BUGGY NEWS 1.3 JULY 1993
Finally!! Here's the net version of Buggy News 1.3.. We had a bit of a
problem getting the document translated from mac, but all seems to be
working pretty well now..
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BUGGY NEWS 1.3 JULY 1993
Welcome to the third issue of Buggy News, the official
publication of the Buggy Pilots of America.
The response has been great. Many people are interested in
buggy information and sailing tips. Buggy sailing really seems to
be gaining momentum and WE are the spark that is setting it off.
From beginner to advanced buggiers, something for everyone.
Without further ado... Let's jump into the best and the rest of
Buggy News Worldwide.
BUGGY PILOTS of AMERICA:
The inevitability of it is upon us. An overwhelming need for
more information and contacts in this weird World of Buggy. The
"club" is still as informal as we can keep it, a way to identify
ourselves as a group.
No dues until I have to make cards or pins or something. A
clearinghouse for Standard Buggy Racing Rules, proffiency standards
and insurance considerations.
I started doing BUGGY NEWS because the excitement and pleasure
of Buggying was filling me up to bursting and this gets some of the
excess out. It all grows from there.
Buggy In Bunches!
"BUGGY BOOGIE THANG"
The biggest event for many will be "The Buggy Boogie Thang"
next January 17-20, at Ivanpah Dry Lake, 40 miles outside Las Vegas
on I-15. The KTA Trade Show (Jan 12-16, 1994 - in Las Vegas) will
bring many international buggiers, so we will take advantage of
that to have our little Thang on the 4 days immediately after.
While some will inevitably match themselves against others
during the Buggy Boogie Thang, racing is not the point. This event
provides buggiers an opportunity to improve their skills while at
the same time creating the bonds of a "buggy community."
Remember that kite flyers have no special deal with the gods
of rain. Worst case is we sit in the bar at the casino and tell
lies about what we could have done.
Peter Himself gave all assurances of his presence when I saw
him (and shared a room) in Monteal at the Worldwide Kite
Rendez-vous in June.
As the lake straddles the state line, two casino/hotels are at
the top of the lake. We are at the Prima Donna. Toll-Free
reservation # 1-800-367-7383 Winter non-weekend rate $18 / nite.
My confirmation # 216-508 - for near rooms.
RACING AT WILDWOOD:
The Memorial Day Weekend saw the East Coast Championships at
Wildwood New Jersey host the first ever public demonstration of
Buggy Racing in the U. S.
Three rounds of competition resulted in some close racing and
thrilling moments. The field included Dean Jordan, Vince Bobrosky,
Fritz Gramkowski, Calvin Martin, Lee & Sue, Billy Bob, Mike
Simmons, Pete DiGiacomo, Blair Gray along with David Klein, Sue
Edison, Freeman Register, Dodd Gross & Dave & Shari Arnold.
A good time was had by all!
WORK FOR THE POWER:
Sailing a buggy is best learned where you have to work for the
power instead of the brake. Two or three times with my Q-25 in
12-15 mph wind (I'm 230 lbs) on a hard-pack parking lot at Laguna
Seca Raceway allowed me to get the hang of going across the wind.
From there it's just a matter of seat time and paying
attention to kite position. Learn how far ahead of the buggy you
need to think to go where you want. Work the kite up and down as
it points to the side/edge of the wind.
Kite overhead makes the least power. Good for gliding in
stronger winds. Dip a little for speed then back overhead.
Fly the kite closer to the ground for more go! Be careful
about letting the kite loop behind you. Looping a foil-type kite
on short lines can give you a special kind of "jerk."
Don't start with too big a kite for the winds.
BUGGY & KITE:
Many beginners forget to point the buggy 40û-50û off the wind
before doing the kite thing. Get the buggy set for a clean
get-away. Launch the kite, then sit down.
Pointing the front wheel downwind momentarily helps get you
started, then swing the wheel away and position the kite off to the
side with both buggy and kite going in the same direction.
POWER vs SPEED:
The side-loads on the buggy both propel you forward and drag
you side-ways. The trick to sailing the buggy is to balance those
two forces and go where you want with speed and control.
Too much sail can mean you spend your time up higher in the
sky to reduce the sideways drag. Sure you go fast, but only down
wind.
