Sunday...

Looks like the wind should be ok to take the Manta out for a run late morning...

Video - Speed Week 2013

Another one from Clive from the Extreme Kites crew...

SPEED WEEK 2013 from Clive Tebbet on Vimeo.

"Speed week, the annual kitesports gathering at Sandy Point in Victoria Australia , attended by buggys, landboarders, surfers anyone who uses a kite to get around.this year I took a tandem buggy and both my wife and myself had a crack at entering the record books. we made it to currently the worlds 9th Fastest, at 56.2 KM/hr."

While I sit and wait for the new kite to arrive!

Video - Ozone Access, Frenzy and Summit

A really nice HD video, starring my new kite of course!

Ozone Access, Frenzy & Summit De-power Foil Kites from FLY OZONE on Vimeo.

Hopefully in a couple of weeks I will get some video action in the buggy!

Access all areas...

I have sold my Ozone Flow and my Ozone Method...

and just ordered myself a 6m 2013 Ozone Access...

I hope it arrives in time for the weekend!

Wind direction-o-meter - part 2

Well, it works! I tried it out yesterday...

When your moving it does get affected by the apparent wind, but when slowed down, stopped or turning it's great! Really helpful.

So it's going to be staying, despite the fact it pokes my wife in the chest everytime she walks past it in the garage ;-)

Pants!

... or trousers! Well I have been in shorts since the begining of August, but deceided for the sake of protection I would wear long pants today. I am still waiting for my new pads to arrive.

...and it was pretty warm when I left the lake, the car thermometer was showing 30 degrees at 10am.

An Idiots guide to kite buggying...

... written by an idiot!

What is kite buggying?

Getting pulled around by a large kite while sitting in a glorified shopping trolley/golf cart/wheel barrow thing.

Warning - this is not a kite buggy!

What you need:

Space - no not the final frontier but somewhere with lots of room, not a big house – room not rooms.

Wind – farts do not count, neither do burps. Too little is annoying, too much can kill you – choose wisely.

A kite – something big, it doesn't need a tail and if you bought it at k-mart or nicked it off your kids and it has a picture of Dora the Explorer on it, it probably won’t do the job.

A buggy – three wheels and you sit in it, not the same as those pushed around k-mart by trendy mums, but would probably be worth a go and would get you a lot of hits on YouTube!

Some protection – not condoms, but at least something to protect your head, baseball cap or beanie? A helmet would be better.

How to kite buggy 

Part 1 -start by learning to fly the kite

1. Unpack kite.

2. Chase after kite as it blows away.

3. Put something heavy (not child) on kite to stop it blowing away.

4. Attach lines and handles.

5. Take heavy thing off kite.

6. Chase kite lines and handles.

7. Spend next two hours untangling kite and lines.

8. Go home as it’s now dark and wind has dropped.

9. Buy steak from internet.

10. Realise you have bought steak from the internet, have a BBQ and re-order a kite stake.

11. Stake handles, unpack kite.

12. Grab handles, launch kite. End up face planting eating grass/sand/dirt.

13. Chase kite, spend next two hours untangling kite and lines.

14. Go home - order kite killers from the internet.

15. Stake handles, unpack kite

16. Attach kite killers to handles.

17. Attach kite killers to wrists.

18. Launch kite. Face plant and this time get dragged eating grass/sand/dirt.

19. Remember - Let go of handles!

20. Kite drifts gently to the ground.

21. Go home - order smaller kite from the internet.

22. Stake handles, unpack kite.

23. Grab handles, launch kite.

24. Stay on feet and get dragged 10 meters downwind.

25. Now we’re talking!

26. Start to move kite around.

27. Getting dragged around for 10-15 minutes.

28. Big grin on face.

29. Slip over in some dog-shit.

30. Pack away, go home and throw clothes in bin before entering the house and long shower.

31. Next day can’t move shoulders, arms or hands.

Part 2 -

Now you have become the master of your kite time to try it out in the buggy…

32. Launch kite.

33. Get dragged 10m down-wind and smack legs into buggy. Fall over buggy. Face Plant eat grass/sand/dirt.

34. Let go of kite - Kite drifts gently to the ground.

35. Go to other side of buggy.

36. Launch kite and get dragged 10 meters down wind.

37. Walk back to buggy.

38. Attempt to sit in buggy, kite drops down and get dragged 10 meters down wind.

39. Walk back to buggy.

40. Attempt to sit in buggy, kite drops down and get dragged 10 meters down wind.

41. Walk bag to buggy.

42. With one eye on the kite, one eye on the buggy, you step over the down tube, lower yourself into the seat; tentatively lift your feet onto the foot rests…

