Board-maker gets State wind turbine grant

Dirtsurfer Inventor Graeme Attey is at it again with another big invention. Here's the story of his latest creation featured in the Western Australia Business News...

27-June-07

Founder of inline board sport and boards company Dirtsurfer International Graeme Attey has been awarded $34,000 by the State Government to commercialise a modular wind turbine system, Premier Alan Carpenter announced today.

The State government allocated a total of $62,000 today to be spent on the research and commercialisation of small wind turbines, which are anticipated to sit on rooftops and generate power for homes.

The technology is expected to be small, quiet and relatively cheap with no visible rotating blades.

Murdoch University's Jonathan Whale was awarded the remaining $28,000 to obtain data on the best practice placement of rooftop wind systems.

The full text of an announcement from the Premier's office is pasted below

Perth householders could soon be using the "Fremantle Doctor" to save energy and cut electricity bills.

Premier and Minister for Science and Innovation, Alan Carpenter today announced State Government funding for two projects that could lead the way to electricity being generated from small wind turbines on suburban roofs.

Mr Carpenter said $34,000 would be provided to local inventor Graeme Attey, who has developed a modular wind turbine system that sits neatly on a roof to generate power for a home.

The funding, from the Government's Sustainable Energy Development Office (SEDO) Grants program, will help Mr Attey develop the system for commercialisation.

"Mr Attey's design has considerable advantages over other residential systems that are being developed in other parts of the world," Mr Carpenter said.

"There are no visible rotating blades; it is quiet; it is not an eyesore; it should be relatively cheap and can operate in variable urban winds.

"And the system is modular, so you can produce as much energy as you want by simply connecting units together. I am told that five units could produce enough electricity to run an average household."

Mr Carpenter said another $28,000 had been awarded to Dr Jonathan Whale from Murdoch University to obtain data on the best practice placement of rooftop wind systems.

The Premier said wind sensors would be installed on the roofs of buildings owned by the City of Melville and monitoring and computer simulation studies would be carried out.

The findings would ensure rooftop systems were as efficient and cost-effective as possible.

"It would be a fantastic outcome if these projects helped to create the technology and the environment that allowed householders to use the wind to generate their own electricity," Mr Carpenter said.

"It would save money for householders in reduced electricity costs and save the environment through reduced greenhouse gas emissions."

Congratulations, Graeme!

For the full story: http://www.wabusinessnews.com.au

Dirtsurfer HQ Moves to Canada

Several things have been happening in the Dirtsurfer world over the past few months.

Most notably, Jeremy Bresciani of Dirtsurfer Canada has taken over management of world operations for Dirtsurfer HQ. Inventor Graeme Attey will remain involved as the chief product designer and he already has a working prototype for the 2008 model called the TNT.

You will also notice that the new Dirtsurfer.com website is now up and running with great new videos and the newly released GP and 2007 Flexis available for sale.

You can contact Jeremy at info@dirtsurferworld.com

Congratulations to Jeremy and best wishes for a very successful future.

Cheers,
Brian

Dirtsurfer Website Gets New Face

We've been listening to our riders and they demanded that the Dirtsurfer.com website make some changes.

So, we have added video to the front page and removed the US pricing. We also added all of the international distributors to the front page so that visitors from around the world can more easily and quickly find the dealer nearest to them.

We also added rider testimonials and a new Dirtsurfer newsletter for everyone to subscribe to. Check your inbox as soon as you subscribe. You'll get the welcome message with the international links and then you'll get a thank you message from Dirtsurfer inventor, Graeme Attey along with the link to download your free issue of Dirtsurfer Magazine.

The rest of the site remains the same for now.

I hope everybody likes the changes. We'll continue to make improvements as we go.
Cheers,
Brian

Dirtsurfer USA Offers 30 Day Money Back Guarantee

As announced on the Inline Boarder Blog, Dirtsurfer USA is going live on the web today with their new 30 Day Money Back Guarantee.

The Guarantee offers a full refund if you are not completely satisfied with your Dirtsurfer Inline Board. Simply return it within the 30 day trail period for a full refund. Dirtsurfer will even pay to ship it to you. If you decide to return it, then Dirtsurfer will pay the shipping for that, too.

If you read the terms of the Guarantee at the bottom of the page, you'll see that they want you to save the boxes until you are sure you want to keep it. Also, you notice that it says the Dirtsurfer needs to be in good working condition. That is defined as NO Bent Frames or Wheels and NO broken decks. Scratches and dings are o.k. The idea is to have people try it out... not go out and totally destroy it by attempting huge jumps and such. Think of it as taking a car for a test drive before you buy it. You don't go trashing the car first. Most beginners aren't going to be attempting real aggressive riding and stunts within the first 30 days.

We highly recommend that you subscribe to the newsletter and magazine, too. As an added incentive, you can sign-up for a FREE Dirtsurfer Magazine subscription and weekly newsletter. The Magazine is a full color glossy publication with reports, race articles, interviews, great places to ride and more. The newsletter is full of timely tips and news from the rider community. Issue one of the newsletter focuses on SPEED. Issue two is on all-terrain riding and issue three is on the 10 Easy Steps to Getting Started. More issues are on the way will arrive in your inbox on a weekly basis.

Be sure to check it out. Dirtsurfer USA says there are only about 30 Dirtsurfer left in stock and orders are coming in. So, if you want one soon, you better do something about it TODAY. The next batch of Dirtsurfers isn't due to arrive in the U.S. until May.

