The Physics of Land Surfing Boards.

Here's an interesting link which gives a comparison between inline and 4 wheeled boards. Each have different strengths.
If he missed anything, it would be the relationship between deck tilt, lean and speed in a 4 wheeler -
Slow speeds = strong deck tilt but very little lean.
Fast speed = little deck tilt but lots of leaning into the corner.
There's a speed range in the middle where everything aligns and the ride is really cool. But outside those speeds it's very non intuitive.
Credits to Mad Marc.

Sugar Factory Run.

These guys here have got an outlaw race over Labour Weekend. Would be cool to check out, maybe have a ride with.
Venue is the Chelsea Sugar Factory run in Birkenhead Auckland. I can't find footage of anyone riding it, but I found a trucker coming up it. So if you watch then imagine it backwards you'll get an idea. It seems the top is a lot higher than where the longboarders start from, but they have issues over speed bumps. The grass run along the side is well known amongst mountainboarders, but haven't done it myself.
Might be worth checking the council to see if they'd let me set up a hire operation there...

New website inlineboarding.com

We're up and running again. As you can see we're going to have several new ranges of boards come online soon, with freaky performance capabilities.
The Surfari you'll be familiar with. It's design is based on ride quality, and gives the most incredible downhill experience with a surf feel.
The DirtSurfboard is a more versatile offering, and a better all round performer. It's a better choice for freestyle and rougher terrain.
Well here's something that's been kept tightly under wraps - the DirtSnowboard and the Alpine Inline Board have rear steering. Intrigued?
And the last is the IBoard. Well... I think that's still under wraps for now ;)

Gale Force Tail Wind!

Woo boy did we have the mean winds knock our part of the world. The rest of the country got smashed with rain and snow too, but we were protected by the mountainranges and only got the wind. And it was conveniently blowing in the right direction for Kent Terrace.
Well it was the fastest I have ever done Kent. Felt a good 20kph faster than the normal run, and then got blown at full speed along the flats and up the rise on the other side. Never gone so far. Both the T and the Surfari were a whole lot quicker.
So I decided to clinb up to do the main drop down Puketapu into Taradale. Turns out the route I chose went through blackberries and I had to dig the thorns out of my fingers later. But the ride was worth it, screaming quick. The hairpins were just at the right speed.
Stunning day of riding!

Met a couple longboarders...

...skating down the street, so I pulled over for a yak. They were just doing a commute on some speed sticks. They're keen to hit the smooth tarseal over Havelock, so we're going to hook up for a ride. Coolness! Finally get to try a longboard.

The new subdivision

I found a new suburb being built out the back of Taradale heading up into the hills. The roads are perfect smooth tboard runs while it features some nice grass banks to carve on each side for the surfari. These are some choice runs. Maybe only 500 metres long but nice and fun speed. I've taken a few learners there too and it actually intimidated all of them at first. Piccies coming...

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I hope everyone has a choice time over the holiday period. Drive safe bt ride aggressively.
Many thanks to all the people who've visited my sites, and special thanks to those customers who've shown their support for our new sport through it's infancy.
May the new year see you carving harder and going faster than ever.

Forum outages.

Starting December 1st and lasting about a month, the surfariboardz forum will experience random outages while the hosts upgrade their scripts and move to new servers. I'm sure all the people who come through the site but never leave a post will be disappointed! I'm really surprised at how many people do come thru since I installed Google analytics. But the forum remains quiet. Oh well, from small acorns grow...

And the winner is...

... Kepa Teinakore Tahana Suafoa of Manurewa, Auckland. Congrats big time. Hope you enjoy your new Mai Time Surfari board. Some nice hills around Manurewa and some wookid fast ones around the Bombays there. Choice!

Mai Time Surfari.

Went up to Rotorua with Juno to be part of the Mai Time extreme show. It dawned rainy as and the meet was at 0845hrs. It cleared enough by the time we started riding but limited the venues for learner spots. So we ended up just riding thru the hospital grounds.
Lucky Olly was a surfer, and learnt to ride the Surfari immediately. Straight lines at first, then he got to the business of carving. After an hour he had the takeoff sussed and started attacking that grass bank. I got all camera'd up and had wires and gizmos all over me as I rode. Got some great footage.
Unfortunately time was against us, and we didn't have time to get to a better location. Olly was ready for it, but he had appointments with a zorb, 4 x 4, giant swing, and a freefall simulator thing. Hard job he's got.
Cheers to the Mai Time crew, was a choice shoot.
You can check out the footage here, and enter the contest to win you a Mai Time Surfari Board here.

