Tomas Havranek’s introduction to the Segway PT (Personal Transporter) seven years ago was love at first glide. "When my wife, Andrea, and I first tried riding it at a park, we thought it was one of the coolest things we had ever done," he said. "Segway PT rides are called ‘glides’ because that’s what they are: smooth, quiet and relaxing."

The couple bought two of the self-balancing two-wheeled vehicles with the intention of selling them at the store they owned a few miles from their home in a Chicago suburb. They liked them so much, however, they wound up keeping them.

Havranek often glided to his office at the store on his Segway PT. Andrea, a real estate agent, used hers to get to house showings in their neighborhood. The Segway PT was their mode of transportation when they went to the bank, post office and friends’ houses nearby. They also rode it to pick up small grocery items and to accompany their two young children on their bike rides.

The family relocated to Maui in 2011, lured by the island’s beauty, mild weather and laid-back lifestyle. "We had come here on vacation several times before moving, and thought it would be a safer, healthier place to raise our kids than Chicago," Havranek said. "No one was offering Segway PT tours, and we saw that as a great business opportunity."

He and a longtime friend, Mark Liebich, launched Segway of Maui in Lahaina last April as a fun, eco-friendly option to sightseeing via fossil fuel-burning vans and buses. In December they also began offering tours in Iao Valley.

Because the Segway PT does not have brakes, an engine or a steering wheel, it responds to the rider’s center of gravity. Slight shifts in his body position turn the vehicle and move it forward. It stops when he leans backward. Before hitting the road, participants complete a 30-minute orientation and hands-on training session to ensure they have a safe, fun glide.

"There are so many great things about the Segway PT," Havranek said. "First, it gives you the wind-in-your-face thrills that you get from riding a bike or a motorcycle. It’s also maneuverable and easy to operate. Last but not least, it doesn’t emit any pollutants, so it’s a great green alternative."

Routes for Segway of Maui’s Lahaina tours depend on customers’ interests. One popular stop is the Lahaina Jodo Mission, which was founded in 1912 by Japa­nese immigrants working on sugar and pineapple plantations in West Maui. Its 12-foot-tall copper-and-bronze statue of Buddha is the largest of its kind outside of Japan.

Participants on longer tours might glide around Lahaina’s famous banyan tree, planted in 1873, which shades two-thirds of an acre near the harbor and stands more than 60 feet high.

They might also see the Lahaina Courthouse, a seaside landmark since 1859; the Seaman’s Hospital, where whalers received medical care in the mid-1800s; Hale Paahao prison, built in the 1850s from stones from a fort that once stood on the waterfront; and 190-year-old Wai­ola Church, the final resting place for several alii (royalty), including Queen Keopu­olani, one of Kamehameha the Great’s favorite wives.

"Every tour is different because our guests are different," Havranek said. "Being flexible allows them to see places in Lahaina that they want to see."

Both Iao Valley tours start at Tropical Gardens of Maui (www.tropicalgardensofmaui.com), a 4-acre botanical garden and nursery growing orchids, gingers, heliconias, palms and more. Participants then glide to Kepani­wai Park’s Heritage Gardens, where the buildings honor various ethnic groups that call Hawaii home. Highlights include a Japa­nese pagoda, a New England saltbox and a thatched Hawaiian hale (house).

Those on the two-hour tour continue on to view famous Iao Needle, which rises 1,200 feet from the floor of Iao Valley. This "spire" is an illusion; it’s actually a sharp ridge along the West Maui Mountain range.

"On our tours of Lahaina and Iao Valley, you’re out in fresh air pretty much the whole time," Havranek said. "Segway PTs add an exiting new twist to learning about Maui’s history and enjoying the island’s beauty."

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Cheryl Chee Tsutsumi is a Honolulu-based freelance writer whose travel features for the Star-Advertiser have won several Society of American Travel Writers awards.