Catching Some Air on the Eastern Shore

Washington Post, Sunday, May 21, 2006; Page M08

Where: Ridgely, Md.

Why: Decorating your lawn, munching chocolates and trying a new extreme sport.

How far: About 75 miles, or 90 minutes, from the District.

Like the mythical Daedalus, we all dream of flying. Unfortunately Daedalus only had wax and feathers to create his wings. Today we have aluminum, Dacron and a clear plastic called Monofilm. Thanks to these materials, flying fanciers can go airborne with the newest wing in town — a Kitewing.

“The Eastern Shore is a great place to learn this new wind sport,” says Adam Elchin of Highland Aerosports in Ridgely. (That’s Elchin, right, pairing a Kitewing with a Dirtsurfer; see Get Out for details.) “Even in the summer we have days with strong smooth sea breezes off of the ocean or the bay. And when winds are light, you can try hang gliding.”

The journey to this no-longer-mythical adventure begins with a stop at the greatest mythical land of all: Camelot. Actually, it’s Camelot of Upper Marlboro. Located on the campus of the Evangel Cathedral, this convention center and banquet hall facility includes dance studios, meeting rooms, catered dining and several ballrooms. The main ballroom can accommodate up to 2,000 guests, or 1,000 at tables set for 10 — round tables, of course.

Avoid the heavily traveled Route 50 and have a merry old time along Route 214 as you travel from the lore of Camelot to the land of the black forest. The Old Stein Inn is a traditional German restaurant serving sausages, potato cakes and spaetzle, which means “little sparrow.” (Don’t worry, all sparrows are spared: It’s a mix of noodles, flour dumplings and cheese, wonderful cheese.)

Leaving the tastes of Germany, continue to the shores of Maryland’s capital to discover a device invented in ancient Greece. Claudius Ptolemy, the Greek astronomer and geographer, subscribed to the geocentric theory that the sun and other celestial bodies revolved around the earth. His invention called the Ptolemy Stone was the basis for navigational aids such as the sextant. Check out the only remaining stone at St. John’s College.

Maryland has also been the home to a famous and historic tree — the Wye Oak. Take a stroll up the road from the Old Wye Mill to its remains — a gnarly stump protected by a fence. Once the largest white oak tree in the country, it lived for more than 460 years before being toppled by a thunderstorm in 2002. (Bonus trivia: A successor has been named at Honeybee Hollow Farm in Harford County.)

The quest that runs over the bay and through the woods ends at an outdoor lover’s paradise. In Ridgely, you can have fun by land, by water and by air. Meader along the paths at Adkins Arboretum or hike the trails of Tuckahoe State Park. Paddle the calm waters of Tuckahoe Lake and Creek under a canopy of trees where hawks, eagles, shore birds and songbirds roost. And finally, take to the sky with Highland Aerosports. Hang on. It’s quite a ride! Matthew Graham

Road Trip maps are available online at http://www.washingtonpost.com/roadtrip, as are addresses and hours of operation (be sure to check before you go). Have an idea for a trip? E-mail roadtrip@washpost.com.

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Dirtsurfer Freestyle Hits Canada

Jeremy with Dirtsurfer Canada is the first in North America to ride the new Flexi Freestyle… the lucky dog. Here is what Jeremy has to say about the experience.

“I took the Freestyle out yesterday and gave it a good test on all the slopes that the Edmonton Ski Club has to offer and I LOVED IT!!! It just makes you want to carve as soon as you get going.

There is a roller section there (at the ski club) that was so much better with the shorter wheel base as well. Much easier to get air, seems to hug the terrain better and turns a lot tighter. Except when going for speed, I think the Freestyle will be my main board now.” – Jeremy Bresciani, Dirtsurfer Canada

O.k. Jez… hope you got some photos of the test ride. If so, please share with the rest of envious blokes.

Cheers,
Brian

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Dirtsurfer Teams Up with The Dirt Surfers

The Dirt Surfers are a U.S. band that plays an intersting and often humorous blend of styles including surf music that is gaining in popularity. They have been featured on the Dirtsurfer.com website in the music section, so I thought I would catch up with band to see what they have been up to and if they would still be willing to do some cooperative promotion. Here’s what they said…

“Hi Brian,

Congratulations on the re-launching of Dirtsurfer USA!

I’d be happy to explore any joint opportunities that might benefit your company and my music. The Dirt Surfers have been recently signed to RRO Records and finally have a worldwide distribution deal for our two current CD’s, “The Revenge of The Dirt Surfers” and “The Untold Story of The Dirt Surfers.”

I expect the CD’s to be available via retail and digital distribution within the next few weeks. I am also writing and recording songs for our next album.

I believe that in the past I granted you permission to use a song in one of your videos in exchange for promotional space on your website. This could be arranged again. I’d also be happy to link to your website from my band website (www.hitsession.com/ds)

I look forward to hearing from you.” – Doug Cornell

If you check out their website, you’ll see a nice shot of a Dirtsurfer in mid-jump right on the home page. So, I asked if there was a chance to sell some of their music. Here is what Doug had to say.

“My deal is with an indie label, and it’s very possible that we can work something out. I expect my material to be available on iTunes and Emusic very soon, so electonic distribution might be the best solution for you.