Cheers,
Brian

Wall Street Journal Interviews Dirtsurfer

A reporter from the Wall Street Journal conducted interviews this past week for a big story on extreme sports.

We spent nearly 40 minutes talking about how extreme sports get started, how long it takes for a new sport to gain popularity, who typically gets involved and much more. It seems the story is more focused on extreme sports as a whole and not specifically about Dirtsurfer.

Also interviewed were Dirtsurfer founder Mr. Graeme Attey, IGSA staff, GSI staff and members of the mountain board community.

We look forward to seeing the completed article.

Official Start of Dirtsurfer Season

Dirtsurfer USA announces the official start to Dirtsurfer Season in the U.S. is March 10th, 2007.

Why March 10th?
It's the 69th day of the new year in commemoration of the Dirtsurfer 69 logo. HQ tells us that the logo is actually supposed to be two Dirtsurfer wheels going down a steep hill. O.k., Graeme. If you say so.

To us, it looks like a "69". So we chose the 69th day of the year as the official start of Dirtsurfer season. This also just happens to be about the time of year that many ski resorts start closing down their slopes for the off-season... leaving plenty of snowboarders still aching for an adrenaline fix.

We invite Dirtsurfers around the world to join in this celebration. Find a friend, celebrate in the way you think best and then go ride your Dirtsurfer Inline Board.

Just to make sure we didn't offend too many people, I ran the concept by some of our members. I even ran it by the ladies who run OutdoorWares.com , one of our newest authorized dealers located in the Phoenix, AZ area. They thought the idea was fine.

So here we go. March 10th is just around the corner. It's time to get out your Dirtsurfer (not that you ever had it put away) and get it tuned up for some serious riding. Remember to check your brakes and tire pressure. Check for any loose nuts or screws and tighten them down. Also, you might want to re-grease the wheel bearings for better performance.

Be sure to check the Dirtsurfer Calendar of events for a variety of All-terrain boarding events including those being sponsored by our friends in the mountain board community.

Mark your calendars for March 10th.
Happy Riding

Brian Duvall

Dirtsurfer World DVD Project Begins

I got this message from Australia about an exciting new project that is starting. Be sure to help out. You can contact Johnno at his e-mail at the end of his message.

Hey Brian

How goes it, this is John Bendall from Dirtsurfer Australia.

I am currently trying to contact riders worldwide to help me in the development on the next Dirtsurfer dvd.

My belief is that since the days of the Rooster Tales DVD, inline boarding has been evolving. More and more riders are coming in the sport now and each country has its own riding culture offering different perceptions and styles to the sport.

Because of this I think that it would greatly benefit the sport if we could document all of these riding styles on one dvd. The dvd would be comprised of many different short films from each country. By doing this we will be paying respect to each country and its riders.

My plan would be to have each country contribute as much footage as they can muster up, whether it be pre-cut, raw avi. files, mini dv or other formats. Just send it over here so that I can edit and put it together... with the help and opinion of the riders and distributors of each country.

I can go into the finer details but that’s the basic outline of my plan. I would like to point out that I’m lending my skills completely free of charge and that I am doing this out of love and for the progression of the sport. Feel free to post this on the message boards. I have already had some positive responses from Germany, U.K., Canada, Russia and others but I need more participation.

Thanks a lot for this Brian.

Regards,
John J. Bendall - Dirtsurfer Australia
johnno@dirtsurfer.com

Dirtsurfer Photo Gallery Starting on Flickr

The web is full of photos from people around the world enjoying their Dirtsurfer.

We wanted to give them all a central location for their Dirtsurfer related photos so everyone can enjoy them. So, we set up our own Flickr account and established the Dirtsurfer Riders Group. It's a public gallery but you can only post your photos by invitation. If you would like to post your photos, then send me an e-mail and I'll send you an invitation to join the group. My direct e-mail is brian@dirtsurfer.com.

Be sure to tag your photos with the words Dirtsurfer, Dirtsurfers, Dirtsurfing, mountainboard so that it shows up in those searches and remember to add it to the group. We look forward to seeing the photo gallery grow. Sign up for your own FREE Flickr account today and start sharing your Dirtsurfer photos. It's fast and it's easy.

Cheers,
Brian

Dirtsurfer.com Changes Web Servers

If you have tried viewing the Dirtsurfer website recently and found that it wouldn't load for you or you got an error message then you are not alone.

The problem first occured late Firday afternoon. I tried to access e-mail and view the site but instead all I got was a blue page saying something about the site being down. Turns out that the web server had removed the site... completely. It wasn't just down, it was gone. Fortunately, our web master was able to get the site back online. Well, we had a few more problems this week and so our service provider is moving us to a new web server.

The new web server is higher end, more secure and better able to handle the traffic with much greater reliability. It turns out that our new website home will be on the same server that houses the websites for Nike, ABC, Starbucks and other high profile brands. We look forward to the move.

What does this mean for you? Better access. You shouldn't notice anything different except that the website is there when you expect it and fewer error messages. Thanks for your patience while we dealt with the technical issues this week. Have a safe weekend.

Cheers,
Brian

Dirtsurfer Invited to Dirtheads ATB Events

Kevin Delaney, co-owner of Dirtheads.com, has invited all Dirtsurfers everywhere to join in the all-terrain boarding fun.

