You’ve probably seen our design elements, so we don’t have to mention the four-wheel independent suspension or the dual drum brake and so on that are unique to Turfboard. What we will say is that the Turfboard was designed to avoid the limitations of having to ride on groomed dirt tracks and specially made terrain parks. The truth is, we don’t have any friends who own a bulldozer. We wanted a board you could take “backcountry” and not worry about steepness of slope, long grass and weeds or moderate amounts of debris in your path. The Turfboard is built to go down the same hills and mountains you would otherwise snowboard on if there were snow. Without any doubt, the Turfboard can go where no all-terrain board dare try.

Any board will have to navigate endless bumps, rocks, sticks, pockets and holes. When a tire meets with one of these nasties, the tire will be knocked off its straight and even course. If that tire shares a single axle with another tire on the other side of the board, BOTH tires will react by going out of control. Trust us, when you are hauling down a slope, the last thing you want is instability. The independent suspension allows each tire to act independently – thus the name – “independent suspension”.

• Determine whether the steepness of this slope matches your ability and experience.
• Walk the entire slope before riding to identify and flag or remove hazards such as larger holes, rocks, stumps, etc.
• Check that the runout at the end of the slope is long enough to ride out in the event of brake failure.
• Ensure that the slope doesn’t merge with any traffic – hikers, mountain bikers, etc.
• Unless you can get a vehicle license for your Turfboard, don’t take it on any roads.
• Check all fasteners on your Turfboard for a tight fit BEFORE riding.
• Check for proper brake function.

But think of it, would you take a new snowboard on the bunny hill and expect to learn how it carves? No way! Turfboards are the same as snowboards in this respect. To learn what it was designed for, relax and get your speed above “turtle”. Remember: if the brakes are adjusted as per the instructions, you should be able to lock up the tires, or just feather them, at any speed to control your ride. Most people agree – Turfboarding is easier to learn than snowboarding because of the control the brake offers and because you don’t fall as often.

How fast is sensible and safe? Those things are up to you and your better judgement. Turfboards are, of course, gravity powered. Unlike other designs we have seen, Turfboards are designed to maintain stable at very high speeds. If you take a Turfboard down the expert runs and really let it go like some of our team riders do, be sure to clean the splattered bugs off your helmet at the end of each run.

Most people find the Double D easier to learn on because of the lower center of gravity. The Turf DeVille is excellent as a backcountry cruiser with plenty of clearance while the Double D is a more aggressive board, allowing tighter turns and greater ease for aerial tricks. Keep in mind, however, that if you own one board, you may simply purchase the deck and tires for the other and swap them out – giving you two boards in one design!

The tire was designed to grip very well in grass, weeds or scrub brush. The stepped sidewall of the downhill tires “load up” during a tight turn to allow the board to track cleanly without sliding. The little knobbies act like spikes in vegitation to further improve tracking and thereby decrease damage to the environment. The tires are tubeless and increase in diameter about 1 inch when inflated. Inflated, they are about 7 ˝ inches in diameter and 4 Ľ inches wide. We have never, ever had one blow out when used according to directions. The rim is a three-part design made from machined aircraft aluminum that pinches the beads of the tire.

The deck for the Turf DeVille is 7 times stiffer than a snowboard. Your snowboard would bend like a wet noodle and probably break pretty fast too.

We have come up with our own line of protective gear for you. This stuff is the meatiest we could get our hands on. The helmet is pretty darned cool too. Our riders use it in the winter for snowboarding competitions. Some people also like to use tail pads from Crash Pads or even hockey breezers. Our rider, J.D., uses Charmin.