I’ll keep you on my “things to do” list as soon as my album is released.” – Doug

Plus, I love the Flexideck acid green t-shirt. Gotta get me one.

Cheers,
Brian

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Flying a Dirtsurfer

By: Matthew Graham
Washington Post – Sunday, May 21, 2006; Page M08

Photo By: Karen Carra For The Washington Post
On a recent windy day on the Eastern Shore, Adam Elchin helped Matthew Graham get started with the extreme-sport combo of riding a Dirtsurfer while being propelled by a Kitewing.

What’s better than one new extreme sport? Two of them, combined into one — a maniacal merger that leads you to surf turf with a giant sail.

The first piece of this puzzle is a Dirtsurfer, a hybrid of a skateboard and a bike that’s often used to speed down paved roads and mountain trails. The second is a Kitewing, a wing-shaped kite that allows you to catch the wind to propel yourself — even along level ground.

Let’s start with the Dirtsurfer, an odd-looking machine that has two 20-inch tires at either end of its skateboard-like deck. You hang on courtesy of foot straps, which also keep the board in place when you (eventually) take jumps. To stop, push one leg against a fender that’s next to the back wheel.

With only two wheels (instead of the four found on skateboards and mountain boards) a Dirtsurfer can carve a turn on land as easily as a surfboard does on water. Lean on a Dirtsurfer, and it moves gracefully and naturally with you as you cut perfect arcs. The large wheels help create stability — much like the wheels of a bicycle do — and the faster you go, the more steady you’ll feel. In fact, the hardest part is starting when you push off with one foot. A Dirtsurfer is great fun on mountain bike trails.

Then there’s the Kitewing. It looks and feels very much like a windsurfing sail, but a Kitewing is symmetrical and doesn’t attach to anything. On a skateboard, mountain board, in-line skates or anything else that rolls, you simply hold on to the Kitewing’s frame, catch some wind and start sailing along the ground. (In the winter, try it with skis, a snowboard or even ice skates on a frozen lake.) With enough speed, it’s easy to jump into the sky and fly short distances. Unlike a hang glider, which has a comfy harness clipped to the glider, the only thing keeping you from falling out of the sky on a Kitewing is your grip.

When you pair a Dirtsurfer with a Kitewing, the adventure really begins. My introduction to combining the two began at Highland Aerosports in Ridgely, Md., the only place around selling both Dirtsurfers and Kitewings. (And they aren’t cheap — Dirtsurfers start at $499, Kitewings at $850.)

You’ll first learn how to handle the Kitewing — sheeting, tacking, jibing, plus some emergency procedures. Previous sailing or windsurfing experience is helpful, but not necessary: Highland’s Adam Elchin will show you what to do. Then you get to try the wing with another piece of equipment you’re already familiar with, such as in-line skates or a skateboard. (For people with little experience skateboarding, surfing or snowboarding, Elchin pulls them along the ground by a rope attached to a mountain board, teaching them balancing skills.)

Then it’s time for the Dirtsurfer. It generally takes several attempts to coordinate sheeting in the Kitewing, pushing off the Dirtsurfer and placing your free foot into one of the foot straps . . . all at the same time! (People who have trouble walking and chewing gum shouldn’t even consider this sport.) Yet once underway, it’s almost instinctive to continue going, control your speed and make shallow turns. Tighter turns, quick stops and faster speeds, however, may require falling. Fortunately lessons are taught on a soft grassy field.

Give yourself some time to catch on — you will. And soon you’ll be speeding along close to the ground at breakneck speeds and flying through the sky hanging on for dear life.

Where to Get Started
Highland Aerosports. Free demos are available by appointment if there’s enough wind, and a lesson is included with purchase. 24038 Race Track Rd., Ridgely, Md., 410-634-2700.

Dirtsurfer.com. Details boards, accessories and more, plus offers user reviews of equipment and downloadable videos.

Kitewing.com. Offers specs on gear, video instruction, Web forums and more.

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Dirtsurfer World Speed Record Video

Ueli Gut’s World Speed Record at Europe’s Extreme Week back in March is now on Google Video. You can see this amazing video at:

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Jackson Hole Mountain Resort Demo’s the Dirtsurfer

Here are a couple of nice low-res clips of a Dirtsurfer Flexi Pro demo at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort in Wyoming. This was sent to us by one of the management staff there.

“Attached is a short video (shot with a Treo 650) of Dan Miller, our MSS Summer Activity Programs Manager, on his second Dirtsurfer ride down the very bottom part of the Teewinot run.

Dirtsurfer Demo at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort on Vimeo

The top of the run is a couple of hundred vertical feet up the hill (right at the bottom of the visible snow). It has similar angle and terrain. The lift carries mountain bikers in the summer, so we hope to be able to transport Dirtsurfers on it, also.

Dan already has the terrain scoped out for an introductory session at the bottom of the hill followed by a couple of runs down the lift. Notice the kids materializing out of thin air to cheer and chase Dan down the hill :-)”

The Jackson Hole team has been demoing the Flexi for about two weeks as they consider the possibilities of adding it to their summer activities. Good luck, guys. We look forward to working with you.

Cheers,
Brian

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