I first met Kevin back in August at the L.A. Dirtsurfer Conference. I invited him to come join us at the conference so we could hear about the latest in the All-Terrain Boarding (ATB) movement there in California and so he could meet the guys from Dirtsurfer HQ. After a few hours of sharing the news about our two sports, we decided that it would be in everyone's best interest to work together to promote the sport of ATB.

Kevin has invited us to events organized by the Dirtheads team and we have added those events to our Dirtsurfer Calendar.

Be sure to check out the event in April at Grand Junction, CO. It's called JD's 21st Birthday Bash. I have seen the video from last year's event and it looks like loads of fun. Think "Sturgis Rally" for all-terrain boarding. It's out in the middle of the canyons with plenty of riding, terrain, shootin guns, partying and friends. It should be a blast for all ages so come on out.

Also, be sure to mark your calendars for the end of July. Mitch at DirtboardX.com is organizing the U.S. Open ATB Championships at Snowmass Village in Colorado again for 2007. We would like to see a strong turn out of Dirtsurfers at this event. (Left - Brack Lee shows his skill at the U.S. Open in Colorado. Photo by: Bill Merchant)

Many riders and distributors believe that ATB is the future of Inline Boarding for the masses. Following that belief, we are glad to team-up with great riders and supporters of the sport like Kevin, Don and Mitch.

We welcome the members of the mountainboarding community to Dirtsurfer events and look forward to forming new friendships and strong alliances.

Cheers,
Brian

How to Find Us In Mexico

We have received a number of requests asking where we will be appearing in Mexico during the Dirtsurfer demo tour.

The answer is... we don't know. You have to contact Jorge Herrero at Pluri Marketing for details on locations. His e-mail is jorge@plurimarketing.com.

I hope that helps you locate the demonstrations. We're still waiting to hear if we'll be going back to do more in other cities.

Cheers,
Brian

Mexico Saga Part II

Things in Mexico are going more smoothly now.

As you can see by the article in Inline Boarder, Rob and Robbie did a fine job demonstrating the Dirtsurfer and the sport of Inline Boarding. Also, the team from Pluri Marketing in Mexico City did a fine job of getting their six Dirtsurfer Freestyles released from customs so they could be given away as prizes. Robbie took this photo while the guys from Pluri Marketing showed him around the city before heading over to the ramps for a warm-up.

Here's a shot of one of the local crew painting the ChocoMilk logo on the ramps as they get ready to set-up for the big day on Friday. This is the beginner ramp. It's just big enough to get the student moving forward so they can experience the Dirtsurfer and learn their balance and braking. The ramps all have a nice smooth transition to the ground so there is no worry of sticking the nose into the pavement. They did an excellent job on the construction. Everything looked really great. Too bad we can't bring those back to use here in the U.S.

Then, if they get really good and feel brave, they can try the main ramp used by our team of demonstrators. The ramp turned out to be much bigger and steeper than we had designed, so they modified it with a launch bar near the top. This lets the rider hold on to start his drop. Since the Dirtsurfer isn't designed for skateboard ramps, dropping in from the top can be challenging. It's getting over the edge that things tend to get tricky. Plus, with that vertical drop... a dirtsurfer can hit 40 mph in a hurry. By Sunday and with a little practice, the guys were dropping in from the top.

Even the little tikes wanted a go on the Freestyle. Here are three future Dirtsurfer riders anxiously awaiting their turn on a Freestyle with Poncho Pantera and the ChocoMilk team. Robbie was using his perrsonal GP as a training model since it has a lower center of gravity and is more stable for young riders to learn on.

We got an international distributor request from a businessman in Mexico who happend to see the demonstration and at the urging of his young daughter, bought some ChocoMilk so she could demo the Dirtsurfer. Now she's after him to get her one of her own to ride. So, he's looking at the business opportunity involved.

Being a team rider has it's benefits. You get to travel to exotic places, ride the Dirtsurfer and sometimes teach beautiful girls how to ride, too. Oh, yeah... you also get all the chocomilk you can drink and a stylin' Poncho Pantera shirt... if you're lucky.

Now that things are working better with getting people down there and doing demonstrations, we're getting more volunteers signing-up to go. Thanks for letting me know you are interested in participating. I'm adding new requests to the back-up list in case of emergencies. But don't hold your breath... we have a team already committed to going.

So, to close out this post... Here's a nice crowd shot of the spectators watching the demo. Rob tells me that most people turn out on Sunday to watch. So, I'm guessing this is either Saturday or Sunday of last week. As soon as I get more pictures from Mexico and the local guys, I'll post them here in the Dirtsurfer blog for your enjoyment.

Cheers,
Brian

Dirtsurfer Demo Tour in Mexico A Real Challenge

The adventure started off well enough.

On Thursday afternoon, Robbie Paul made it to Mexico City with no problems. After a few phone calls, the guys in Mexico finally found Robbie standing in the hallway outside of International Arrivals at gate E-22. Fortunately, Robbie is over 6 feet tall, blonde and he was wearing his black Dirtsurfer t-shirt making him easy to spot in the crowded airport.

He got a nice tour of the city and had a chance to see the ramps set-up where he would be doing his demonstrations. "I'm really excited to be here. This is going to be so much fun," Robbie said.

Later that same afternoon back in Roanoke, Virginia... I met Rob Turman and his family at the airport to help him get check-in and get three of the six Freestyles checked through to Mexico City with his luggage. The airline hit me for $100 shipping charge per Dirtsurfer. OUCH!