Warming up in Canada

Found a new blog @ Yahoo! 360. Looks like things are getting in place for the spring and summer over there. Choice!

Dude from Avondale Library carpark...

sorry I lost your contact details. If you read this please phone me again if you're still interested in being an agent in Auckland. Cheers.

Website stats.

Well the website has been up for 1 week now, and I've hooked it up with Google Analytics. It gives an interesting run down on visitor traffic etc. In the 1st week online we had 40 visitors. The biggest source of referrals is Google, with Yahoo video also featuring. Interesting as there are only 3 vids on Yahoo. Have to add more there! Thought there would be some from Youtube and from this blog here, but oh well it has to start somewhere.
Hits so far have come from the US, Aus and of course, mainly NZ. Cool.

surfariboardz.co.nz

We're back! Check out the new site. It'll only get better. Big developments coming soon so stay tuned.

Inside the Dragons Den.

What was it like to ride into the Dragons Den? Now the episode has aired, I'm able to talk about it.
It was intimidating as. I got the stagefright and went blank for a mo. Stink! I'd hardly slept and me brain wasn't going so early in the morning. But I managed to pull it together and deliver the message - which totally went over their heads! Luckily it's edited together to look quite good. The camera crew really liked the boards.
Basically, they don't ride boards, so they just didn't get it. We couldn't use any vid footage to showcase the ride.
But to rebut
- actually Bob, girls do dig the Surfari.
- sorry Barry but these don't cut up the lawn.
- someones kids are gonna shake their mum silly for knocking this one back.
etc...
So it's a popular show, and it seems all of Auckland had seen us. Next day people were like "Hey I loved it I would've invested" kind of stuff. General consensus is that the Dragons were pretty hard on us, and obviously didn't get it.
Not as hard as they were on others tho. One chick came out bright red and fuming...
Sweet as. Excellent promo for us. It's the building of a legend...
So check out the footage. There's some extra outtakes at
here and here

Surfari Kite Flight

hey,

noticed the forums were down so i decided to post here.

had a mean NE wind on saturday and managed to hit the beach with the surfari and kite, working out how to control the kite while i stepped on the surfari was the hard bit and once i got that sorted riding in a stright line was a breeze. bailed a few times when it came to u-turning and a few more times when i was overpowered and dragged into the soft sand. not a bad session for my first ride with a kite.

despite not actually having a huge downhill ride i felt this board is outstanding when used with a kite and open beach and as long as the NE winds blow i'll never need gravity for my speed fix.

spiglord has the footage so once i get it from him i'll either upload it or mail it to ya.

cheers

syMptom

First Descent :)

