If you're wondering how this snowboarder is moving so fast on flat ground, the answer is simple. He's holding powerful jet thrusters in his hands. Yes, jet thrusters. This is awesome.
Now that rechargeable battery technologies have developed past the point of being abysmal, they've allowed a company called Dreamscience to create this set of handheld electric jet thrusters that make everything from snowboarding to rollerblading infinitely more awesome.
Because they're not quite ready for primetime just yet, Dreamscience isn't exactly forthcoming with technical details on its creation. But it credits recent advances in lithium polymer battery technology as making it possible to actually power four eight-kW motors that in turn spin fan blades at speeds of up to 30,000 rpm. And all without creating so much eat as to scorch whoever's using it.
In trial runs on snow, the Dreamscience thruster has propelled a snowboarder to speeds of up to 50 mph in seconds. And that's on a completely flat run, no inclines to help it along.
The company is nowhere near ready to start selling this to the public, but it's hoping to first get it out the door for around $10,000. Certainly expensive, given how many lift tickets that could buy. But eventually they're hoping to get the price down to around $5,000, which is comparable to what a Segway will cost you, but so much more fun. [Dreamscience via Gizmag]