When I first saw a picture of The Swurfer in my local toy store’s summer catalog, I thought that it looked like a nice wide swing for those of us who can’t quite, ahem, cram ourselves into our kids’ smaller swings. And while it can definitely be used like a traditional swing, it wasn’t until I a YouTube video of the Swurfer in action that I realized that this swing really, really rocks.

As the name implies, The Swurfer combines the motion of swinging with surfing so adventurous kids, teens, and even adults can surf through the air. My kids saw it in action for approximately five seconds before they breathlessly asked, When can we get one?

Yeah, this will be the backyard toy that has everyone lined up to try.

Created by surfer dad Rob Bertschy, The Swurfer is handcrafted in South Carolina of Hard-Rock Maple and can hold up to 250 pounds so, yes, Uncle Joe can give it a whirl too. The wood base is curved like the balance board my kids like to play with in our living room, plus durable ropes and wooden handles so that riders can use their momentum to propel themselves through the sky. All you need is a safe, strong tree branch for hanging it.

When it’s not being used to surf the air, turns out The Swurfer can also be a great, comfy swing too. Grab an extra set of grip handles for lower down on the ropes, and gently swing with your toddlers or all by yourself. That is, until the kids kick you off so they can go swurfing again.

The Swurfer backyard surfing swing is available on The Rob Company website or at The Wonder Works Toy Store, as well as at my excellent local toy store, Village Toy Shop. Please watch the instructional videos to insure you have a healthy tree for safe installation. And to make barefoot swurfing even safer, grab a colorful SwurfGrip that gives your kids’ feet a comfy, non-slip pad on which to stand.