--- title: "Man Invents Backpack-Mounted “Jetpack” for Speedy Ice Skating" description: "Canadian tinkerer Brydon Gibson, 24-year-old Ottawa native, has built himself a \"jetpack\" that can allow him to ice skate at up to 25 mph, the CBC reports." date: "2021-01-15" modified: "2021-01-15" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/backpack-mounted-jetpack-ice-skating" categories: - "Future Society" tags: - "canada" - "jetpack" - "the digest" --- # Man Invents Backpack-Mounted “Jetpack” for Speedy Ice Skating ![Canadian tinkerer Brydon Gibson, 24-year-old Ottawa native, has built himself a "jetpack" that can allow him to ice skate at up to 25 mph, the CBC reports.]() *\Image: Courtesy of Hallie Cotnam for the CBC\* ## Weed Whacker Skating Canadian tinkerer Brydon Gibson, a 24-year-old Ottawa native, has built himself a "jetpack" that can allow him to ice skate at up to 25 mph, the [*CBC* reports](). To be clear, the term "jetpack" is a bit of a misnomer — it pushes him along using an old-fashioned propeller, not a jet engine. But it still looks like a fun time. "I got my hands on some weed whacker motors and I figured strapping one on my back and making skating a little bit lazier would \[be\] a good idea," Gibson told the broadcaster. ## Oh Canada "I was actually getting a little scared at one point because I was going a little too fast," Gibson added, noting that the only braking method is a "finicky" kill switch. In total, the "jetpack" weighs in at just over 13 pounds. Gibson was inspired by experience building remote-controlled airplanes and boats. "It's kind of gotten me into some rough scenarios.… I've almost lost a finger in the past, but I've never had any serious injuries yet," he noted. ## Bored Inventor "Spare time with COVID, \[and\] not seeing anyone? I'm doing this instead," said Gibson. The inventor has ambitions to upgrade the project. "Bigger propeller, more thrust, more speed, more fun," he told the *CBC*. "This is what I do. This is my life." **READ MORE:** [With spare parts and derring-do, Ottawa's own 'Rocketman' reinvents skating]() ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()