His flight was to leave at 3:40 pm. We checked-in at 2:00. Plenty of time. No problem. I figured he wanted some time to be with his family so I said "Good luck" and went on my way. But then things started to get interesting. By the time I got back to the office, Rob's wife called me to say that Rob had missed his flight. What? What happened?

Turns out that the flight left at 3:00 instead of 3:40 and nobody told us... even when he was checking-in at the ticket counter. So, that meant we had to buy another ticket...for an additional $318... bringing the ticket total to over $850. OUCH, again. Now Rob's flight leaves at 6:55 pm arriving in Atlanta around 9:00 pm. The first available flight to Mexico City leaves Friday morning around 9:00 am and arrives at 12:20 pm... making him half a day late for the demo.

Now for some more bad news. The ticketing agent in Roanoke tagged the Dirtsurfers and his luggage to Atlanta only... not all the way to Mexico City.

The good news is that by missing the first flight, we were able to catch the mis-tagged luggage and Dirtsurfers and get them correctly tagged. Also, UPS finally delivered the other three Freestyles while we were getting the new plane ticket. Missing the first flight gave me enough time to get the other three Dirtsurfers to the airport and checked through before Rob's flight left.

After a cold and uncomfortable night sleeping under an airport bench in Atlanta, Rob finally arrives in Mexico City... an hour later than expected due to flight delays. He is then held-up in customs for most of the day trying to explain why he has six Dirtsurfers with him. The Mexico team arrives with legal counsel to explain things to customs and rescue Rob.

They succeed in rescuing Rob from customs but the Dirtsurfers must remain behind for now.
They get Rob to the ramps for a little warm-up and then it's to the hotel and dinner.

I'll post the conclusion to this saga next time. I just hope Rob is still talking to me after all of this.

Cheers,
Brian

Dirtsurfer UK Gets New Distributor

As of October 24th 2006 Internet Fusion is pleased to announce that they have taken over the trade and assets of MunkeyGear.com and as of the 1st of November have become the Exclusive UK and Ireland distributor of Dirtsurfers.

Internet Fusion has close links with the UK boarding market through its StreetGadgets.com and myallterrainboard.co.uk websites and has retailed in the sector for over 7 years.

Ian Bristow, Partner of Internet Fusion Said: “We’re very excited about this - extreme sports is where we started and it’s a passion all the partners continue to share.

We will be continuing with the majority of MunkeyGear's activities but it really is all change. We will be paying attention to kick-starting the UK Dirtsurfer scene back in to the health we saw in ’05 and we’ll be re-instating the UK support for the existing Dirtsurfer community.

We would like to thank Mark Bevans who has been the force behind Munkeygear.com and a big part of the growth of Dirtsurfing as a sport in the UK and whose many years of experience in the Dirtsurfer market will be invaluable to us during this transitional period. We wish him all the best in the future.”

Dirtsurfer USA Update

I'm feeling a little out of the loop lately since I haven't had the time to cruise the variuos forums and keep up with what's going on in the world.

So, to let you know what's going on with Dirtsurfer in the U.S.A., here is a little update of recent activity.
1. Surf Expo follow-up on sales leads for the magazine ad sales.
2. Dirtsurfer Magazine editing and article revisions, collecting new content for issue #2.
3. Website updates, corrections, working out the bugs, getting orders shipped, etc.
4. Responding to retailer requests to sign up new dealers.
5. Responding to Field Agent requests to sign up new agents.
6. Training new reps on "How To Teach Beginners to Ride."
7. Working with Mexico to arrange the demo tour and recruit riders, track down plane tickets, etc.
8. Calling on local action sports retailers and doing demonstrations to make new Dirtsurfer sales.
9. Working on the financial reports and weekly Key Performance Indicators for our investors.
10. Paying quarterly taxes.
11. Writing sales copy.
12. Getting direct mail list quotes.
13. Calling wholesale distributors nationwide for magazine ad sales.
14. Sending out media kits and follow-up phone calls.
15. Tracking down trade expo locations and working out pricing.
16. Etc., etc., etc.

All of this goes on at the same time. Google Analytics is tracking our website stats and has been added to the two blogs. We're up to over 140 registered users on the new website since it went live. We get about two or three a day now. Most searching to find the website comes from Google search. Wingsurfer and Nixed are also big traffic sources for us. Thanks guys.

I hope that gives you at least some glimmer of an idea of what I'm doing these days. It's a bit crazy but a heck of a lot of fun.

I'm asking you all to do me a little favor... help keep me in the loop. Let me know what's going on in your part of the Dirtsurfer world. For those of you who have direct publishing access to Inline Boarder, post some stories.

Poland is going great and Russia is really picking up momentum in the sport. Congratulations to them for their success.

Cheers,
Brian

Dirtsurfer Poland's International Outreach

The Dirtsurfer distributor in Poland has sent out some complimentary t-shirts to a few Dirtsurfer riders around the world.

The only condition seems to be that we get somebody to take a picture of us riding a Dirtsurfer while wearing it and then send the picture to him. Pretty cool idea. So, here you go.

This was taken last weekend while I was in Raleigh, North Carolina (USA) around 5:00 pm in my mother-in-law's neighborhood. My 13 year old son snapped the picture.

Raleigh isn't known for big hills so finding something worthy of a Dirtsurfer wasn't easy. This hill was the best we could find.

