Inside the Hobie Eclipse Invasion

The Hobie® Mirage® Eclipse is a once-in-a-generation product, a world’s first. When it came time to introduce it, we wanted to make a big splash. And thus, the Hobie Invasion was conceived.

Hobie dealers from across the globe convened at the Bahia Hotel in San Diego, California on April 5 for a meeting on the hotel’s top floor. The floor to ceiling windows were curtained off, blocking a foggy view of glassy Mission Bay.

Meanwhile 28 Mirage Eclipses and their riders assembled at Santa Clara Point, about half a mile away and safely out of sight. There were equal numbers of glossy solar yellow and stylish lunar blue boards. They were organized into four squadrons, each with a right and left wing. At a predesignated time, the Mirage Eclipse flotilla launched into the unknown.

As the squadrons rounded the corner of Bahia Point, the fog magically lifted. In the meeting room the curtains were snatched open, revealing the oncoming flotilla to gasps of astonishment. The excitement peaked as the squadrons separated, weaving through a series of intricate maneuvers. They circled, crossed paths, and finally formed into a long line before leaving a captivated crowd of onlookers behind.