Why book a trip to Bali to ride the waves when you can enjoy a surf session right here in Singapore (sans the waves)? All you need is an electric surfboard that is able to cruise on any body of water like the TKO 001 — a zero-emission battery-operated surfboard produced by homegrown company The Kinetic Option.
Established during the pandemic, the company is the brainchild of four childhood friends — Daniel He, Felix Huang, Alvin Yeoh and JC Lew — who come from vastly different careers. Co-founder and general manager, He was formerly an F&B entrepreneur and A&E doctor. Co-founders Yeoh and Lew bring with them their years of experience as a research engineer and naval architect, respectively. The “master tester” of the company is Huang, who happens to be one of the forefathers of breakdancing in Singapore.
Clockwise, from top left: JC Lew*, Jordan Stone, Alvin Yeoh*, Daniel He*, Felix Huang*, Ahmad Rusaidi Bin Rasiman, Bryant Chong, and Nur Firdaus Bin Zainol Iskandar of The Kinetic Option (* denotes the four co-founders)
“We believe that silent, clean propulsion is the future for many marine applications from the coast to inland waterways and reservoirs. TKO 001 was built with the intention of providing an alternative for water sport lovers who can’t travel out to surf the waves. With this, all you need is access to a large body of water and you can enjoy hours of fun on water,” says He.
Lew chimes in: “Petrol powered and more recently electric motorised surfboards have been around for a few years, but we decided that we have the combined knowledge and skills to make a more efficient, high performance jet board.”
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Working alongside Hope Technik as their engineering partner, TKO went through nine prototypes and close to a year before they arrived at the perfect surfboard. “The shape of the hull is critical to the rider's experience. We’ve struck a balance between outright performance and ease of use. Our hull has sufficient area and buoyancy to allow a beginner to get up easily but highly tuned edges for aggressive turns at high speed,” explains Lew.
The 18kg surfboard comes with a wireless remote with various pre-set configurations and speed settings, allowing users to manoeuvre the board at a speed according to their skillset and comfort level. With an in-built motor and an automatic kill switch, the surfboard stops functioning once the user is no longer detected on the board, making it very user-friendly, especially for beginners and children.
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In addition to its zero-carbon emission feature, the surfboard can also go up to speeds of above 55km/h and with each ride lasting for an average of 40 minutes with a swappable battery pack — providing users with an optimal riding experience that is exhilarating yet hassle-free.
To start surfing, one would typically ride the board from a boat or from a jetty or beach. The speed of the board is controlled via a handheld wireless remote controller, while the rider turns the board by leaning toe- or heel-side. Battery packs are swappable and you can swap one in about 10 seconds. Verdict: While there are similarities in how it feels carving down a wave, this is a whole new experience. You have the complete freedom to choose your speed and destination, whether it’s across a calm lake or up and over a wave.
Although this project has set the group back a couple of million dollars of capital, they are very confident of seeing a positive return on investment. They currently have a production line set up to make up to 800 boards a year, and each board will be sold online and via sales partners at US$13,000 (about $18,000).
Moving forward, the quartet will continue to focus on developing zero-emission electric marine propulsion for small and personal watercrafts. Currently, they are developing their next product — electric outboard motors (OBMs) to replace existing petrol-driven ones for a cleaner and more pleasant boating experience.
“The global pleasure personal craft market is huge, considering the extensive lake and beach water sports community around the world. In America alone, 70,000 jet skis were sold last year, most costing more than our board,” says Lew.