A smaller sail can be worked up and down to generate more
power. Easier on longer (75' - 100') lines.
POWER & CONTROL:
Lean back in the buggy and let the power transfer into the
buggy through your hips and legs/feet. Always leaning into the
kites power is great for two-wheeling and doing Front-Face
Dismounts. It puts a strain on your back. Be in shape for that
kind of use.
FRENCH BUGGY ACTION:
The First French Fast & Frantic Buggy Race ran on June 1 on
the long, wide (at low tide) beach between Fort Mahon, Quand Plage
and Marquenterre on the Channel Coast. (Check your atlas... It's
midway between Calais and Dieppe at the mouth of the Somme River.)
Ten racers with a variety of Zeph-1's, PL Buggies and G-Force
Buggies from England. Quads and Peels were the power.
The big bag flyers went like a shot downwind but fell out
(literally and figuratively) when they had to turn and sail back.
1st was a Swiss (Where does he practice?) 2nd was a Canadian
first-time Quad & Buggy pilot. 3rd was our friend Julian
Wolf-Patrick and 4th was a Brit for a truly International Event.
All the buggy pilots had a great time and learned a lot. The
thousand-odd audience really got to see some action and reportedly
will get to see more.
ZEPH-1 UPDATE:
The information last issue concerning the "ZEPH-1" Kite
Chariot suffered greatly by my inability to translate the french
brochure correctly. I am sorry for the misunderstanding and
appreciate the efforts of Mike Simmons to draw it to my attention
and Julian Wolfe-Patrick to give the correct facts.
While a solid-gold, diamond-encrusted chariot could be
fabricated for any serious buyer, the real retail price is 3480 FF
(US $600) for the ZEPH-1.
Exchange rates (7/18/93) post the franc at .1734 US. That
translates into 5.764 French Francs for US $ 1.
INSURANCE:
As to insurance for buggiers, I am exploring the choices
with the AKA and their insurance carrier. The optimum solution
would be a policy like the AKA's that covers Personnel Liability
whenever you buggy and a 1 M policy for racing events to cover the
federal requirements for use of public lands (the dry lake beds -
for instance) and the use of public parks etc.
Nothing is set-up yet, so don't go jumping to conclusions. It
might even require a separate fee and eventually the normalization
of a separate organization for buggiers. Oh Horrors! Organization
and Politics.
BOOGIE AT EL MIRAGE:
The UP SPORTS Competition at Manhattan Beach in LA over the
4th of July Weekend drew many flyers from around the country. By
coming out to California a couple of days early, Dean Jordan from
Florida and Dodd Gross from PA got a taste of the magic of El
Mirage Dry Lake. The hot, dry desert was perfect for some intense
buggying.
Scott Dyer and Patrick Hess came over from Las Vegas and I
drove down from Monterey. Chris Semerau and his fiancee Ann from
Carlsbad, CA even made it out to the lake for some buggy time.
Thursday, the temperature hit 112û in the shade (Thankfully it
was a dry heat). At 3 pm the winds came up steady and we buggied
til 10 pm.
Top speed recorded on Thursday was my 32 mph in 15 mph wind
with a Q-25. Everybody hit at least the mid-20's. On Friday, 30
mph winds and Q-25's propelled Pat to 40.5 mph and Dodd to a top
speed of 42 mph (measured). Dean says he was faster but lacked a
speedometer.
We scouted some "pucker bumps" along the shore that inspired
some moto-cross type action. Dean and I liked it especially.
Even caught some air on occasion. Scott snapped a rear-axle bolt
and took a little tumble. No harm, no foul, and as Dean had a
spare bolt, Scott was back to speed in no time.
It is quite nice to buggy in a group and "swarm" across the
lake bed. Because we were having so much fun, we failed to
photograph much of our doings.
There were LandSailers & Yachts also on the lake and they are
a nice bunch of folks. They remembered us from the Easter Regatta
at Ivanpah and were very interested in our "pucker bump" action.
Dean & Dodd got rides in the yachts. Scott bought one.
"B P of A" PINS:
The easiest way to make your affliction for buggy power known to
others is to get yourself a Buggy Pilot of America pin from Jon
Reinschreiber at Paint The Sky Kites in Portland Oregon (Ph:
503-222-5096 Fax: 503-222-5034)
EURO-BUGGY:
Upcoming schedule for European Buggy activities.
