Mercedes-Benz designs sleek looking surfboard that can track wipeouts and measure rider performance Posted on February 10, 2014 by jeffbausch Reply Board designed for surfer Garrett McNamara, who the car manufacturer sponsors Man—it sure must be nice to be surfer Garrett McNamara. Just take a look at the boards his sponsor, German carmaker Mercedes-Benz, just finished building for him (they did get a bit of help from ad agency BBDO Portugal). The surfboard was custom-built for McNamara, and features a pretty nifty integrated telemetry system that measures the rider’s performance and reports the data back to him once he’s got his feet back on the sand of the beach. The “Silver Arrow of the Sea”, as it is being referred to, features a special design that matches McNamara’s unique riding style, and provides him with better handling for when he’s on one of his more aggressive runs. To watch McNamara ride the waves of North Canyon on his new Benz-board, check out the video below. Continue reading → Posted in Action Sports, tech news | Tagged BBDO Portugal, electronics, extreme sports, gadgets, Garrett McNamara, Mercedes Benz surfboard, North Canyon surf, Portugal surfing, Smart athletic technology, Smart surfboard, smart technology, Surfing news, tech news | Leave a comment
Incredible: Video of surfer setting 78-foot big wave record Posted on October 30, 2013 by jeffbausch Reply Brazilian surfer Burle gets world attention when he achieves new heights Warning: this video is not for the faint of heart. What you’re about to see is Brazil’s Carlos Burle ride along what may very well be a new world record wave. The ride happened this past week, and so it’s still a bit too early to tell the exact height of the wave just yet. Early estimates have it pinned as a 78-foot’er, and if that’s the case, Burle just rode himself into the record books. For those curious, this monster surge took place off the coast of Nazare, Portugal, in a spot known for regularly serving up big wave after big wave after big wave. The timing of Burle catching the ride of his life is worth noting: it was to the end of a long day that saw the Brazilian boarder save his tow partner from a near drowning incident. He was simply out there to wrap up the day when this behemoth wave was bestowed upon him. “After rescuing Maya and getting her off to the hospital I went back out,” said Burle in a phone interview. “The wind had come up and it was getting pretty bumpy and ugly, but I knew there would be a window. All I wanted was one wave, for some reason I felt like I had earned it.” While riding the wave though, his thoughts were on his towing partner, though. “I was just thinking of her the whole time,” Burle continued. “Things could have been a lot different, but when I knew she was going to be okay I felt like it was important to go back out and try to catch at least one wave.” In terms of what this means for Burle moving forward, he’ll likely earn some nominations at the Billabong XXL Awards (if he participates). He may also end up with a world record tied to his name after it’s properly measured by Guinness. “Anybody could have ridden that wave, I was just lucky to be in the right place at the right time,” said Burle. “The most important part about surfing is that you go out with your friends and you come back with them. Everything else is just extra.” Video of Burle riding the 78-foot wave below: Continue reading → Posted in Action Sports | Tagged Brazilian surfer, Carlos Burle, extreme sports, Nazare Portugal waves, Record wave surfing, Surfing news, X Games | Leave a comment
Gas-powered surfboard can hit 35MPH without catching a single wave Posted on August 28, 2013 by jeffbausch Reply Awesome contraption for those who don’t have access to the ocean Got the surfer’s urge but the ocean’s too far of a drive? You might want to check out the JetSurf board then: a gas-powered surfboard that lets you hang ten on any body of water you want! Continue reading → Posted in Action Sports, Skate | Tagged Boombot Rex, JetSurf, Lake surfboard, Motorized surfboard, outdoor exercise, Surfboard design, surfing, Surfing news | Leave a comment