'We were nuts': Matt and Al ride in a hovercraft golf cart
TODAY Show, NBC-TV
5 April 2013
By Zoe Marcus
The golf course may seem like an unlikely place for Matt and Al's latest adventure, but the game rose to a whole new level when the two TODAY anchors took a ride in a hovercraft golf cart -- one that can glide over the green and sail across the water.
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Matt and Al go for a glide on golf course.
TODAY photo. Watch the video … |
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Scared silly: Matt and Al take a wild ride in a hovercraft golf cart. |
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Matt and Al were screaming, but said they still had a fun time in the hovercraft.
TODAY photo. |
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The hovercraft golf cart allows Matt and Al to cruise right over pond.
TODAY photo. |
The unusual ride had Matt and Al "scared to death" and screaming at the top of their lungs, but the duo also admitted it was a lot of fun. Back in the TODAY studio on Friday, Savannah told Matt, "I haven't seen you look that excited since you were wearing spandex with Al."
Matt and Al aren't the only ones hovering. Earlier this week, professional golfer and Masters Champion Bubba Watson was spotted zipping around a golf course in a hovercraft. In addition to allowing golfers to glide around the course, the hybrid machine also barely leaves a mark on it, because the hovercraft’s footprint pressure is 33 times less than a human foot.
TODAY teamed up with the viral marketing company Thinkmodo for the hovercraft ride. The folks at Thinkmodo were also behind the surfboard that Matt road into work, and the terrifying mirror prank in Studio 1A. The company also faced criticism for a video depicting a fake murder.
As for the hovercraft, don't get too excited just yet. As of now, Matt and Al's ride is just a one-of-a-kind prototype and is not available for purchase anywhere.
NOTE: Neoteric has been flooded with orders for hovercraft golf carts. As Fortune magazine reported:
“Bubba's Hover can transition from prop to real-life golf cart if Neoteric's infrastructure receives the appropriate support -- and Oakley may be up for that challenge. Though the company is known for its eyewear and apparel, Strange confirms that discussions about this new hovercraft business are happening. "If opportunity is there, and we're creating a need for [hovercraft golf carts], it's definitely something we'll take a hard look at to see if it fits our business model," he says. Revolutionizing golf transportation was never in the cards for Oakley -- or Neoteric. With the help of YouTube, it now may be. The actual building of the carts is step one, followed by the implementation of hovercraft training at clubs. (It's like flying a small airplane, and weight balance is hugely important.)” |
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