Dirtsurfer Review - Page 2 of 2 DISCUSS THIS FEATURE HERE Continued from this page

There are some drawbacks to the Dirtsurfer. The first thing you notice is that the board, though not very heavy, is awkward to carry. There’s no place to grab it where it’s balanced laterally or longitudinally, so lugging it about can be a struggle. However, with the simple addition of a removable strap, this problem can be solved satisfactorily. I now enjoy getting about with it strapped to my back.
   

   
The deadman’s brake is not positioned ideally, and its underside catches on long grass. I’m not even sure it’s necessary to have it, and it might be good if it was optional. (The deadman’s brake applies a brake pad to the rear tyre to stop the Dirtsurfer if you bail.)

And I was surprised to find that the rim of the back wheel gets so hot after prolonged braking that you can’t touch it. The brakes themselves though are very easily adjustable for braking power.
  

The tuck - whoosh!

   
After a few more rides on different terrain, I discovered that the board can be ridden in a range of styles. There’s no problem with going in a straight line without carving, but carving feels great, and it’s nice to do it just for the sake of it. You can also crouch down low to pick up speed, or do the whole hill holding onto the front forks, if there aren’t too many bumps. With the sturdy foot straps sent to me as a further kindness by Dirtsurfer, my confidence leapt. On roads or dirt, there’s no worry of seeing your feet bounce off the board with catastrophic results. The ride becomes more stable with speed, and the foot straps give you the freedom to go fast. When carving, they offer extra leverage too - just curl up your toes to initiate a nice heelside turn.
  

 
One adjustment I made was to the brake lever. I attached a cardboard pad to the top of the brake lever to bring it closer to my calf. By doing so, I made it possible to brake much more easily, with the paradoxical result that I now use the brake less.

Just like snowboarding, with the Dirtsurfer the terrain flashes past and you cover large distances in no time. A one minute ride down a road or track will result in a 15 minute walk to get back where you were. So although you can have fun with the Dirtsurfer in a decent sized park with a slope, more space is better. Riding on public roads is tempting, and I suspect unavoidable, however dangerous potentially. The naughty boys in Rooster Tales, the Dirtsurfer video, are shown riding on public roads, weaving in and out of traffic, and it looks very do-able. Ditto charging down golf courses. Indeed, a dusk reconnaissance at speed on a local links revealed that there is no better terrain for Dirtsurfing. Owning one of these boards is like keeping a big dog - it needs room to roam. For this reason, I will be very happy if snow resorts here realize the potential and start looking into ways to provide suitable courses. All that’s required for starters is a working lift and some areas where the weeds are kept in check. I’m convinced that the Dirtsurfer is more appropriate for riding at snow-less resorts than the mountain boards that are sometimes available currently.
  

  
Owning a Dirtsurfer is definitely one way of Making Friends and Influencing People. It draws a lot of attention.

Almost the moment I got it out of my house, an elderly neighbour asked, “What on earth is that?”

“It’s a…it’s a…something you ride…”

“I can see that. It’s not really a bicycle is it?”

“No. It isn’t.”

People guess that you ride it by sitting down on the flat bits. Somehow the idea of standing up to hurtle seems too implausible. I have seen people go past (in a blur) with their mouths opened wide in astonishment.

I happened to ride it through an agricultural fair, and was stopped by a pretty girl from Gifu who wanted very urgently to ask me questions about my ride. She fingered my wheels and said ‘You have lovely blue rims’. For this alone I would recommend getting a Dirtsurfer.
  

  
So, is the Dirtsurfer good as an alternative to snowboarding? Definitely. And not only as an alternative to winter sports, but something exciting and enjoyable to do in its own right. Even when the snow is on the hills, I’ll be riding my Dirtsurfer wherever it takes me.