The Swurfer Is One Part Swing, One Part Surfboard, And All Parts Awesome
Like you never tried standing on the swings.
The next time some know-it-all helicopter parent side-eyes you for not stopping your kid’s borderline dangerous playground behavior, tell them you’re only encouraging their entrepreneurial spirit. That’s the lesson learned from Swurfer, a reinvention of the prehistoric playground swing invented by a guy who thought he was making balance boards to teach his kids to surf — until his wife told him to hang one from a tree. Total dad move, mom.
The Swurfer is essentially a swing you stand on, surfing the air like some kind of tree-bound Marty McFly. The curved shape provides more stability and range of motion than a lame old flat swing, and the adjustable handles allow kids and dads of all sizes to ride (unless you’re dealing with an acute case of DadBod). The starter kit includes 80 feet of high-test rope that can bear up to 250 pounds, so you can still swing — sorry, swurf — with your kid even if the best branch in your yard is 20 feet high. And if your wife isn’t as adventurous as Mrs. Swurfer back there, you can always sit and swing with your kid on your lap while she’s watching, because it’s still a swing.
It’s hard to look at the Swurfer and not immediately want a whole set for your yard, but if you can still hear your own mom yelling from the back porch to not stand on the swings, consider this: you listened, and now you’re about to buy your kids one of these things from a guy who didn’t.
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