43. Drop the kite into the power zone…

44. The buggy roles forwards…

45. 5cm…

46. 10cm…

47. 50cm…

48. Here we go - we are buggying…

49. The wind drops, the kite slowly drifts to the ground.

50. You spend the next two hours shouting and screaming at the kite and the wind, then go home sobbing. Start looking for 10m kites on the internet!

Part 3 –

Now you are moving you need to learn how to turn…

51. Downwind turn 1st attempt – kite drifts to the ground, you run over lines, which get tangled in front wheel.

52. Downwind turn 2nd attempt – kite over-powers you OBE.

53. Downwind turn 3rd attempt – kite slams into ground, you apply breaks, kite reverse launches fully powered, you OBE.

54. Downwind turn 4th attempt – kite starts to bow tie, you recover it, it overpowers, you OBE.

55. Downwind turn 5th attempt – nail it!

56. Now you’re going back the way you came from.

57. The speed is increasing.

58. Woohoo! This is awesome…

59. It’s getting faster…

60. Shit! How do I stop this thing…

Part 4 –

Kite buggies don’t have brakes!

61. Let go of the handles!

62. The kite drifts to the ground, the buggy coasts to a stop...

63. The kite ends up stuck in a tree!

64. Use your feet? Hm! Broken ankles.

65. Put the kite behind you - OBE.

66. Run into something or someone! 

67. Learn to power-slide (excellent!).

Part 5 -

Now you are a kite buggier...

68. Join the forums and tell everybody what to do.

69. Get lots of videos and post them on Vimeo and YouTube.

70. Start a blog! ;-)

Disclaimer...

This humor does not reflect the thoughts or opinions of either myself, my company, my friends, or my cat; don't quote me on that; don't quote me on anything; you may distribute this posting and all its associated parts freely but you may not make a profit from it or include the posting in commercial publications; further redistributions of this document or its parts are allowed; any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, is unintentional and purely coincidental; hand wash only, tumble dry on low heat; do not bend, fold, mutilate, or spindle; your mileage may vary; no substitutions allowed; for a limited time only; this offer is void where prohibited, taxed, or otherwise restricted; humor is provided "as is" without any warranties expressed or implied; user assumes full liabilities; not liable for damages due to use or misuse; an equal opportunity joke employer; no shoes, no shirt, no jokes; quantities are limited while supplies last; if defects are discovered, do not attempt to fix them yourself, but return to an authorized joke service center; caveat emptor; read at your own risk; parental advisory - explicit lyrics; text may contain material some readers may find objectionable, parental guidance is advised; keep away from sunlight, pets, and small children; limit one-per-family please; no money down; no purchase necessary; you need not be present to win; some assembly required; batteries are not included; action figures sold separately; no preservatives added; safety goggles may be required during use; sealed for your protection, do not use if the safety seal is broken; call before you dig; for external use only; if a rash, redness, irritation, or swelling develops, discontinue use; use only with proper ventilation; avoid extreme temperatures and store in a cool dry place; keep away from open flames and avoid inhaling fumes; avoid contact with mucous membranes; do not puncture, incinerate, or store above 120 degrees Fahrenheit; do not place near flammable or magnetic source; smoking these jokes may be hazardous to your health; the best safeguard, second only to abstinence, is the use of a good laugh; text used in these jokes is made from 100% recycled electrons and magnetic particles; no animals were used to test the hilarity of these jokes; no salt, MSG, artificial color or flavor added; if ingested, do not induce vomiting, if symptoms persist, consult a humorologist; jokes are ribbed for your pleasure; slippery when wet; must be 18 to enter; possible penalties for early withdrawal; slightly higher west of the Rockies; allow four to six weeks for delivery; disclaimer does not cover hurricane, lightning, tornado, tsunami, volcanic eruption, earthquake, flood, and other Acts of God, misuse, neglect, unauthorized repair, damage from improper installation, typos, misspelled words, incorrect line voltage, missing or altered serial numbers, sonic boom vibrations, electromagnetic radiation from nuclear blasts, customer adjustments that are not covered in the joke list, and incidents owing to motor vehicle accidents, airplane crash, ship sinking, leaky roof, falling rocks, mud slides, forest fire, broken glass, flying projectiles, or dropping the item; other restrictions may apply. If something offends you, lighten up, get a life, and move on.

