Hoverboards are Real – HUVr – The Future has Arrived: Hoax

Story:

Hoverboards are Real – HUVr – The Future has arrived.

Other Versions

HUVr: Real life ‘Back to the Future’ Hoverboard

Analysis:

These videos and messages spreading heavily on online platforms claim to show the arrival of Hoverboards, a real-life version of the 1989 movie Back To The Future II‘s fictional floating skateboards.

About the Claim

A mysterious tech company in the name of HUVrTech came up with couple of videos on YouTube on 3 March 2014 to claim that they have invented the first Hoverboard. As shown in the first video, the Back to the Future co-star Christopher Lloyd announces the new product, saying the Future has Arrived, and thanks the clever folks at HUVrTech, for their technology has caught up to the concept.

The video further shows the prototype hoverboard introduced to skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, and other celebrities like Terrell Owens and Moby, who seem to enjoy the “demonstrations” of the hoverboard whirring in mid-air, also expressing their marvel at the new technology. The second video from HUVrTech claims to show one of the research team members explaining the science behind their discovery.

Flaws

Although the video garnered wide attention of netizens, it also met with skepticism; many of whom did not understand why such a video was released – because the claim is too good to be true. From the ‘official’ website of the purported invention HUVrTech.com, its team is said to consist of “materials science, electricity & magnetism experts who’ve solved an important part of one of science’s mysteries: the key to antigravity“.

If you watch the flying skateboard (hoverboard) demonstrations in the first video closely (like at timeframe 2:29 and 3:28), you can see the presence of harness clips and related shadows helping the people hang in air. Unable to understand what the video is all about, some people thought it could be a “Back to the Future IV” teaser; a film that has never been officially announced as of this writing.

The Fact

The reason behind this massive viral campaign was revealed after a costume designer who worked on the shoot posted the experience on her online resume that was later removed:

FUNNY OR DIE
Commercial: Back to the Future HUVR BOARDS
Talent: TONY HAWK, MOBY, TERREL OWENS, SCHOOLBOY Q, CHRISTOPHER LLOYD, etc.
Key Wardrobe: Lydia Bauer
Assistant Wardrobe: Lauren Biedenharn
Nove 2013

Comedy video website ‘Funny or Die‘ was behind this elaborate HUVr Hoverboard hoax video. After the prank was revealed, on their website, Funny or Die expressed sorry for lying about Hoverboards. Apart from being interesting, it was hilarious nevertheless. In past, a Chinese video game website came up with a video supposedly showing a real life Teleportation caught on Camera.

Hoax or Fact:

Hoax.

References:

This ‘Back to the Future’ hoverboard will blow your mind
Funny or Die Is Behind the Tony Hawk Hoverboard Hoax