kit and manual to create a 1/16 scale version of the product. WingBoard hopes to raise $32,000 on Kickstarter to continue developing their product.

Thus far, the creators of WingBoard are still in the very early stages of development. They’re slowly scaling their product up to ensure safety. Speaking of which, it’s unclear what happens to the rider if they let go of the rope or lose their balance. Those water skiing can just float around in the water, but do WingBoarders just fall to the ground? Or do they perhaps wear a parachute? Either way this sport seems like it could require exceptional safety controls with wind and cold altitudes making it downright unpleasant. It will be interesting to see if this product ever fully develops with the approval of all the necessary acronymed organizations.