As fan's of Robert Zemeckis's 1989 sequel to Back to the Future will be more than happy to explain to you, hoverboards--those gravity-defying futuristic skateboards--have actually been around for nearly two decades, a fact that Zemeckis let slip during an interview around the time of the film's release, and subsequently reiterated, during the recording of that film's commentary.

At the time, however, much to the chagrin of an entire generation's worth of wide-eyed youths, parents' groups had the Mattel-branded devices banned from store shelves, due to safety concerns over hovering children. The units that weren't outright destroyed, were locked away in a Mattel warehouse for safe keeping, in a story reminiscent of the fate of Atari's ET game, a half-decade earlier.

While the occasional hoverboard will show up on eBay, units have traditionally been taken down immediately, for fear of Mattel's overly aggressive legal representation.

That's all about to change. According to an anonymous tipster over at the toy company, grown up children of the 80s will finally be able to get their grubby paws on the holy grail of wheel-less transport, beginning the 2008 holiday season--that is if they can prove that they're over 18. The deal, struck between Mattel and consumer watch groups will bar the sale of the devices to children under 18. For the rest of you, happy hovering.