Last month, a company called Hendo, or Arx Pax, proclaimed that they had developed a working hoverboard. Although they released a snazzy video with a demo, the announcement was met mostly with raised eyebrows and a healthy dose of skepticism.

This was in part due to the fact that various hoaxes have come out since Back To The Future, and partly because it seemed unlikely that the board would be able to produce enough power to carry a human for a meaningful amount of time. But the hoverboard is very much real, and it can carry a human, certainly long enough to have a bit of fun. And here’s the proof, as pro-skateboarder Tony Hawk was recently given a go:

So, it isn’t perfect. It only hovers a couple of centimeters off the ground, and is a little wobbly. It also only works on surfaces composed of non-ferrous metals such as copper or aluminum, so you can’t whip it out at your local skate park just yet. But it’s a giant leap in the right direction, and the duo behind Hendo is hopeful that they will be able to gradually optimize the system so that it can be used on other surfaces. 

[Hat tip: Popular Mechanics and Ride]