Mercedes-Benz has teamed up with Corticeira Amorim and Polen Surfboards to develop two innovative surfboards as part of the MBoard project. Designed for world-renowned Hawaiian surfer Garrett McNamara, the first surfboard is crafted entirely from Portuguese cork and has already been delivered to McNamara. The second board, currently in production, is being made from a foam material typically used in the manufacture of aircraft wings.
“As Portugal is the world’s largest producer of cork, it makes sense to use this material to create high-performance surfboards,” McNamara said, commenting on the decision to opt for a sustainable material. “To ride big waves, we need a board that’s flexible, yet tough enough not to break.”
The surfing legend plans to use both boards to tackle the towering waves off the Portuguese coast in Nazaré. McNamara currently holds the record for the highest wave ever surfed there—reaching an astonishing speed of 62.4 km/h, measured using a telemetry system developed by Mercedes-Benz as part of the MBoard initiative.
[ Source: Mercedes-Benz ]
