I hate it when I get my skate culture tips from the mainstream media. This is the second one today. Remember the guy who was so into Back to the Future that he fabricated his own movie prop skateboards? Well now he can bid on the real fake hoverboard that was used in Back to the Future II, that is if he’s got at least $30,000! That’s no typo, it’s the actual starting bid. If you don’t have an extra 30k laying around, you can always bid on the more recent and reasonably priced replica from the Good Wood auction. Pics after the jump.
From eBay Live Auction
957. Michael J. Fox “Marty Mcfly” hero Mattel hoverboard from Back to the Future Part II & Part III. (Universal Pictures, 1989, 1990) This is one of the hero Mattel Hoverboards used by Michael J. Fox in his most famous role as “Marty McFly” in the Robert Zemeckis classic 80s trilogy, Back to the Future. Two styles of Hoverboard were made for and employed in the film – lightweight boards of styrofoam construction and thick and durable wood-based props – this example is the latter, and is recognized as the best example of all wood Hoverboards to have survived the rigors of filming. The illusion of Michael J. Fox as “Marty McFly” hovering through the air was achieved with practical effects, with actors in rigged harnesses being “flown” via cranes, with special effects taking care of the rest.
Of the two styles of props used in the film – styrofoam and wood – the styrofoam examples in collections today have not held up as well, given the more fragile nature of the material and the abuse they endured in production. Few wood examples have survived, and the collector who obtained this specimen from the prop master chose this for his personal collection as the premiere example of those preserved following the film. It is in used but outstanding condition, and is very rare in that it is entirely complete and intact. Given the wood build and use of metal components, it looks and feels like a “real” prop. This piece has the complete fully functional and rear ballbearing-mounted footpad that rotates 360 degrees, as well as the bottom “magnet plates”. Of the two styles of stickers used for the effects, this prop has the “photoboard”-style sticker affixed. In addition, there is other textured styling and hand painting. This Hoverboard also features the hole in the top, representing where the handlebars were that “Marty” pulled off after borrowing the “toy” from the little girl in the film. $30000 – $50000
Click to enlarge.
9 comments
brad
yeah, I’m going with old cold ones on that…
cold ones
Wait, I though Bob Schmeltzer did some of the skate stunts?
Kilwag
Geez you lazy readers, follow some of the links in the post.
kvon
Valterra. Wow, I was off… I just remember a madrid fly’s add with the Back to the future logo… must have been something else. Thanks for the info!
Larry
yeah pretty sure it was a valterra, judging by this pic, which i found googling “bttf skateboard”
http://www.yourprops.com/thumb-45e268f95464a-Back+To+The+Future.jpeg
Larry
oh and i THINK the board was a valterra.
Larry
i believe per welinder did the stunts. from wikipedia:
Michael J. Fox had to learn to ride a skateboard for the film. To find a coordinator for the skateboarding scenes, Bob Gale went to Venice Beach and approached two skateboarders. One turned out to be European skate champ Per Welinder. The second skater, who became the stunt double for Eric Stoltz and was later replaced in order to match Michael J. Fox’s height, was reportedly a then-unknown professional skateboarder named Tony Hawk.
kvon
You called me out of lurking. The Hover Board ROCKS! Come on, who hasn’t prayed that they would make a working one… someday.
The first Back to the future movie was what got me into skateboarding. (1985, the fifth grade… good year). I saw the movie and went right out and bought a Thrasher mag (nov 85). What was the board in the first movie? Madrid? Who did the stunts? Anyone know?
cold ones
Does it really work?