WATCH: Tony Hawk Rides a Real Hoverboard, Lives to Skate Another Day

(RIDE Channel/YouTube)

The king of the skateboard has probably done a million Ollies in his storied career, but this may be the first time he’s gained air and stayed there.

Yesterday, Tony Hawk finally got his feet on a Hendo Hoverboard, the world’s first flying skateboard, taking it for a spin (literally) at the headquarters of its inventors, Arx Pax.

Read: The Hoverboard is Real. We’ve Got Video to Prove It.

The Hendo works by generating a magnetic field over a conductive surface like copper or aluminum, which then generates an opposing field, causing the board to hover about an inch above the ground.

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(Arx Pax)

Hawk was infamously recruited for the HUVr video prank perpetrated by Funny or Die last March, which fooled some 13 million people into believing the hoverboard of Back to the Future 2 had arrived.

The Hendo, however, is real, if rather expensive and limited. The current model works only over a copper surface, with a battery life of approximately 7 minutes. In the Kickstarter campaign launched by Arx Pax last month, 10 Marty McFly wannabes paid $10,000 for the privilege of owning one in a year’s time. The campaign has raised nearly $500,000, close to double its initial goal.

Reassuringly, Hawk experienced the same vertigo-inducing spin effect as our intrepid reporter, though he managed to ride the bull somewhat longer before bailing.

Also featured in the video: freelance skateboard journalist Dave Carnie. Be sure not to miss the bit at the one-minute mark where he does a header into the wall.

Remember, kids: This is why you always wear a helmet.

Questions, complaints, kudos? Email Dan Tynan at ModFamily1@yahoo.com.