200th Post!
It is well over 12 months now since I started kite buggying
and nearly 12 months since I started my blog. Reading back to the early days
and my first tentative steps, that first downwind turn, my PB’s and the kites I
have owned and sold, the distances travelled, the frustrations of winter and
the OBE’s – it has been a blast!
I am still in my trusty Peter Lynn Comp XR+, mainly as I can’t
afford anything better! And it is still doing the job, the tyres are bald and
one is showing canvas, the bearings aren’t quite as smooth as they once were and
the buggy is a lot dustier, it has a custom made belly pan to protect my …
seat! – But it has taken me over 60kph and provided me with hours of enjoyment;
though as I write this, it has been relegated to the shed as I am borrowing a
Sysmic S2.
I still have my Ozone Flow 5m, this is the kite that is responsible
for getting me hooked again and it comes out regularly as my low wind kite – fantastic
construction, super stable and can generate a reasonable amount of speed. It
has taken some knocks, as this is the kite I learnt to buggy with; it does look
a bit worn but is an excellent all round kite.
Then I have my feisty Peter Lynn Core 3m, I bought this as
my high wind kite to enable me to push my speed and this is the kite I got my
PB with. It is on 20m lines and does need a fair breeze to get it going;
otherwise it floats to the ground. And when it gets going it pulls and pulls,
and can be pretty aggressive and scary – this kite was responsible for my first
OBE as it lifted me un-gracefully and then dropped me. This may now have been superseded
though…
I bought a second hand 8.5m Blade II as my low wind kite, it
was in first class condition – I think I used it once before selling it on. It
was bloody huge and slow and soon as the wind picked up started to become lifty
– I’m not into buggy jumping or jumping out of buggies. So this now has a new
home in Queensland .
Then it was the time for the Peter Lynn Vapor 2.7m – the fastest
kite on the planet. This was an attempt to eventually replace the Core and push
my speeds to the next level. An amazing kite, looked incredible, was very fast
(as to be expected) and powerful. But could also be a bugger! This was the kite
that caused my second OBE after a hot launch - in the end decided that this was
too much kite for me and sold it on – practically as new.
Now I have another Ozone, a 4m Method, this is rapidly
becoming my kite of choice and is replacing the 3m Core as my high wind kite.
Superb Ozone construction, minimal bridals, super stable – with sports car
performance. In low wind it lacks the grunt but as you work it the speed
develops and give it a decent blow and it certainly performs but without any
nasty surprises. I think this kite is going to take my buggying to the next
level and how I would love to get the full quiver…
Bones has also lent be a 2m HQ Beamer as a seriously high
wind kite, but this is yet to see the light of day.
The downside is the winter restriction which prevents
vehicles driving onto the lake (the land yachts and model aero-club have vehicular
access) which prevents us using it as well.
I would still like to try buggying on a beach – I have been
told it’s a whole different experience. But with Lake Walyungup Lake Lefroy
I am lucky to be able to get out most weekends usually early
on a Sunday morning and most of the time the process of flying and buggying is instinctual
with regular shots of adrenaline, this enables me to enjoy the whole
experience. It has an addictive quality and if I miss out then I become sullen
and depressed.
Throwing the kite around in the turns, power-sliding the
buggy, pushing it to go harder and faster, kicking the rear end out to scrub
the speed; all these are natural and require little or no thought, they just
happen. I know my kites, I can tell what they are doing (even when I did an unintentional 360 the flow stayed in the air), where they are positioned
through the pull through the harness and it only takes a quick glance to affirm
this – yet there is not a better site than a kite against the perfect blue of the
Western Australia sky.
None of this intuitive buggying takes away any of the pleasure
but just goes to enhance the feelings and experiences of pushing your limits
with the aid of the wind.
My other kit includes my Ozone SB harness, I have replaced
the hooked spreader with a roller. This harness is great, comfortable to wear,
spreads the load evenly and is the usual Ozone quality. Though does seem a
little looser these days!
I have my GoPro HD Hero, which is a fantastic bit of kit, at
present I just have my helmet mount and my custom buggy mount, as well as a
tripod. It provides great HD video – which I like to watch again and again. I
would love to be able to mount this on the kite and see that aerial footage.
My other couple of essentials are my ground stake and hammer
(you need the hammer to get the stake into the ground!) and my Masters Mocha
One – and of course the other items of morning tea! That all live in my little blue
cool bag! Of course I have a few different spanners and a spare strop that
usually all live in my Peter Lynn buggy bag.
I had forgotten the GPSr which attaches to the down tube of
my PL with the Popeye the welder GPS holder. I use this to keep an eye on my
speed (max), distance and average and always have some spare batteries. Along
with this I often use the Endomondo sports tracker on my iphone to keep track
of my tracks!
Where to from here?
Faster?
A new buggy?
More Method’s?
Semi-professional? I joke about this with my kids; I am a
semi-professional kite buggier! - No sponsorship deal on the horizon – but I
would if I could!
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