I went there to do some training on "How To Teach People to Ride a Dirtsurfer." I have a couple of young surfers / riders in college at UNC Wilmington who want to rep for Dirtsurfer USA and possibly go to Mexico for the demo tour.

To our brothers in Poland... "Hope you like the picture. Thanks for the cool shirt."
Cheers,
Brian Duvall

Dirtsurfer Mexico Demo Tour Dates

Here are the official dates and locations of the Dirtsurfer Demo Tour through Mexico.

October 27th, 28th and 29th in México City

November 3rd , 4th and 5th in Monterrey, N.L.

November 10th, 11th and 12th in Tijuana, B.C.

November 17th, 18th and 19th in Guadalajara, Jal

November 24th, 25th and 26th in México City

December 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Veracruz, Ver.

U. S. riders confirmed as demo instructors for the trip are:
Rob Turman
Chase Turman
Tom Whalen
Morgan Milligan
Rob Paul
Brian Duvall

Additional experienced Dirtsurfer riders are still needed as back-up.
Currently on the possible back-up list is Pro Team rider Quin Lee Ng.

To travel to Mexico, you will need a photo I.D. and a birth certificate or pass port and be at least 18 years of age.

If you are interested in possibly going to Mexico on one of these dates and you have experience riding Dirtsurfers and teaching others how to ride, then contact me as soon as possible at brian@dirtsurfer.com.

I need your photo and a brief description of your riding and teaching experiences.
Thanks.
Brian

Thermofiber Deck Gets a No-Slip Makeover

Graeme at HQ sends us this update on the new Dirtsurfer thermo fiber decks.

The most common complaint about the new Dirtsurfers has been about the quality of the grip tape used on the thermofiber decks. It doesn't take much to make it peel or chip off. Most riders have been replacing the deck grip with their own.

Riders have suggested replacing the adhesive deck grip with something "built-in" so it doesn't peel off or wear out so fast. Also, they wanted to bring back the cool Dirtsurfer 69 logo on the deck.

Graeme's solution was to work with the deck manufacturer to add non-slip bumps to the foot pad areas of the deck and leave the center of the deck smooth for the logo graphics. The prototype deck is pictured here.

After sample testing, Graeme has determined that the bumps are too rounded and smooth on the prototype. So now he's looking at making them with pointed tips so they will offer better grip. The green stripe that you see running through the middle of the deck was a color coding idea designed to make identifying board stiffness easier. However, the distributors didn't like the color code stripe being so prominent. It doesn't match the color scheme of the Dirtsurfers. The result is that HQ is sticking with the current color code dot on the bottom of each deck.

Graeme has also solved the problem of deck screw inserts not lining up with the frame holes. Now it should be easier to get all of your deck screws threaded without having force it.

Good job, Graeme.
Cheers,
Brian

U.S. Dirtsurfers Go To Mexico

We have assembled a group of riders who will be going to Mexico to do demonstrations and teach kids how to ride.

This is all part of the chocolate milk promotional campaign that the Canadian Pro Team helped with back in July. Now that the commercial has been shot, the company wants us to do a series of demonstrations throughout Mexico where we teach kids how to ride and give away Dirtsurfers as prizes.

We are scheduled to fly down around October 6th and work each Saturday and Sunday throughout the month. Each demonstration will involve riders who can handle ramps, jumps, carve and teach for eight hours per day. The idea is to do 5 minutes of demo with 20 minutes of lessons followed by a short race for the new beginners. Then we start all over... every 30 minutes we do another session.

I think we can go for a two hour run then take a short break and go again. An hour for lunch and then we do the same thing in the afternoon. It should be fun. We might be able to use a couple more riders who are interested and available to fly down on Friday evenings and fly home on Sunday evening. If you are interested, please let me know. Oh, yeah... all of your travel expenses will be covered and you get paid to ride Dirtsurfer. What could be better?

I'll let you know how it goes when we get back.
Cheers,
Brian

New Profile Photo

O.k. I hear everybody hates the suit and tie picture that I had in my profile.

Since I respect the opinions of my friends and fellow riders, I am replacing the professional photo with this picture taken today with my Sony Digital DVD Cam.

It's not great but I hope people like it better than the old one. I'll replace it as soon as I get a better photo taken on a better camera. Since I'm usually the one behind the camera taking the pictures, it may be awhile.

Let me know what you think. Thanks for the comments.
Cheers,
B

I got plenty of comments telling me to get a shot of me riding a Dirtsurfer instead of just a head shot. Seems some folks doubt my riding abilities.

So, here you go. It's not much. But considering that I'm the one always taking the pictures, its a wonder I was able to get even this.

This was taken around October 12th at 5:00 pm in my neighborhood. My 13 year old son snapped the picture after a few takes. This is one of the better ones. I have come to the conclusion that I look way too fat to be in pictures riding a Dirtsurfer. I still need to lose a few more pounds.

I'm wearing our new black Dirtsurfer Industry T-shirt with the classic Dirtsurfer 69 logo. It's 100% cotton from Fruit of the Loom.
Now available on the Dirtsurfer.com website. Check it out.

The shirt even has a cool graphic of a Dirtsurfer Rider on the back... made from the famous photo of Jeremy Piesce from Australia riding in the park.

Cheers,
B

Dirtsurfer.com Goes Live

The new www.dirtsurfer.com website went live last night (Tuesday, September 19th).

