Lexus hover board McFlys

OK, so it's not quite as impressive as a dirtbike riding a massive wave in Tahiti, but Lexus has come good on its claim to develop a hoverboard that actually works.

But there's only one snag – you need specially built skate park that contains permanent magnets hidden beneath its surface layer.

In other words, as soon as the hoverboard leaves the exceedingly expensive custom skate park near Barcelona in Spain, it's just a board with a laser engraved Lexus badge – as predicted.

But, to Lexus' credit, the concept that so many Back to the Future fans crave actually works – even if there's some finagling involved. And that pro skater Ross McGouran managed to jump a car (Lexus GS F, naturally) and ride across water is pretty impressive too.

So what's the end game of this costly experiment – will it help Lexus sell cars? Perhaps not immediately, but it could help attract a younger audience. Lexus says it wants to be seen as an innovator, not just a company that makes cars for those 55 and older.

The Lexus hoverboard itself took around a year-and-a-half to develop, with help from scientists at IFW Dresden and evico GmbH – specialists in magnetic levitation technology. It's tech is not unlike a mag-lev or magnetic levitation train. In this case the superconducting magnets are cooled by a pair of "cryostats" or reservoirs to minus-197 degrees.

So it's got lots of liquid nitrogen, hence the cool vapour effect.

As Dr Oliver de Hass, CEO of evico, explained: "The magnetic field from the track is effectively 'frozen' into the superconductors in the board, maintaining the distance between the board and the track -- essentially keeping the board hovering."

"This force is strong enough to allow the rider to stand and even jump on the board," he said.

Another issue riders would face is hover duration. The board can only levitate for between up to 20 minutes before the liquid nitrogen cryostats need replenishing.

Pro skater Ross McGouran revealed that riding the board is nothing like regular skating.

"It's a whole new experience," he said.

"I've spent 20 years skateboarding, but without friction it feels like I've had to learn a whole new skill, particularly in the stance and balance in order to ride the hoverboard."

So, even now 30 years on, until the world's pathways, roads, skate parks and empty pools are retro-fitted with supercooled magnets, the idea of a Back to the Future-like society where people ride hoverboards will remain a fantasy.