Totally stoked! After more than 20 years of boarding, I finally got to try it on snow. Been wanting to go snowboarding ever since.
The venue was Snow Planet, a snowdome situated in Auckland, the culprits - me and Juno. We did everything wrong! If it's your 1st time your supposed to go to the learners slope with an instructor, but screw that! We just hopped on the towrope and hit the top. That was hard enough by itself! So the run is only 200 metres long, but from the top looking down, it's wayyy steep and a long (for a total noob).
So gathered some nerve and launched off the top. Slid straight for about 10 metres to gain a bit of speed, the tried to lay a carve. SLAM immediately - backspin to headfirst slide. Found out how cold snow actually is. Well get back on that horse. Had another go, tried to carve toeside. Mirror image action replay. Fell like 5 times on that run.
On my 3rd go I hit a clean run carving the whole way. Finally getting the hang of it. Time to be a bit more daring. Big mistake, worst wipe of the day! Aerial backslam. Wow I'm starting to name ways to bail! Found out what "catching a rail" means. Ok take it a bit easier.
Was frustrating to see kids whizzing past, nailing the jumps, hitting the rails. Punks!
By the end of the day we both had the basics and were beginning to progress nicely. Our bodies had paid their dues, but we could totally see the buzz. Yes, snowboarding IS everything it's hyped to be. We outgrew the indoor arena in 2 hours, and felt the urge for mountainous snow peaks and long freerides. Ahhh that will be fun. Was a fantastic day.
Turns out the generic boards we were on aren't suited for carving, but we were actually carving up pretty good. There were some guys there on snowboards that looked more like the preferred thruster I ride - a squaretail. Forgive my ignorance of snow terminology. These guys were riding like I wanted to - high speed and insane carves. They came for a ride on me Surfari afterwards, and they're going to hook me up with a ride on their carving sticks. Cool as.
So snow had the surfarian seal of approval.
As an aside, I've tried both the t board and the freebord. Both are billed as snowboard simulators for the streets. And there is a running debate over which most closely approximates the snowboard ride. Well now I'm in a (limited) position to add my 2 cents.
I had snowboards dialled in less than 2 hours. Sure I can still feel there's a gap in my experience and ability, but many years on boards allowed me to quickly assume a level of competence.
I rode the freebord for 2 hours and didn't really get it. I could go down the street precariously. I slammed as much as on snow, but never experienced the rapid learning curve I got with snow. In short, I made little improvement for my time and pain. To me it accentuated the wrong aspects of snow. I'm a carver, and try to avoid sliding. But the freebord is a slider. Sure the freebord addicts swear you can carve it, but you have to be good, and I haven't seen any vids of a pure carve. And it felt like going around all day with your brakes on.
The t board I was able to hop on straight away and skate around the corner to a small hill. Once there, I could ride immediately down the slope and lay down some aggressive carves. With indies on the back gives just enough to feel like powder, but it is a front turner and the rear drift is some thing you can make it do but not necessarily a requirement like on a snowboard. Getting those wheels up on their edges gives a feeling of being on the rails of a snowboard. To date, I have hardly bailed at all on the t. And it offers a perfect carve every time, rewarding good technique and quite forgiving of mistakes.
So which is the most snowlike? Well it really depends on your style. I'm def more towards the t board end. But then I think the t is only slightly more snowlike than the Surfari. What the Surfari has is the rampant speed you get on snow, and the feel of being on an edge.
The debate continues...

Primo Summer Free Ride Venue.

While we were in Aucks we had a scout around for a suitable location to give free rides and free lessons in inline boarding Surfari style.
So we bombed Queen St numerous times. Was a bit crowded one day due to the upcoming Boobs on Bikes parade. But it wasn't really suitable.
We had the mean ride around the Domain, especially through the 1/2 pipe down Lover's Lane. There's a fun road where they hold the trolley races in Feb. But there's nowhere really public to showcase the rides. All the best terrain is down walkways and stuff. And parking would be an issue.
So we eventually decided on Cornwall Park at the bottom of One Tree Hill. It's at the base of an extinct volcano, with the earthworks being extensively remodeled over the centuries by local maori. So it features some awesome rideable terran to cater for all skill levels, and all different surfaces to carve. Parking is great, and there a good facilities for the public to use including a cafe. It's directly across from the showgrounds, and upcoming events there include Big Boys Toys, the Auckland Sports Expo and the Snow Show. Heaps of people that'll be stoked to come over and have a free go on the latest adrenaline sport.
We got a little filmage of the main spot we'll be setting up. Even had the 1st group ride, with a van load of teens on a course. They loved it. Their tutor wasdoing hand plants on his first ride! I'm not doing those yet.
The ride from the top was a total rush! Narrow, twisty and fast! I did it first. Who's next?

Enter the Dragon.

Who are these smiling assasins? Well, they're the kiwi Dragons, with a net worth of nearly 1/2 a billion dollars. Me and Juno actually got to ride the Den! On tv! Ha! How many people are gonna do that?
We're not allowed to report on the success or failure of the meeting. I can report that the camera crew thought it was the best product they had seen come through the den and they were excited. Regardless of the result, it should be excellent exposure for the Surfari. So you'll have to watch it yourself. It's on in NZ on Thursday nights 8.30 on One. Or click the pic for updates.

The winter blues.

