On April 30, jet ski champion Franky Zapata broke the Guinness World Record of farthest hoverboard flight, piloting a Flyboard Air between Carry-le-Rouet and Sausset-les-Pins in southern France.
Zapata cruised about 164 feet above the surface of the water, setting a new benchmark distance of 7,388 feet. His record-breaking flight covered more than eight times the distance of the previous record — 905 feet — set last year by Catalin Alexandru Duru.
Zapata’s company Zapata Racing, which has created numerous water-propelled devices, developed the Flyboard Air. The first generation of the Flyboard connected to a watercraft turbine with a long hose, but the Flyboard Air is powered by an independent propulsion unit, allowing it to fly hose-free for up to 10 minutes. Zapata Racing claims the aircraft can reach 10,000 feet with a top speed of 93 miles per hour.
Watch Zapata crush the record for farthest hoverboard flight below.