July 31 - Aug 1 Proposed Euro-Buggy Championships. Call
241-50-71-57 Fax 241-51-32-32 for more information.
August 14-15 Cuxhaven / Altenbruch in Germany. Buggies.
Call 04721-51434 for more information.
Regular events for Sand Yachts are held at De Panne in
Belgium, St. Peter-Ording and Cuxhaven in Germany, Romo and Fano in
Denmark, Berck in France and along the Cornwall Coast in England.
AUSSIE BUGGY:
Best locations for buggy stuff downunder:
South Australia - York Peninsula, Salt Lakes, Silver Sands
Beach.
Victoria - Lake Tyres Beach (90 miles long).
Queensland - The Gold Coast.
Western Australia - West Coast Beach
QUADS?
Quad-line foils are gaining many fans mostly for their power
and ease-of-use. Be careful not to start too big for your
situation. Add the power after you acquire the skill.
Dave Brittain, who is starting with a Q-50, says he gets
dumped from his buggy most every time. If you can survive that
level of strain... Well this is a free country. For others, a Q-25
or Q-30 is very nice and easier to control. Moderate winds are
preferred.
Quad-line foils are changed for different winds. Sometimes
it's nice to cruise. Large bags developmuch side-pull and can
inhibit up- and cross-wind runs. For less side-pull you fly
higher in the sky and therefore develop less motive force.
Four-line controls permit a greater range of controls but
increase drag. Shorter lines help minimize this.
Smaller bags can be flown lower for more power and even looped
for an extra burst while still being nimble and quick in turns.
60' - 75' line length is a good compromise of speed and power.
DOWN THE ROAD:
Eventually, you acquire a variety of bags for different
conditions. Borrowing and trading are becoming staples.
Anyone like to place a classified ad in BUGGY NEWS? Cheap
rates!
DESERT CHALLENGE:
Looking for Adventure? Perhaps a Buggy Trek Down-under
across a vast desert area. Distances like 2500 kilometers. Rumors
of support by the Aussie Army including logistics and follow
vehicles. Debate about whether to make it a race or a crossing.
2500 Km? That's 1500 miles! Something like 75 miles a day
for 20 days! And this is no sitting in the cockpit with your foot
on the gas and going until the motor breaks. Besides, there are no
indications that Australian winds are any different or more
reliable than those elsewhere.
What a great adventure. Perfect for ESPN or a documentary on
PBS. Perfect for that zany fringe element of buggiers with a lust
for trying the outrageous.
NAKED BUGGY:
Recent still and video footage has confirmed the subcultural
doings of a "small" cadre of naked buggiers. Reports confirm the
natural feeling of the open spaces and freedom experienced. While
at the same time your unprotected jewels hang suspended 4" above
the ground.
European sources confirm development is underway for a device
of interest to nude buggiers of the male persuasion. As not all
balls roll, an under-seat support has been proposed. No doubt it
would utilize a ball-bearing design.
Decency forbids any more in-depth descriptions. Enough to say
this activity seldom occurs in public (more than once) and is
confined to a thankfully small group of free spirits .
For the terminally deranged, membership can only be confirmed
with photographic evidence of a reliable nature.
Send it to me you demented fools and wonderful benefits will
be yours.
TV COVERAGE:
I hope everyone saw the fantastic coverage of George Baskette
and Dean Jordan on CNN in May. The first segment showed power
kiting with George's Nitro Fly System, kite-blading, and some great
buggy footage including a camera hanging from the kite shooting
down the line to the flyer and a buggy mounted camera to give an
axle-height view of the buggy in action. The other segment
featured Dean and his kite building workshop along with some indoor
and no-wind flying.
My favorite snippet was of Dean buggying across the beach in
Florida as cars drive by and you hear Dean say "It is my
understanding that sail powered craft have the right-of-way. But
I might be mistaken."
Be responsible when you Buggy! Our sport benefits. You
benefit. "They" leave us alone. Never assume that others are
responsible.
PETER DOES MONTREAL:
The Buggy Meister Himself put on a tour-de-force demonstration
of buggy magic before huge crowds at the International Festival of
Kites in Verdun/Montreal. Though the winds were spectacularly
unpredictable, Peter buggy'd round the 300'x 500' field with his
big Peel.