People may have noticed I've been a bit quiet for a few weeks. It's because I've been sooo busy. Look up busy in the dictionary and there's a pic of me!
Riding has suffered a badly. Been lucky to get out 2 - 3 times a week. Still didn't get to the snow. Been looking at grape vines... endless rows of grape vines... chardonnay, sauvignon blanc... chop rip snip twist tie paint repeat. Trying to generate a bit of money for the upcoming season. Did I get to drink any of the wine? Hmmm? Big negatory on that story.
Back in the saddle now tho. Big plans for this upcoming season. Stay tuned peeps.
The main Sufari website will be down temporarily while we relocate to a new server. Sorry for any inconvenience. It will be even better when it's back online.

What did you do on Go Skate Day?

I had visitors most of that day. Managed to get out for a skate around the 'hood just before it got dark. Took a camera with me and filmed a bit of it - the local supermarket carpark, the pub carpark and a path in the park. All flatland carving at skating speed. It's still fun to be able to lay it over and pump thru. This is my preferred form of transport these days, what with the price of petrol and all.

Bike skitching thru skate park.

Finally got day 3 of syMptom's footage posted. Starts with a bit of grassage downhill, before busting out the tow rope for some skitching around the Christchurch skatepark. This is a kind of riding I haven't done, and it looks like a bit of fun.
Big thanks to Mason for sending through this footage. Can't wait to see how it handles some kiteage.
I see there's a big speed record comp going down in the kgb forum - buggy vs board type thing. This is the beasty for the fast blast down the beach. Can't wait to score me a kite and have a crack at it.

Honest - I was only doing the speed limit, officer.

It happens all the time - cops pull up when you're riding and give you the 20 questions. Some have been ok and just want to see what you're doing. Once I was told not to ride on the footpath, only to be stopped 5 minutes later by a different cop and told not to ride on the road? One cop told me not to "go all over the road like that" (ummm.... carving?). Usually I get asked how fast I go. Once, cops pulled up really fast and asked if I was ok after being run over and having my bike totalled. Then there was the classic conversation that went like "Is that your bicycle in the back, sir?" Reply "It's not a bike." He then intelligently asked "Is that your bicycle in the back, sir?" Go figure.
So how does the law apply to Surfari boards here in New Zealand? I've found some info on the LTSA website. It pays to know before you get the hassles.

Is a skateboard a vehicle?
The definition of "vehicle" includes skateboards, in-line skates and roller skates. People using them must be careful and considerate of other road users, including pedestrians, and must stop if involved in a crash so they can check on the condition of anyone else involved. If anyone is injured or killed then the crash must be reported to the Police.
However, skateboards, in-line skates and roller skates are not motor vehicles or cycles, and may be used on a footpath, unless forbidden by local bylaws. Local Authority bylaws on the use of vehicles will also apply.

Definition
The Act defines a vehicle as a "contrivance" equipped with wheels, tracks or revolving runners on which it moves or is moved; and includes a hovercraft, a skateboard, in-line skates and roller skates. Under this Act, these things are classified as vehicles but does not specify where they can be used.
People using foot-powered scooters and skateboards are classified as pedestrians for the purpose of the Traffic Regulations 1976.
However, if a child is riding a "contrivance" it could be described as a child's toy, not a vehicle. A child is anyone under 14 years of age. This brings a child on a scooter within the definition of a pedestrian for the purposes of the Traffic Regulations.

Where can I use them?
If you are under 14 and using non-motorised transport you are a pedestrian and your use is restricted to a footpath. If you are over 14, you can use your skateboard or scooter on the road but we strongly advise you not to.
If you are using a scooter or skateboard on a footpath you must take care not to harm or endanger other pedestrians. You are also advised to wear protective gear, including a helmet, knee and even elbow pads, especially in steep conditions. Robust shoes should always be worn.
Riders must obey all normal road rules. Because it is classified as a vehicle, careless use could see a rider facing a fine of up to $3000.

My take on this is that I can ride pretty much anywhere on my pedestrian vehicle contrivance :). And local regulations regarding skateboards, scooters and bicycles don't technically apply.

learning curve 2 - syMptom

Day 2 of the footage from Christchurch surfari groms syMptom and mates. Having a bit of fun. Noticeably fewer bails and easier takeoffs. These guys will be tearing it up soon.

Found a choice blog too. Got this sort of psychedelic slideshow cool thing. Click here.

How long are you champ for ???

So if you win a national title in 2003, and there have been no further comps since, are you still the champ? It's now '06, 3 years since I won the NZ Dirtsurfer title. Not as impressive as it might sound, considering how few people turned up to contest it. Can I still call myself reigning champ? Is it just for that year, or until someone steps up and takes it off you? Have there been similar situations?
Not good as Nihat Ulysal, the 1st and current world champ on a dirtsurfer. Would love to race that guy. No doubt on the cards. I've got an advantage in cornering on my Surfari, but it'll no doubt come down to the rider on the day.
Anyway, here's some archive footage of me struggling with the turns at the '03 comp at Gravity Hill. It's a mountainboard park that used to exist in Taupo NZ. Made for mountainboards, it was too slow, tight and technical for the much faster and more flowing dirtsurfer. While we were nearly twice as quick to the bottom as a goslo, had the major difficulties with cornering. For instance, on this day, I was the only one to make a clean run down the dual slalom.
On the Big Air I was riding timidly. I'd had a mean bail the year before which took me out for 3 months, so I was freaking at doing it again. Still, Aaron had never jumped at all, and he went huge! Paid for it tho on the landing.
I wish this park was still around, now that I have an inline board that's not awkward through the corners and can carve sharp. Well, must be time to start setting up my own comps!
Hmmm.... comp venues.... Castle Rock, Rotovegas, the Bruce and Baldwin. That sounds like a fun circuit.

Impromptu Race vs skateboard.

Been doing a lot of my old runs that I haven't done for a while, to see how these new Surfari boards handle. So I was seshing Shakespeare Rd in Napier. I call it the milk run, as the shop is at the top, so when I needed milk I get to haul back at 70k + and roll right to my doorstep. Since I've moved close to Park Island, I don't do this road much anymore.
Had a couple runs, then, as I was walking back up for the next run, around the corner comes a dude on a skateboard, carving it up. Naturally, I run out on the road and, as he passes me, I get on and start riding.
He's about 20 m in front by the time I'm up to speed. As I drop to a tuck, he looks back to check where I am, and so he drops too. We seem pretty even speed wise. So I start to carve. Each pump seems to bridge some of the gap between us. Next time he looks back I'm right at his shoulder. I think he freaked a bit to see me there and got a little sketch. By the time he's under control, I'm past him and laying into the corner sections. Wayyy ahead after the corners. I lay a left to go up a road then 180 to roll back, and I see he goes straight and disappears into the town traffic.
I've seen 3 longboarders around the Bay, never seen this guy before. Dunno what setup he was riding or anything. But I'm happy with the result.
Score Surfari 2, 4wheels 0.

syMptom day 1

A new surfarian from down the line Christchurch sends me some vid footage of his first 3 days out riding with his mates. He originally scored him a board for some kgb after having a go on 1 at the Waikuku kite camp, but with no good wind lately, gets it sussed for downhill. Some hilarious stuff, with a few good bails, some offroad, shingle road and grass. Even the chase bike takes a tumble :) Check out some day 1 action.

More days to come. Check out his review

Breaking in a Noob.

It's definitely winter here, but Hawkes Bay can still turn on the primo weather. So had to take advantage, went out for a ride with Matt and Juno.
Juno is a regular Surfarian, but he's been out of the game for a while due to a snapped achilles, then a dislocated shoulder. In the wars that dude. Not even boarding injuries! So he's just getting his groove on again. Took him out to sample some of the Havelock terrain.
Speaking of someone in the wars, Matt came out for a ride too. His last injury was when a bull stomped his head during a rodeo. He's a dedicated mountainboarder, in fact, he owns Boardaline. Altho he's pretty crazy on 4 wheels, the Surfari intimidated him at first. After a few false starts and kissing the road, he eventually committed to the drop and cruised down easily. He loved it.
Did a few more roads, including my current fav - the watertank run, sooo much fun. Heaps of different lines to take, grass, road, banks etc. Theres a concrete bank that leads to a grass bank that goes around corners. Addicted.
Most satisfying day of riding, we all agreed.

Surfari vs BeUnlimited with coffeeman

So the story begins a couple days ago. I went for a ride to one of my old runs I hadn't done for a while - Park Island. Haven't had footstraps for a while and they're mandatory. Basically it's a dirt track that drops into a big grass bowl. Well, since I've been there, the council has installed a wave shaped bank all along the face of the hill! Stoked as! Sessioned it for awhile and decided to come back again with a camera.
So yesterday I get a pm from Scottie aka coffeeman. He's the NZ distributor of the BeUnlimited freestyle board, and he was in town for the day and wondered if I wanted to hook up for a ride. Sweet as, I'm there!
So I got to ride the new earthworks on a BeUnlimited. What to say? It's an excellent board, much closer to how I like to surf terrain than other 4 wheelers I've tried. The design is very well thought out, and the ride is great. I only had enough time to get a bit of a feel for it. As usual, with me and 4 wheels, my pads were given a good testing. It took a few runs to get used to the ability to pivot and place the front in the right place. The way it's leveraged makes the front almost weightless and easy to "pop". It responds so easily, yet strangely still has the transverse wheel property of staying almost parallel to the terrain instead of laying over. So it's a tricky little board to tune in to. I can see it being a whole lot of fun as an addition to my quiver.
So how did Scottie go on the Surfari? He had a bit of trouble a first, being used to having to steer platforms rather than surf a board ;)But he managed to get a wobbly kind of run from about 1/4 way up. Did need a bit more speed. It is hard to go from heel - toe to lean, and vice versa.
Surfari kicked ass speed wise. Not that it was a race.
So yep was a good little ride. Check it out.

Bottom of the Peak Carve

Got me a Youtube account, so I'm trying to figure out how to use it. The vid above is the 1st upload, to see how it goes. The footage is from about 2 weeks ago, bit of a carve at the bottom of the Te Mata Peak run.

The Peak is a 5 km downhill. The top section is fast and twisty with death drops to one side. Then it goes through some technical corners before some faster straights. Look out for the cattle stops! Also you can take in some offroad action. Top speeds only in the 70s. Arguably the best run around here, with many different possibilities in your lines. Awesome.

Free Ride Venues.

I'm a firm believer in the feet on boards approach. A Surfari board is intimidating, but once someone gets on and feels how easy it is but how much ride potential it has, people get hooked! When they run back up with huge grins on their faces and ready for the next descent, they're already addicted surfarians.
So cheers to syMptom, who's now offering free rides in Christchurch. Check the link
http://s5.eroute.net/~admin104/forum/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=18
Look me up if you want a ride in Napier.

Footstraps :)

Finally got some footstraps to trial. Been trialling hard out! We've had some great weather lately, and so been out boarding every day. Got a little footage of one trip to Havelock, thanks to Willy, who piked at his moms wedding on the weekend. Definitely autumn here. Trees are all colors. Great views from the top.
So verdict on the straps?
Well they're quite wide and very flexible. They are secured to the deck by two bolts each end, which gives good lateral control. At first they seemed a bit light, compared to others I have used, but they're definitely very strong and firm. They hold their shape well to put your foot in while skating. Furthermore they really tie you in to the board.
I've been riding around without straps for like a month now. It's been a good experience and I feel I'm far more in tune with the board now. But the footstraps defnitely take your control to another level. It's like oneness with the board.
From that aspect, the straps totally work. I'm happy that they perform the job well.

So I've been involved in some interesting discussions on the 'fish, one concerning carving and another about speed. It's got me stoked to see how far I can start pushing the limits of a Surfari board. Looking at my vids, I'm no where near its' potential.
Check out the vid!

TBoarding and some Wild Weather!

Wow we've had the mean weather. Winds of 135 kph and sideways rain. There was 15cm of snow dumped on the central plateau, and 60 cm in the ranges. Woohoo for snowboarders! Even lost internet access all Monday and most of Tuesday.
So yesterday I ended up skating 9 k upwind on the Surfari board. Was a struggle to fight the wind all the way. But I got blown back at wicked speeds carving hard across the face of the wind. Barely had to put a foot down. I've got a good carving set up on it - 20 x 1.75 road tyre on the front @ 55psi and 20 x 1.95 street tyre rear @ 90psi, on mag rims. They give instant acceleration and a bit of flex when you pump through a carve, and the tyres really bite in. Not riding with footstraps tho, ties you more into the natural motions of the board and you rely more on g forces to stick you to it. You really need footstraps on to ride aggressively at slower speeds and be able to really throw it around.
The day before I went out for a bit of a carve. Venue was a local path, the nearest bit of slope to my house, where I go if I need a quick blast. It's short and not that steep but it provides a fix. Had a few runs on the tboard first. It's a nimble little thing and is one of those boards that allow you freedom of expression in your ride. Got a bit of footage of some of the first runs. Check out Tboard Run. Laugh at my ugly technique! Ridicule my pointless arm gestures! Still it's a most responsive board.
Got it set up with the indys and a blue bushing. Can't like uro's, faster but not sure. Need to be able to trust you can make the turn.
Then had a few runs down on the Surfari. This path is wayyy short for it as you do it a lot quicker. Get to roll across the bridge, onto the road, 180 then roll 1/2 way back up for the next run. Surfari Run.
All in all a fun little session. When you're not that talented you gotta practice constantly to keep your riding level up. And various other excuses :)

How big is the boarding industry?

I recently came across a report on the size of the surf / skate industries in America. It makes for some interesting reading.
One of the main things I can see from the report is the issue of accessibility.
There are approximately 2 million surfers. They all live near the coast. Over 40% are in 1 state - California. There's none in the big middle bit!
There are 11 million skaters. There's a lot more concrete than surf breaks. They don't break the skating figures down into various categories though, eg percentage of kickflippers vs longboarders.
I also found another report stating there are 7 million snowboarders. Snowboarding is still the fastest growing sport. Funny thing with the snow industry - when the snow falls, sales start. When it melts, sales stop.
What if it was a 12 month industry? What if the arena was all terra firma? What if weather didn't matter?
I see the land boarding industry as capable of outstripping the other board sports in the long term. It's always available! The missing link has been the absence of a truly suitable craft. Would snowboards be as popular if they got speed wobbles and threw you off at a certain speed? Doubts!
The article is reprinted here. The original is at Transworld Business Magazine.

FEATURES

SIMA Unveils Retail Study

By Sean O'Brien Posted 08.11.2005
“Knowledge is power,” Sir Francis Bacon proclaimed back in 1597, and it’s still true today. But while the surf and skate markets have experienced some amazing growth, it’s been difficult to answer even basic questions like, “What’s the size of the market?” and “Is it growing or shrinking?”
But this spring the Surf Industry Manufacturers Association (SIMA) hired Leisure Trends Group to conduct a series of 22-minute surveys with a cross-section of retailers from around the country. In all, 404 surf and skate retailers participated.
“The goal of the survey was to fill a gap in the market,” says SIMA Executive Director Sean Smith. “We wanted to help educate our members and create a baseline for further studies.” The study, which cost in excess of 50,000 dollars, was the largest investment SIMA has ever made.
Smith says the completed report is as thick as two phone books, but even the top-line report is fascinating. Based on those 404 surveys, Leisure Trends estimates that in 2004 surf/skate retailers sold 4.87-billion dollars in goods (2.41-billion in skate stores, and 2.46-billion in surf stores). Add in department stores, military exchanges, and specialty chain company stores and that figure jumps to 6.52-billion.
“As the industry has grown, there’s been talk about how the channels of distribution have widened,” says Smith when asked if anything in the results were surprising. “But this shows we’re still a niche industry. Specialty stores are still where most of the business occurs.”
And that business appears healthy. Compared to 2003, the overall surf/skate retail industry experienced sales increases of 12.4 percent in 2004. Core surf stores were up 8.4 percent; skate-store sales shot up 20.1 percent. Nearly two-thirds (63.6 percent) of all retailers report that sales were up from 2003 levels--an increase that averaged 21.5 percent among those stores. Not everyone could be a winner, though: 12.6 percent of retailers experienced a decline in sales during 2004--a downturn that averaged 15.3 percent.
Sports specialty retail operations generated the strongest industry sales during the 2004 retail season--66 percent or 3.22-billion dollars--followed by lifestyle operations (32.2 percent or 1.57-billion) and sporting goods stores (1.7 percent or 84-million dollars in sales).
Stores located in the West region accounted for more than one-half (2.9-billion dollars) of total surf/skate sales in 2004, followed by the South (one-billion in sales), the Northeast (633-million), and the Midwest (341-million).
Yep, it’s a lot of numbers, data that SIMA hopes will become the industry standard. Smith says the survey will be offered to SIMA members for the cost of copying and postage (about 50 dollars). Participating retailers will receive the survey for free. If you don’t meet that criteria, it’s going to cost you--Smith estimates a 3,000- to 5,000-dollar price tag for non-members, and they’ll need to receive approval from the SIMA board to receive the report.
“It’s important for members and retailers to understand that this survey will not be loosely thrown around,” says Smith. “Companies trying to glom on to the industry and steal from it won’t have access to this report.”
For more information on the SIMA/Leisure Trends survey, contact SIMA at (949) 366-1164.