The new website is still being built with new features being added, but it is finally online. The new Rider Zone chat forum should be up this week. Also, for our international distributors... your list will also be linked to on each product next to the Buy It Now button.

People interested in subscribing to the new magazine will be able to do that online, too. The subscription form will be added very soon along with the Field Agent and Retailer registration forms.

Other key items to get online are the professional videos that were shown on the original Dirtsurfer website and the updated photo gallery. As you can see, we still have a bit of work to do but hang in there. We're getting to it. If you see something that is missing or that you would like to see to help make the site better, then let me know.

Thanks,
Brian

Dirtsurfer at Surf Expo 2006 Update

I attended Surf Expo in Orlando, Florida over the weekend and boy was it worth the trip.

My purpose for going was to make contact with company owners and marketing / P.R. directors who might be interested in promoting their businesses in our new Dirtsurfer Magazine and in our new "Rush" action sports expo launching in early 2007.

Surf Expo is HUGE! There were hundreds of businesses actively selling their wares. The areana was divided into regions like Surf, Skate, Wake, Resort, Club, She, Brazilian Beat, Souvenir and so on. Many of the big name brands were there including Billabong, Quicksilver, O'Niel, Rusty, Vans, Etnies, LiquidForce, Flexifoil, Oakley and countless others.

Swimsuit models were everywhere. At times it was hard to watch where I was going. Honestly, I have never seen so much skin in a place that wasn't covered in sand, ocean waves and tourists.

I expect that Dirtsurfer will have a booth there next year. Many buyers from across the country were there to make their selections and place orders for the upcomming season. Not having a booth means that we miss out on opportunity. Many of the companies I spoke with said that they had exceeded their order projections at the show. JetSurf and Tramp Boards had sold out of all of their inventory and were needing to ramp up additional production. A nice problem to have.

I also met some outstanding graphic designers, including Brian Reams, who was showing his designs for the first time at Surf Expo. Keep watching Dirtsurfer.com for some of his artwork.

The next BIG expo is InterBike in Las Vegas in a couple of weeks. The FireFlies maker (little lights that go on your wheel spokes or under your board deck) offered to share a booth with Dirtsurfer at InterBike, disply our Dirtsurfers with FierFlies on the spokes and underneath. This is an offer we may consider... if we can get somebody out there to answer questions... or maybe shoot some good video of a night ride with fireflies pimping out one of our new Dirtsurfers.

Anyway, it was a great trip and well worth the effort.

Cheers,
Brian

Six Degrees Interviews Dirtsurfer Inventor

I was searching the internet and found this interview with Graeme Attey. It was done back in June but it's still good. If you go to the original interview by clicking the Six Degrees link, then you can download the Real Player audio file at the bottom of the page and hear Graeme tell his story. Enjoy.

Reporter: Justine Kelly

Last week in our Six Degrees series with 720 Reporter Justine Kelly we heard all about house designer Giles Hohnen who then nominated Graeme Attey, a Perth inventor, for Justine to chat to next.

It turned out to be a double Six Degree moment when Justine realised she had spoken to Graeme a few years back when she interviewed him about one of his inventions.

Justine found out that inventing is something that Graeme has been doing all his life.

"I remember one day having a whole lot of friends in the neighbourhood all lined up across the park over the road and I stretched a fishing line from one end of the park to the other. Attached to the fishing line I had a sky rocket on a couple of runners so it was incredibly exciting watching these skyrockets fly across the park at a 6ft height and hit the fence at the other side, so I was always doing some pretty oddball things," Graeme remembers.

In the early 80's Graeme had got into sail boarding and came up with a few ideas to improve what was being made at the time and ended up manufacturing all sorts of parts for sail boards, some of which he patented.

But it was the love of a cold beer at the end of a day that led him to his next inventing project.

"During that time in the 80's I used to travel up to Ningaloo for surfing and sailing and each time I would take a little portable fridge to try and keep beer and that cold, and each time I would come back disgruntled because the fridge didn't work properly," he told Justine.

And that was the beginnng of his next project which he co-worked on over the next 10 years - a tiny portable fridge perfect for a couple of cold beers in the middle of nowhere, and then sold the design to Panasonic in Japan.

His next big thing was the "Dirtsurfer". Graeme describes it as a 2-wheel inline skateboard with a self-centring automatic steering system and a lean back brake so you can stop like a bike but have the feeling of surfing or snowboarding.

The idea for the "Dirtsurfer" started in the 80's when he was involved with sailboards when he wondered if he could ride a board with a sail on, on the land in light winds. When it didn't work and he was busy with other things he shelved the idea - until he saw some kids playing in Fremantle a few years later.

"It was like 11 years later, I happened to see some kids sliding down Monument Hill in Fremantle on ice and I thought I should bring that old board out and see if I can make it work," he told Justine.

Graeme is still working with the "Dirtsurfer" but in the last 12 months he has been tinkering with another bright idea, a new desalination system with the aid of a State Government grant.

He enjoys his life but offers up an explanation of what an inventor's life is really like.

"I think it was Edison who said invention is 1% inspiration and 99% perspiration but I think he was grossly over estimating the 1%." - Graeme Attey

Off to Surf Expo 2006

The land of Sunshine, Orange Juice and the Happiest Place on Earth... Disney World... calls out to Dirtsurfer.

We're heading to Surf Expo in Orlando (aka 'O Town') this weekend to meet vendors and make contacts with potential sponsors and advertisers for the new Dirtsurfer Magazine. I was invited by CEO of the Go Agency, Micah Gaudio.

