“Modern Mechanix,” Vol. 16, No. 3 (July, 1936). Uncredited cover art depicting a “Motorized Surf-Board.”
“Outboard races are won or lost at the turns. This radically new motorized surf board may easily establish a new world’s record. Cigar-shaped ‘sponsons’ are mounted on steel tube cantilever outriggers. As the boat gathers speed the side sponsons lift clear of the water and the craft skims on the planing board. During turns, however, the sponsons dip into the water, insuring lateral stability.” [Image description]
“Aquatic sports reach their peak of excitement in outboard racing, when sizzling spray fills the air and skill rides the waves to triumph over speed. Each year the records go higher. This article tells why and how. . .” [From “Splitting the Waves with the Outboard Racers,” an accompanying article by David A. Brown]
The motorized surf-board concept featured in the July 1936 issue of Modern Mechanix was certainly an ambitious idea, but there’s no clear evidence that it was ever widely adopted in outboard racing. The design, with its cigar-shaped sponsons and cantilever outriggers, was meant to provide stability at high speeds, but it seems to have remained more of a futuristic concept rather than a practical racing innovation.
The accompanying article, "Splitting the Waves with the Outboard Racers," discusses the evolution of outboard racing, but there’s no indication that this specific motorized surf-board became a standard racing craft. While outboard racing has seen many innovations over the years, most competitive designs have leaned toward hydroplanes and tunnel hull boats, which offer superior speed and maneuverability. Still, it’s fascinating to see how inventive minds in the 1930s imagined the future of aquatic sports.
The July 1936 issue of “Modern Mechanix” is in the Internet Archive:
archive.org/details/modern-mechanix.1936.07/mode/2up
“Modern Mechanix,” Vol. 16, No. 3 (July, 1936). Uncredited cover art depicting a “Motorized Surf-Board.”
“Outboard races are won or lost at the turns. This radically new motorized surf board may easily establish a new world’s record. Cigar-shaped ‘sponsons’ are mounted on steel tube cantilever outriggers. As the boat gathers speed the side sponsons lift clear of the water and the craft skims on the planing board. During turns, however, the sponsons dip into the water, insuring lateral stability.” [Image description]
“Aquatic sports reach their peak of excitement in outboard racing, when sizzling spray fills the air and skill rides the waves to triumph over speed. Each year the records go higher. This article tells why and how. . .” [From “Splitting the Waves with the Outboard Racers,” an accompanying article by David A. Brown]
The motorized surf-board concept featured in the July 1936 issue of Modern Mechanix was certainly an ambitious idea, but there’s no clear evidence that it was ever widely adopted in outboard racing. The design, with its cigar-shaped sponsons and cantilever outriggers, was meant to provide stability at high speeds, but it seems to have remained more of a futuristic concept rather than a practical racing innovation.
The accompanying article, "Splitting the Waves with the Outboard Racers," discusses the evolution of outboard racing, but there’s no indication that this specific motorized surf-board became a standard racing craft. While outboard racing has seen many innovations over the years, most competitive designs have leaned toward hydroplanes and tunnel hull boats, which offer superior speed and maneuverability. Still, it’s fascinating to see how inventive minds in the 1930s imagined the future of aquatic sports.
The July 1936 issue of “Modern Mechanix” is in the Internet Archive:
archive.org/details/modern-mechanix.1936.07/mode/2up