The AQAV Team traveled to Long Beach during the first weekend of August to take advantage of some thrilling boat racing at the Sprint Nationals. The team provided exciting demonstrations for the audience along the bay during the race intermissions, and we got to spend time with people interested in the Flyboard and Hoverboard. We also had our Supercharged jet ski for demonstration.
Behind the scenes was filled with laughs and fun, but also a few mishaps. The days were long and began very early, but we made sure to rise early enough to snag the free continental breakfast offered by our hotel. Paul was the first to break a Hoverboard foot strap, which means he was really, really, REALLY “ripping it” out there. This occurred mid-air, and we’re almost glad that it happened (to Paul, of course), because it showed just how safe the Hoverboard is even in the event of a technical mishap. He was completely fine and the strap on the board was replaced within minutes.
We searched around the small city of Long Beach to find public fresh water to rinse all of the salt from our jet ski, Flyboard and Hoverboard. We found a few spouts, but none able to accommodate all of our gear. As we pulled up to our hotel, finally ready to give up, we realized that there was a waterspout at the hotel the whole time! So we ended up doing our entire clean up process outside of our hotel room.
At the end of the second day we left when the winds began picking up and we literally couldn’t hold down our tent anymore (oh no!). The wind eventually tore the TV off of the TV stand, at which point we decided it was officially time to go.
About a month later we took on the boat races again, and a task that was foreign to a few of us: camping. For the few days that the “Mid-September Heat Wave” lasted in San Diego, we geared up with a truck load of our camping gear and water supplies and prepared for daily demonstrations at the San Diego Bayfair. Battling bugs, morning dew, and figuring out a convenient place to shower definitely added some excitement to the already amazing Bayfair that hosted some of the World’s Fastest Boats.
We would like to thank the teams that hosted the San Diego Bayfair and Long Beach Sprint Nationals. The Aquatic Aviation team had a blast, we greatly appreciated all of your generosity, and we cannot wait until next year to return. Team5 was also beyond generous in donating their time, testing out just how awesome the Hoverboard would film with aerial videography. Check it out below: