Gravity Sports Race Schedules Posted

Gravity Sports are a form of extreme sports that include the following race classes:
Street Luge
Gravity Bike
Speed Board
Inline Skate
Butt Board
and now, Inline Board.

There are two associations promoting gravity sports. The older, more established is the International Gravity Sports Association (IGSA) and they are primarily focused on the west coast of the U.S. They have a series of competitions throughout the world. 2005 will feature a brand new sanctioned class called Inline Boards.

The other organization, focused primarily on the east coast of the U.S., is Gravity Sports International (GSI). I have posted links to both on the sidebar of this blog.

The official race rules for inline boards were developed with their cooperation and the help of Dirtsurfer, the world’s first commercial manufacturer of inline boards. You can see the official race rules posted in an earlier blog entry below.

GSI will be holding an east coast race in Munnsville, New York, USA on July 30-31, 2005. Check their website for more details. IGSA also has their race schedule posted for the year, including international world cup events.

If you are serious about inline boarding, be sure to join one of these fine organizations, stop by some of the races, meet the atheletes and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE.

Happy riding,
-Brian

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Discount Full Face Helmets

If you plan on racing, then you’ll need a full face helmet. We discovered a great source for discount gear at www.motodirectusa.com.

My son and I bought matching black DOT approved full face helmets for just $38.50 each. I have to admit that I was skeptical but figured the price was so cheap, why not give it a try. The helmets arrived in just three days. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality. It was better than I expected.

We also bought extra face shields. I got the light gray tint. My son got the mirrored. It looks very cool, so now I want a mirrored shield. The helmets come with clear, but for a mere $15.00 you can choose from a variety of colors. Heck, get several. They’re a snap to change.

Now… if I could only find a cool looking black leather motocycle two piece race suit.

Oh, yeah… moto direct usa sells on Ebay.

Happy shopping,
-Brian

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Another Great Day of Riding

Wow! What a weekend. Spectacular weather here in Virginia made for great riding all weekend long.

Rob Turman of Xtreme Gravity (our local Dirtsurfer dealer and racer) got the group together for some runs down Shootin’ Creek over in Franklin County. In case you hadn’t heard, Franklin County is known as the Moonshine Capital of the world. Some of the world’s largest stills have been busted here in the dense forests on the mountains and foothills of this beautiful county. Where we were riding is called Shootin’ Creek because in bygone days moonshiners used to shoot at the revenue agents as they tried to approach the illegal stills.

The Shootin’ Creek run is about 4.2 miles of gently sloped paved road that takes you on a leisurely tour winding through the hollow down from Floyd County into Franklin County to route 40 just past Ferrum. It starts reasonably well but slows down to a couple of flat spots that you’ll need to hammer through. If you are into speed, then you’ll prefer someplace with a steeper grade. But if relaxing rides in the country are what you are in the mood for, then Shootin’ Creek is a winner. Be sure to have a chase vehicle follow you because the road is narrow, un-marked and it does have some traffic on it. So, stay on your side of the road when going around those blind curves and remember to practice your push-offs for hammering through the flat spots.

Happy riding,
-Brian

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New York Area Ski Slopes Open To Dirtsurfers

James at Hudson Valley Dirtsurfer has a good size group riding in the New York area. You can check out some of his video at www.hudsonvalleydirtsurfer.com.

He spoke to the PR guy and he agreed to allow Dirtsurfers on the slopes at Woodbury. They were actually one of the first ski areas in the USA to allow snowboarding.

James also says to check out Smugglers Notch Vermont.They are open to the idea of inline boarding on their slopes. They even have a magic carpet lift on the hill (moving sidewalk). Sounds cool, James. Good job on getting the slopes to open up to inline boarding. We’ll bring our Dirtsurfers with us on our visit to the area.

James also has plenty of boards to do demos. So be sure to send him your business if you are in the area.

Happy Riding, James.
-Brian

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CYA: Cover Your @$S

Can you believe it? Some people actually ride without the proper protective gear. Maybe they think it doesn’t look cool or they say it feels too restrictive.

Well, how cool will you look all busted up and bandaged? You want restrictive? Try a cast or sling. Whatever your rationalization is… SNAP OUT OF IT. Get yourself some pads, wrist guards, gloves and a helmet. They are cheap and can save you a world of hurt.

Mike Sewell at Dirtsurfer HQ says that they’ll be offering high quality protective gear under the Dirtsurfer brand in a few weeks. I can’t wait to see it. In the meantime, I use the basics for pleasure riding.

If you plan on racing, you’ll need something more professional. IGSA Race Rules say that you need to wear motorcycle race leathers in a one piece suit or as a zip together two piece. You’ll also need a full face motorcycle helmet. You can find some sweet deals on both if you know where to look. If you buy new leathers, you can expect to pay a few hundred bucks. Consider it an investment in your hide. Sliding on pavement causes cotton to burn, synthetics to melt but leather slides. It’s a whole lot cheaper and easier to replace leathers than it is to grow new skin. If you know of good deals on leathers or helmets, be sure to post it here and share the knowledge. If I find a sweet deal, I’ll let you know right here.

Ride safe and don’t bite the bitumen (Australian for asphalt pavement)
-Brian

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Getting To The Top

This is it. Finally, you get the chance to ride your new inline board down a real hill. I don’t mean a little test run down a small hill. I mean a 2 or 3 miler at 30 plus miles per hour.

You know that this is what you’ve been waiting for. The chance to feel the rush of carving and shredding as if on fresh powder or a big wave. It’s the adrenalin high that only comes from the roar of wind in your ears, the blur of watery eyes, the grit of bugs in your teeth and the muscle burn from holding the low wind-resistance crouch as you go blazing down the mountain.

And then it’s over. You made it without wiping out. Still buzzing from the ride, you replay it over and over in your head as you pick up your board to do it again. Then it hits you… the realization that you need to get back to the top… 3 miles all uphill.

Until we get this sport on the ski slopes, the best alternative is to have a chase vehicle like a pick-up or a van. Since it’s more fun to ride with a group anyway, we suggest that you make friends with somebody who has a vehicle like this and get them hooked on riding with you. Then you can take turns driving the shuttle. I use it as an excuse to let my legs rest after a long downhill. At 40 miles per hour, wobbly legs aren’t cool.

Chase vehicles with the flashers on need to stay back a safe distance in case a rider loses it in a turn. It also serves as a nice protection from traffic approaching from behind. Dirtsurfer HQ advises against riding on public roads and we advise against riding into traffic. It’s better to go with the flow of traffic. You are less likely to end up as a hood ornament that way.

Be sure to reward you chase vehicle driver after you are done riding. You’ll want them to do it again, so be generous. I have found that food and beverages work well as an incentive.

Next, up… Protective Gear

Happy Riding,
-Brian

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Official Inline Boarding Race Rules 2005

Inline Board Race Rules
Riding position must be conventional stand up skateboard riding style only. Kneeling and other non-standing positions are not permitted. The inline board must be lean steer activated. Skateboard style kick starts only. Push handles for bobsled style starts will NOT be permitted.

A. FRAME: Inline board frame must be free of any cracks or rust. All welds must be in good condition. The frame and deck should be structurally sound and have no sharp edges that could injure riders.

B. WEIGHT: The complete board cannot exceed fifteen kilograms (15kg / 33lbs). A 1kg allowance will be given for variances in the accuracy of scales.

C. LENGTH: The total maximum board length cannot exceed one-hundred-eighty-five centimeters (185cm / 73”). (e.g. nose to end of rear wheel)

D. FAIRINGS: Nose cones mounted to the frame are permitted but cannot extend past the front tire rear edge. Sharp edges that could injure riders will not be permitted.

E. BRAKES: Inline boards must have working brakes. Brake systems used are non-restricted such as bicycle type disc or V-Brakes but must be operated by the calf of the rider’s rear leg only. Disc type brakes are recommended. Scrub type braking systems that work off the tires are not permitted.

F. WHEELS: Wheels size cannot exceed fifty-one centimeters (51cm / 20”). Disk style wheel covers are permitted on the rear only. The number of wheels must be exactly two.

G. TIRES: Tires must be in good condition with no visible cracks in the sidewall or tread. Tires must be a pneumatic design (air inflatable).

H. BALLAST: Any weight additions shall be securely bolted to the frame or contained inside the frame tubing. Carrying of ballast on the riders person is prohibited. Tape, tie wraps or fasteners other than bolts are not legal for attaching weight. Ballast weight on all inline boards must be fastened with a minimum six millimeter (6mm / 1/4” ) through bolt with nylock nuts and be cotter keyed or safety wired. Tech inspectors are charged to make thorough inspections of weight installations to make sure they meet the through bolt requirement. Any weight added should be as low to the ground as possible, without compromising required ground clearance for safe riding.

I. SPEED SUITS: Speed suits are allowed when worn over leathers.

J. NUMBER AREA: All riders are required to have their IGSA assigned number located on both sides of the helmet or on both sides at the back of the board. Numbers must be a minimum of ten centimeters (10cm / 4”) tall and must be visible on both sides of the board when the rider is in place. The number area and number must be of contrasting colors and highly visible from six meters away (6m / 20’). If a number panel is used it must be made of a flexible material and not extend past the back of the board. Some promoters may issue a bib or bib panel with a number other than your IGSA assigned number. In this case the event number supercedes your IGSA assigned number. (For number assignment see section (XVII.A)

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Praise from a New Inline Boarder

Scott W. in West Virginia had this to say about his new inline board, a silver GP from Dirtsurfer.
“I took the Dirtsurfer out on a paved road for my first ride today, and in 15 minutes I was cruising down the hill at 10-12mph, feeling relaxed and in control, and LOVING EVERY SECOND OF IT! My skateboard is history! I’ve finally found that “alpine snowboard carving” experience without snow! WOOHOO!!!

I only rode it for about 40 minutes, but it was a blast and I can’t wait to take it out again! Assembly was easy and straightforward—it took me a few minutes to adjust the brakes properly, but they worked beautifully. As for the Deadman’s brake, I had no trouble with it…but I still think I’d like to remove it, just because I’m comfortable and confident with the caliper brakes, and I figure removing the Deadman’s brake just eliminates one potential cause for an accident.

Now I see why you guys are so pumped up about these things! And I absolutely think that with effective marketing, Dirtsurfer could sell tens of thousands of these here in the U.S. They’re so superior to skateboards (or other variations on riding decks) it’s ridiculous. I even did a few short test rides over hard-packed dirt and grass, and it was as easy as riding on asphalt!

Rather than go on about it, check out this link—it’s to the Dirtsurfer discussion I started on Bomber Online—the country’s biggest online community for alpine snowboard carving. I posted a rave review (scroll all the way to the bottom—my screen name there is “SWriverstone,” with the image of a hang glider), and told everyone to go buy a Dirtsurfer today!

http://www.bomberonline.com/VBulletin/showthread.php?s=&postid=49999#post49999

I’ll be in touch with you guys soon and will have to arrange a trip down that way so I can ride with you. In the meantime, I can totally see wanting a Flexi-deck soon!” – Scott

Wow! Thanks, Scott. What a great testimonial. Yep. We love our boards, too. The guys here in Virginia are glad to have a brother boarder in West Virginia. Be sure to send us some good pics of you on your board. We’ll definitely do some road surfing together.

Happy Riding,
– Brian

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Disable the Deadman

If you ride a GP or Road Racer model Dirtsurfer, you might want to consider removing the deadman brake before you do a ‘Superman’ over the front wheel and ‘bite the bitumen‘ (that’s Australian for asphalt pavement).

Here’s what can (and does) happen. When you’re cruzin’ along and need to adjust your stance, you can accidentally lift your foot off of the deadman brake, allowing it to engage. Congratulations! You just did a ‘Superman’.

Every experienced inliner I know disables or removes the deadman to avoid injury. Most just shove a rock or stick up under the brake to keep it from grabbing but these can fall out at unfortunate times. Trust me. You do NOT want the deadman grabbing at 40 miles per hour.

Even though tampering with the deadman brake is not endorsed by Dirtsurfer, I highly recommend its permanent removal. Here’s how:
1. Use a scew driver to pry the hinge spring out of the hinge socket on each side of the deadman brake. You can easily reach it by going in through a hole in the brake’s friction plate just in front of the rear tire.
2. Once you have both sides of the spring out of the hinge socket, pull the brake off. It will be held in place by a tensioner spring hooked to the standing deck of the Dirtsurfer.
3. Unhook the tensioner spring and off comes the whole deadman brake, along with your primary brake leg activator.
4. Now, you’ll need to re-attach the primary brake by re-inserting the V shaped hinge spring back into the hinge sockets. Once you have it re-attached, you should use a zip tie to hold the V spring in the upright position so that it doesn’t rub the rear tire or snag on sticks and rocks. I’ll post pictures of each step so you get what I mean.

I asked Dirtsurfer HQ about the deadman brake and they said it was a safety feature designed to prevent the board from running down the mountain without its rider. The Flexideck doesn’t come with a deadman brake due to all-terrain use and jumps. Since a Dirtsurfer is top heavy when there is no rider on it, it tends to flop over as soon as you fall off. So, a deadman brake seems pointless.

Happy riding.

– Brian

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Sweet Rides

Hi, inliners. Brian here with an update on some really sweet rides in Virginia.

At the top of the list is The Blue Ridge Parkway (but don’t let the Ranger catch ya doin it).
The Parkway is full of long downhill runs with spectacular views. Most runs are from 1 to 3 miles in length with average speeds ranging from 20 to 40 miles per hour. Gentle curves and smooth as silk road surface makes this grade A riding. The only downside: “No coasting devices of any kind allowed on the Parkway,” according to the friendly Park Ranger who chased us off. He was cool about it and didn’t give us a ticket.

If you aren’t interested in ducking Parkway law enforcement then try the state roads coming down off of the Parkway. These tend to be steeper, faster, curvier and longer but not quite as smooth and well maintained. Among my favorite rides is Route 43 into Bedford, Virginia (Home of the National D-Day Memorial). This 2.6 mile run IS well maintained and as good as the Parkway with gentle curves that allow for very high speed cruzing. I hit 45 miles per hour in a standing race stance. My 14 year old son topped 50 in a full tuck on a Flexideck… he was blazing. What a RUSH!

If you’re up for a challenge then try Route 43 down the other side of the ridge into Buchanan. This 3.7 mile run is steep but you have to ride the brakes to make it through the three 180 degree tight radius switch-back turns. One mistake and you could end up over the edge 70 feet down in the gorge. It’s fun, but a hairy ride.

If you are a newbie and want to try something a little less agressive, you might like Ferrum Mountain Road. It’s a decent run with good, gentle turns. The road surface is a bit patchy but not bad. If they finish repaving then it’ll be sweet. Big plus… it ends on the Ferrum College campus where the students can see you cruise in. You can get lots of attention if you time your runs right.

Let us know of your favoite rides and we’ll post’em.

Happy Riding,
– Brian

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