London, UK: 1 March 2016 – Thrill-seeker Mischo Erban recently took extreme skateboarding up a gear when he reached a breath-taking 95.83 km/h (59.55 mph) on a modified longboard - racing into the record books with an all-new Guinness World Records title for the Fastest speed on an electric skateboard.
The 32-year-old daredevil completed the risky record attempt at Portorož airport in Piran, Slovenia, on a NEXTBoard created by the Slovenian start-up technology company Next Generation Vehicles (NGV).
This incredible footage shows Mischo expertly riding the board down an aeroplane runway, controlling its powerful speed with a handheld remote.
Worryingly, he crashes – but not before securing the record.
Two years in development, the NEXTBoard is a four-wheel-drive motorised longboard, powered by four Scorpion motors (one in each wheel) and two Tattu 6S batteries in series.
The customised board takes 1.5 hours to charge and has an approximate range of 10 to 15 km (6 to 9 miles)… if you aren’t going too fast. Its inventors call it a “sports vehicle”, differentiating it from a vehicle used for general transport.
Chief engineer and designer of the NEXTBoard Tone Gorup first constructed the device after finding a huge 6kg computer hard drive from the early '90's with a motor inside that he knew would be able to power a longboard. Gorup then went on to customise similar motors, combining both existing and new components to perfect it.
The amazing record was attempted on a completely flat surface, with the speed measured over a distance of 100 m.
On receiving confirmation of his Guinness World Records title, Mischo said: “Guinness World Records helps drive innovation and individuality. Before GWR, people and companies were kind of locked into previously existing competitions and disciplines, but then the dynamism of record breaking opened up a space and let us go into new directions. And I like setting new directions and achieving!”
Mischo – who was born in Canada and grew up in the Czech Republic – is no stranger to travelling at record-high speeds, having accomplished the Fastest skateboard speed downhill (standing) world record back in 2012, after hitting a staggering 129.94 km/h (80.74 mph) at Les Éboulements, Quebec, Canada. The road is noted for being dangerously steep, in points descending at an 18% grade.
Speaking on confirmation of his latest title, Mischo said: “I am attracted by speed – and have learned to master the danger. So it was natural to team with ‘NEXTboards’ for another Guinness World Records title.”
The NEXTBoard creators are now developing a new racing competition using electric longboards. Mischo explains: “Events could be organised on large flat grounds anywhere in the world – take for example a parking lot of a shopping mall. With riders on NEXTBoards the show would bring the excitement of the ski or windsurfing World Cup events straight into the city. And the speed of downhill longboarding… or F1 one racing.”
Commenting on the achievement, Guinness World Records Editor-In-chief Craig Glenday said: “This is a truly incredible feat from both an engineering perspective as well as in the field of extreme sports. The pursuit of a world record can often lead to innovation, and here is another great example of just that.”
-ENDS-
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