Awake e-surfboard: 0-50 kph in 4 seconds

Take a surfboard. Add a motor. And what you have is exhilaration on the water.

The idea of a self-propelled surfboard has been around since at least the 1930s, and for an amusing and informative look at its evolution throughout the years, check out The Amazing History Of Motorized Surfboard in 5 minutes on jetsurfingnation.com.

As with any sport with technology at its core, ‘jetsurfing’ has come a long way from  it beginnings when The Surf Scooter was featured in a major Australian Newspaper in 1935.

The latest advance is electric motors, and there are now a number of companies that make boards for people who love the freedom of being out on the water but want to lessen their carbon impact while they’re enjoying that freedom.

Here’s one: the Ravik board from Swedish  outfit Awake. 

Their website proclaims that “Awake’s electric surfboards are built for superior acceleration, sharp corners and fast straights, giving the user an unparalleled riding experience.”

Electric motors are the latest advancement

They certainly look cool. And ‘under the hood’ (or whatever you call where they place the motor on an electric surfboard), the Awake sports an 11 kW brushless electric motor that takes you from sitting still (floating still?) to 30 knots / 56 kph in 4 seconds.

An 11 kilowatt motor translates to 14.75 horsepower. So imagine a 15HP motor strapped onto a surfboard and you can start to imagine how fast these things can go.

And the video below will give you an even better idea. As well as where you can go with them.

For more info on the Ravik, check out the »» Awake website