Surf Expo isn't just for Surfers. This giant expo also features wake, skate, snow, fashion and other related board sport industries. Lots of potential contacts all in one easy to open package. Flight's booked, hotel is cheap and the car is rented. I'll be flying out of Raleigh, N.C. at 7:00 am and arriving at 9:00 am. It should be fun and very busy.

I'll let you know what I discover when I get back.
Cheers,
Brian

Photo: Surf Expo 2005 Photo gallery of the Swimsuit Fashion Show.

Dirtsurfer Website Begins Crossover

Joshua Langner, webmaster at the Go Agency reported that he is in the process of switching over the Dirtsurfer domains to our new hosting service.

Several of our distributors had the opportunity to preview the new website while it was still under construction at our temporary .us domain. If you have attempted to visit the temporary site then you will find that it is no longer there. Don't panic. It's being moved and will be live again at our main .com location.

A few things to keep in mind with the new website:
1. Its main purpose is to help people buy Dirtsurfer gear quickly and easily. Prices posted on the site are for the U.S. market. For customers outside of the U.S., there will be links to the international distributor page where shoppers can choose their country.
2. Its secondary purpose is to help people learn as much about the Dirtsurfer as possible by watching videos, looking at pictures, reading articles and rider testimonials. In addition to the professional videos from the original website, we have also included links to YOUR rider videos posted on Google, Vimeo, YouTube and Yahoo.
3. Its third purpose is to help riders connect with each other to go riding, do a demo, keep up with what's happening, race events, Dirtsurfer news, etc. You'll find some pretty cool stuff in the Rider Zone... including the Dirtsurfer Riders map by Frappr, the Dirtsurfer Calendar by Google, a new chat forum (without all the spam) and much more. We're also linking into the blogs for news.

Another special feature will be the Dirtsurfer Magazine. Besides being in print, you will be able to download it as a PDF file.

Yes, finally things are very close. The e-mail server is being switched over today. The rest will be available soon. Thanks for staying with us as we grow and get even better.

Cheers,
Brian Duvall

USA Orders Another 100 Dirtsurfers

The board of directors met at the Los Angeles Conference in August and decided that it was time to order another batch of 100 Dirtsurfers so that they arrive in time for Christmas.

The decision was based on a number of factors including the start of a national direct mail marketing campaign and the rapidly dwindling supply of Dirtsurfers currently in stock. We expect that the direct mail campaign to 10,000 action sports retailers nationwide will draw at least a few retailer requests for product and demonstrations. We need to make sure that we are able to deliver Dirtsufers as soon as orders are placed.

Another key factor is the lag time between when an order is placed and when it is delivered to our warehouse. The order takes a couple of weeks to be manufactured at the plant then it takes at least 3 weeks to cross the ocean and clear customs. Then you're looking at another week to be trucked from the port in Los Angeles to the warehouse. So, if we order now then it might arrive by Christmas.

We look forward to getting the next 100 in stock. Thank you to our investors for their strong support.

Cheers,
Brian

Spam Plagues Dirtsurfer Forum

Spam. The scourge of the internet has come to Dirtsurfer.com.

Thanks to everyone who has sent us comments on the spam problem littering our chat forum. The bad news is that we can't really fix the old forum and as soon as I delete all the junk... moments later there are dozens more to take its place.

The good news is that we are launching an entirely new website with new chat forum and better spam control. It should be live within two weeks. Keep checking. We'll post the announcement as soon as it launches.

Now, I'm off to Top Challenge in Montreal.
See you at the races,
Brian

Dirtsurfer Welcomes New California Field Agent

Legendary Australian pro team rider Quin-Lee Ng has joined the U.S. Dirtsurfer organization as Field Agent for California. (Quin is pictured here after eating dirt in a Dirtsurfer crash)

Quin is based in Redondo Beach, California... just outside of Los Angeles. He recently helped MTV with a Dirtsurfer demonstration as part of a video shoot for their dating show "Parental Control." The episode is set to air sometime in September.

You may recognize Quin by his picture and video archives from his early days as a pro team rider in Australia. He came to the U.S. with fellow pro team rider Cahn Mitchell to introduce Dirtsurfer at Snowshoe Mountain Resort back in 2002.

Quin has been a strong supporter of the sport since the beginning and is largley responsible for the sports growth in the U.S. since its introduction.

We look forward to working with Quin on the U.S. Field Agent Team. Hopefully, we can talk his wife into letting him race for us as well.

Welcome aboard, Quin. Glad to have you on our team again.
Cheers,
Brian

Dirtsurfer Welcomes New Hawaii Field Agent

Christine Ellis of Maui, Hawaii has been riding Dirtsurfers for several years and has finally decided to join the ranks of loyal fans who have advanced to Field Agent status.

You may remember her article in Inline Boarder on riding the Haleakala Crater. We have been begging her to send us some pictures so we can get an idea of just how BIG this ride is.

She finally came through for us. Good thing, too. We're including her new in-depth article on the ride in our premier issue of Dirtsurfer Magazine due out around the end of the month.

Christine has been busy working in the real estate field for the past several years but still enjoys kitesurfing and other active lifestyle sports. She is also a certified kitesurfing instructor. So, if you need some lessons, be sure to look her up the next time you're in Maui.