A Christchurch Surfari.

Stephen "spiglord" Green is the newest and southernmost surfarian. He runs the Landboarding NZ website, and is a keen KGBer, or kite ground boarder. I was dubious when I first heard of the KGB scene developing down there. Why would the Russians be interested in our beaches? Turns out it's a bunch of kiters and buggiers tearing up our beaches and nothing to do with the Cold War.
When I first saw the tag "spiglord" I thought he must be a rugby player, you know those things on the bottom of the boots? Still not exactly sure what a spig is, but I'm guessing it's a good thing to be lord of.
Anyway, Stephen sends these comments and pics about his first experience on Surfari:

Hey Josh


Well I took your advice and decided to try the Surfari out on in Downhill mode... I could not wait to try out the Surfari on a gentle slope of a nearby park and put your claims of it only taking 10 mins to learn it to the test. And guess what....? You were close, it probably took about 15 mins for this 44 year old fat guy to get his first semi-controlled run on the board... I had my fair share of board-off moments and wobblely starts, but after a while it started to come together... (see attached photos)

The most difficulty I had was getting moving but after I worked out to keep my body upright, keep my rear foot planted in the binding and take 2 steps and then hop on, I could ride down the 30 foot slope reasonably in control... I'm guessing it takes a longer slope and more practice to feel really in control.

Still trying to work out how I'm gonna ride it with the kite, but at least I now have a feeling for the board and I wont have the slope to contend with....!! Now all I need is the wind....

Everything good so far, more results when they happen and a nice long review to follow....

Cheers

Stephen Green

Landboarding NZ Ltd

www.landboarding.co.nz

New school of Inline Boarding

Hi. Well I'm new to this whole blogging thing. Been looking around the blogosphere and there's some cool stuff, and there's some crap too. I hope I can make this one cool, because it's about my latest passion - Inline Boarding.
What is it? Basically it's about riding the terrain on a board with only 2 wheels. The wheels are aligned and not side by side, which eliminates the whole 4 wheeled speed wobble thing. I was not a big fan of that. True you can learn to ride in a way that compensates for speed wobbles, and so a good rider can take the board fast, ("fast" being a relative term) but on the whole, it's a totally unnecessary design flaw. Even a great rider will find his limit.
But speed wobbles are not part of my reality. My board becomes more stable and more responsive the faster you go.
I suppose the most addictive aspect to inline boarding, and particularly the Surfari take on it, is the seamless intuitiveness of the ride. You and the board move as one as you flow over the terrain. The carves feel deep and powerful, the acceleration thrilling, stability is rock solid and the speed way faster than most. You just lay it over and carve as hard as you like, and the board totally responds.
I also highly value the concept of "freedom of expression" in the ride. This is what surfing offers me, and what I would expect in a land board also. The limitations should only exist in your mind or gonads. You shouldn't have to ride in a certain way to avoid speed wobbles. You shouldn't have to conform to certain lines to accomodate a lack of maneuverability. A board should do what you want, not you having to accept a limiting ride because the board just don't do that. This has been my frustration with previous designs and the impetus to create the Surfari board. It's like I'm in a world full of mals and twinnies, and I've got the only thruster!
Hahaha. I can almost hear the protests from around the world on that comment - "bu bu but this board is bla bla bla...". If you've got something you think can go faster, carve harder and be more stable, I'd love to try it. You've got your hands full if you think it can out perform a Surfari board.
True, you might be more into sliding, or freestyle. In that case, other boards might be more appropriate. Hey, I don't claim it's best at everything, like some boards try to. But in it's forte of awesome ride performance, it's untouchable. Try it if you don't believe me.