Find a suitable grass hill with a gentle grade for learning.
Always check the course first to ensure it is safe. i.e. ensure the hill is a suitable grade for your skill level, that there are no holes or obstacles on the course and that there is a smooth run-off area in which to stop.
Start on a gentle slope and have a friend support you the first time so that you can start with both feet on the board.
Start rolling and when underway without support, look only where you want to go (DO NOT look down at the front wheel), bend the knees and maintain a relaxed surfing position. Keep weight forward rather than back.
Once you have got the feel after a run or two, try starting by yourself. Place your rear foot against the rear foot stop and over the brake button so that the dead man's brake is released. 'Lock' your rear foot/ankle firmly to maintain the board in a steady upright position, push along with your front foot until moving at a suitable pace (a few 'paddles') and then place that foot up onto the board and you are underway.
To brake, just bend down slightly and back to engage the calf-operated brake as required.

CAN YOU SKATE A DIRTSURFER ALONG ON FLAT GROUND?

Dirtsurfers skate on the flat faster and with less energy than a skateboard but you have to practice the technique first. Virtually anyone can ride a Dirtsurfer successfully within a few minutes by starting on a grass hill. However, skating them on the flat takes more practice but once mastered, they become a great means of transport around town. Current long distance (on the flat) skating record for a Dirtsurfer is Cahn Mitchell with 55km in 3 hours on Great Northern Highway, Western Australia in the dark (his car ran out of petrol). Would have done 56km if he hadn't hit a kangaroo half way (I know that sounds like a total fabrication but it is actually TRUE!)

WHICH FOOT DO YOU PUSH WITH, TO SKATE A DIRTSURFER?

You have to push with your front foot because the frame is slightly lower at the rear and they feel really weird to push with the rear foot. Also, the deadman's brake button HAS to be under the rear foot. It's not as difficult as you might think to get used to the 'old style' skate pushing.

DOES THE FRONT WHEEL TURN OR PIVOT?

Mechanically, the front wheel turns via a swingarm, pivotally mounted to a low, forward-mounted, double-bearing pivot point. However, the action of turning is initiated simply by the rider leaning. When you ride a skateboard you just lean to turn and you never think about the trucks moving. The Dirtsurfer is exactly the same in that you never think about how it turns either, it just does so by leaning. It's just that the mechanical 'truck' system is completely different. Also, because it has two wheels, a lot of the turning is achieved by the lean of the board itself rather than the wheel actually turning much. i.e. like a motorcycle turns without the front wheel really turning much either. So, all you have to do is lean and it automatically turns.

TURNING

Dirtsurfers travel faster than skateboards and have a longer wheelbase so they therefore have a larger turning radius on roads than skateboards. It's all just relative to speed. You can't execute a 90 degree turn inside a meter if you're doing 60kph, nor would you want to! Dirtsurfers really carve down roads super well but they're travelling quicker so the carves are longer. Don't forget that a Dirtsurfer has the only hands free braking system available and you can pull up as quickly as a bike if need be. However, off-road the turning radius thing is a little different because you can slide them to decrease the turning radius. Also, they are less susceptible to ruts etc than a four wheeler because you can pick a path thru ruts rather than be forced into them.

HOW DIFFICULT IS IT TO RIDE A DIRTSURFER?

Although they've only got two wheels, Dirtsurfers are deceptively easy to ride thanks to their patented steering geometry. As soon as you apply weight, the front wheel stabilises and only turns when you lean. We have plenty of people riding Dirtsurfers easily without snowboard or surfing experience. If you start on a grass hill you should be riding the board successfully within a few minutes. To get really good on them obviously takes practice but just to ride them initially is much easier than learning to snowboard or surf.

HOW DO YOU STOP A DIRTSURFER ?

To compliment the speed and performance of the revolutionary Dirtsurfer, a patented new braking system has been developed that removes all limits to where the boards can be ridden. The brake is simply operated by the rider leaning back slightly and applying rear leg pressure to a vertical, mudguard-style lever. The pressure on the lever activates a bike style V-Brake, offering progressive yet powerful braking. Additionally, if a rider were to accidentally apply too much brake pressure against the guard/lever such that the rider started to be propelled forward, this action in itself automatically reduces brake power, maintaining control for the rider. Dirtsurfers also have a deadman's brake (button under the rear foot) which activates when you fall off to stop the board rolling away (the Dirtsurfer 'leg rope').

CAN YOU USE A DIRTSURFER WITH A KITE OR SAILBOARD RIG?

Dirtsurfers work really well with a sailboard rig! Just bolt the uni into the 8mm hole in the footplate. Your front foot goes straight in front of the uni and the board is really stable at speed with a rig and handles beautifully. Kitewings are also wonderfully compatible with Dirtsurfers plus Kiteboarders have finally found a perfect land based board to replicate their on-water rush. The in-line design produces that 'wakeboard type edge feel' and the Dirtsurfer's unbeatable high speed stability instils the confidence needed to go for it.

HOW FAST ARE DIRTSURFERS DOWNHILL?

The current unofficial Dirtsurfer downhill speed record is 105 kph (65mph) and that was set on our standard dual purpose tyres. However, the speed limit is purely dependent on the hill and so the top end achievable with narrow slicks on a REAL mountain is anyone's guess. Suffice to say it will be extremely fast! Not recommended for anyone except team riders in £1000.00 Dainese leather racing suits! The real difference between downhill skateboards, luges etc and Dirtsurfers is that Dirtsurfers remain solid-as-a-rock stable at high speeds without the speed-wobble stuff because of the gyroscopic stability provided by the two large wheels.