Video - Speed Week 2013

The Extreme Kites crew at Sandy Point, from John Holgate...

Speed Week 2013 from John Holgate on Vimeo.

For Sale - part 2

Ozone Method 4m...

$300 plus postage.

Comes with original back pack, lines and handle and is in great condition except for a bit of wear on the bottom of the handles. My reviews (with pictures)...
http://baldiviskitebuggy.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/review-ozone-method-4m.html
http://baldiviskitebuggy.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/ozone-method-4m-review-part-two.html

I'm also selling my Ozone flow 5m - Buy both and save on postage! Listed on Extreme kites and Racekites.

For Sale...

Ozone Flow 5m

I have decided to go totally de-power and have to sell my two most trusted kites to fund this...

Comes with original back pack, lines and handles. No Kite killers. This was my trusty work horse and the kite I taught myself to buggy with. It has two small repairs with the Ozone tape to the sail, otherwise is in good condition except general wear and tear. The handle also show some wear. My review with pictures...

http://baldiviskitebuggy.blogspot.co...e-flow-5m.html

Listed on Extreme kites and Racekites, I am also selling my 4m Ozone Method and will try to get some decent pictures.

Wind direction-o-meter (patent pending!)

Occasionally I struggle with wind direction and telling exactly which direction it's coming from! I have thought about taking a flag or wind sock down to the salt lake - but that is just something else to carry and if the wind is the wrong direction it's a kilometer walk.

The forecast helps and there are some bushes and trees, around the edge that move in the wind, but I wanted some thing that would help as the wind moved around while I was down there. It needed to be light weight, cheap, portable and cheap!

So meet the wind direction-o-meter (patent not pending!)...

To the untrained eye it may look like a cable tie with a piece of pink wool attached but this is a high tech piece of equipment!

I'm sure I have seen some videos/pictures with buggys with something similar attached.

Decision...

Yesterday was a bit of a disappointment - there was loads of wind, in fact there was too much for my present quiver of kites.

But it did help me make a decision about where I want to go with my kites...

I have listed my Ozone Method 4m and Ozone Flow 5m for sale on Extreme Kites and on racekites and I am going to go totally de-power and am hoping to get a 2013 6m Ozone Access as this will sit nicely below the 10m Manta.

I was dreaming of a flysurfer speed 3 12m, but $2000+ was a bit out my league and i'm not sure I would have wanted to fly a 12m kite in yesterdays conditions, despite a huge de-power range!

So if you are interested in either of my kites drop me a line!

Too windy...

I have been down at the salt lake since about 6am. I did have an hour in the buggy and then the wind became too much... 

So I'm sat here watching Alfa75 have a blast with his 4m Ozone Access.

Extreme sport...

Is kite buggying an extreme sport?

Well, it will be tomorrow as I plan to be on the lake at 6am and that's pretty extreme!

15,000

I have just realized that my blog has had over 15,000 hits, some time earlier this week - wow!

I also have 76 people following me through Google+ https://plus.google.com/+MarkCrook...

and my average hits per day has jumped from 18 to 58! 

It's never going to be the same sort of kite buggying resource as Popeye the Welder but I hope you continue to find it entertaining and sometimes informative!

Thank-you for checking in.