About ten years ago my son attended a “have-a-go-day” at the Tauranga domain.  He came home so excited about a new, wheeled board thing that he had seen. He described it to me and I duly made one. It turned out to be a dirtsurfer. He rode it for years and got quite skilled at using it. My son then left home and the board got left in a cupboard. Until recently.
One of my Year 10 (Form 4) students happened to be surfing the net and came across a site showing video of these people doing some radical things on what was called a “dirtsurfer”. He had been to all the bike shops and sports stores in town and could not buy one anywhere. Most places had not even heard of them.
I then remembered the dirtsurfer that I had made ten years ago, got it out and soon half the school wanted to ride the thing. The faster they go the easier they are to ride. Students learn to ride them in seconds.
I then came up with the idea that this would make an excellent technology project for my Year 11 (Form 5) class. The real-life issue this all stemmed from was: “I wanted a dirtsurfer and I could not buy one in New Zealand. Therefore, I will have to design and make one myself.” At the same time my students were able to record their technology practice and gain credits at Level 1.  
A clever part of the dirtsurfer is the front wheel “steering” mechanism. Inside the arms of the frame at the front sits a U-shaped swing arm made of channel steel and parallel with the ground. The back of the swing arm by the footboard holds the front-wheel axle. The pin allows the swing arm with the front wheel to pivot sideways about 15 degrees to the left or right, but not up and down, in order to steer the board.

Read more in the April/May 2010 issue of The Shed