Dirtsurfer is her new adrenaline rush with all of the great and LONG downhill runs available on the islands. What better place to ride than in a tropical paradise?

Here you can see her carving around one of the many switchback turns on the run down from the summit. She's riding a GP modified with a hand brake.

She recommends that you get an early start and pack a warm jacket. It's cold at the top. Be sure to look for her full article in the first issue of Dirtsurfer Magazine.

Welcome to Christine Ellis. We look forward to working with as you grow the sport in Hawaii.
Cheers,
Brian

Dirtsurfer Welcomes Montgomery Sporting Goods

James Burns, the Dirtsurfer field agent in New York, has signed Montgomery Sporting Goods to the Dirtsurfer Authorized Dealer network.

We called on shop owner Sherry Meres just before the Madison County Gravity Fest in July to introduce her to the Dirtsurfer company. Sherry sells paintball, skateboard and other extreme sports gear in her small Montgomery store. She also runs a successful paintball field with tournaments and special events.

Sherry took to the Dirtsurfer right away and was willing to offer it to her customers as a test market. To kick things off, James is going to help her promote the Dirtsurfer in the upcoming Montgomery fesitval.

The festival features a parade and draws about 10,000 people. Sherry is confident she will be able to sell out her initial order at the festival. We offer our thanks to James for his dedication to building the sport and promoting the company.

Congratulations to Sherry of Montgomery Sporting Goods for joining the Dirtsurfer family.
Cheers,
Brian

Three Flexi Freestyles for Sale in Mexico

Jeremy with Dirtsurfer Canada says he left three new Flexi Freestyles in Mexico City.

These were used in the making of the Chocomilk commercial and only ridden four times by members of the Canada Pro Team. He didn't bring them back to Canada because he didn't have room on the flight.

We have received a number of requests to buy Dirtsurfers from Mexico, so I thought it might be a good idea to let you know that Jeremy is willing to sell them. You can contact Jeremy directly at xtremexperience@yahoo.com .

Better contact him right away because these will get snatched up quick.

If you know any business people in Mexico who are interested in being the Dirtsurfer Mexico distributor, please pass them my contact info. brian@dirtsurfer.com. We would love to talk to them.
Cheers,
Brian

Register Now for the Dirtsurfer Conference in L.A.

The first annual International Dirtsurfer Conference will be held at the Crowne Plaza Los Angeles Airport from Aug. 25 through the 27th, 2006.

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to stay in a premier luxury hotel in one of the worlds most exciting cities and meet the founders of the whole Dirtsurfer industry.

If you are serious about the future of extreme sports retailing and the sport of inline boarding then you must be with us at this amazing event.

Join us in L.A. for the chance to meet Australian design engineer and Dirtsurfer inventor... Mr. Graeme Attey. Mr. Attey, Australia's third largest holder of patents, will discuss the future of Dirtsurfer world wide and hopefully share some insights on exciting new designs currently in development.

Meet former Australian Pro Team rider Quin-Lee Ng, who will share some stories from the early days of Dirtsurfer... in Australia and the U.S.
Quin is currently representing Dirtsurfer USA in the Los Angeles area and is appearing in MTV's hit reality show "Parental Control" teaching people how to ride.

Quin is one of the first people to bring Dirtsurfer to the U.S. He was an instructor at Snowshoe Mountain Resort in West Virginia alongside Australian Dirtsurfer wild man Cahn Mitchell.

Meet Brian Duvall of Dirtsurfer USA who will discuss the development of the sport and the company in North America. Brian has been heading up Dirtsurfer marketing development in the U.S. and helping to promote the sport throughout North America. He will also present highlights on Canada's amazing growth in Inline Boarding on behalf of Dirtsurfer Canada's Jeremy Bresciani.

Meet Micah Gaudio, CEO of the Go Agency, who will share some exciting developments in Dirtsurfer marketing and Public Relations. Micah is a competitive wakeboarder and extreme sports enthusiast who also publishes the award winning Smith Mountain Laker magazine. His experience in launching successful sports and lifestyle magazine as well as websites and public relations campaigns is why his agency was chosen to create Dirtsurfer's marketing and design. When it comes to building the Dirtsurfer lifestyle and vision... he gets it.

Meet longtime Dirtsurfer Morgan Milligan, who has developed a Dirtsurfer demo machine for use at trade shows and parks. His innovative concept allows novice riders to safely experience the fun and thrill of riding and carving without any of the risk of falling. We hope to try out his great new invention during the Saturday afternoon group activities.

The conference will also feature networking opportunities, retailer development sessions, field agent training, open forums and group activities. We might even get in a fun ride through the hills overlooking L.A.

You can book your room now for only $89 per night plus tax or by calling (+1) (310) 258-1347.

If you wish to extend your stay outside of these dates (Aug. 24 - 27th), you will need to book a separate reservation on the Web site or contact us directly at Crowne Plaza Los Angeles International Airport (+1) (310) 258-1347.You will need to make your reservations as soon as possible. The rate will be valid as long as we have rooms available, up to and including 27-Aug-2006.

We have reserved a block of rooms at this special group rate until Aug. 11th. Room rates are subject to change after that date. When registering, be sure to reference the Dirtsurfer Conference to get the special rate.

Register now to reserve your seat at the conference by e-mailing Brian Duvall. The cost of the conference is just $100 per person. Bring a guest for an addtional $25.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions by calling +1-540-420-4118.

I look forward to seeing you in Los Angeles.