He introduced Himself to nearly everyone with a kite in the
air at one time or another. He demonstrated as much skill going
back-wards and spinning 180 deg and 360 deg as he did 2-wheeling on
my buggy. Truely a maestro on the craft.
We had one "almost a buggy" accident where the Peel caught a
gust and boosted the driver out of the buggy and rather than let
go, he tried to control the Peel but lost footing and gashed his
leg on a rock. Nothing too serious, and we all adopted a sympathy
limp for the rest of the weekend.
Peter demonstrated that buggies can share the space at kite
festivals. It helped that the field was fenced and the crowd
watched along the sidelines.
GOGGLES:
Those hot goggles on the cover of American Kite are available.
Catching some sand behind my sunglasses during some high speed
maneuvering down on the beach taught me the lesson.
They are adjustable and allow you to wear your sunglasses with the
goggles. They come with two lenses - Smoke and Clear.
You can get yours for only $20 - Delivered!
Orders shipped within California add $1.16 sales tax per item.
KITE BUGGY & THE AKA
AKA Power Kiting Sub-Committee Chair Dean Jordan is presenting
a report to the AKA Board.
The focus of this report is to provide a set of criteria to
allow buggy activity at AKA sanctioned events and allow the
organizers to understand the requirements to ensure safety of
participants and audience.
The AKA insurance policy covers personal liability - not
personal injury. It is the responsibility of the user to protect
him/her self from injury. The use of helmets, gloves and shoes
should be a requirement at any sanctioned event. Elbow and knee
pads (as used with in-line skates) would be an option. Refusal
would be sufficient to deny participation at sanctioned events to
that individual.
A demonstration of basic buggy control skills would include
the ability to round marks (at least 100' apart) upwind, crosswind,
downwind and stop/go on command. Refusal or inability to
demonstrate these skills would be sufficient to deny participation.
Field size would determine level of buggy activity. Small
fields (200' x 200') are sufficient for demos, while larger spaces
would allow racing.
Buggy lessons could be conducted away from other activities if
sufficient space is available. Upwind areas are safe for
spectators, but there should be open areas downwind for recovery
and over runs.
It should be noted that experienced buggy pilots can operate
within the normal flying areas at festivals without problems or
conflicts, although that would be inappropriate for racing.
A few builders are constructing their own buggy craft.
Pre-inspection would eliminate many whose engineering is inherently
unsafe. [ie: Front fork (steering wheel) that rotates more than
160 degrees, rider C of G above axle height, improper construction
or insufficient frame strength, etc.] Experienced buggy pilots
could be used to determine suitability in this regard.
The use of a harness that connects flyer to kite or buggy
without a positive quick-release or dead-man-release would be
prohibited at sanctioned events.
It is the desire to demonstrate safe use and responsible
activities by buggy pilots.
INTERNET:
Buggier-to-be Dan Rubesh, the Wind Wizard out of Ventura
California has put BUGGY NEWS on the INTERNET. This is a computer
net that uses phone lines to connect subscribers around the world.
Through the use of a modem, computer users may send and receive
bursts of information.
INTERNET is one of the oldest and largest. They have a
category under sports called . I send Dan a copy of
BUGGY NEWS on a Macintosh diskette and he translates it into DOS on
his computer and sends it onto the net. Graphics don't go
along... So you who read it from the net, be assured the rest of us
are being entertained and amused by the outstanding artwork that
accompanies each treasured issue.
SCHEVENING 93:
From the Internet, Andrew Beattie files a
report from the beach at Schevening Holland at the Great Kite
Festival where he hung out with the group of Vlieger Op and Peter
Lynn.
I quote from his story: "The best fun was to be had buggy
racing. They joined two buggies together by removing the front
wheel from one and bolting it to a swivel on the rear axle of the
other. I had a particularly good time taking Kiri Lynn (Peter
Lynn's daughter) for a ride up the beach, only to come back down at
high speed and drive her fully clothed straight into the sea. This
looked spectacular enough to make it onto the evening TV news
(including the following sequence where she jumped out of the buggy
and started hitting me!)"
Andrew also reports the Quad flyers looked rather pathetic
compared to the Peel flyers, but they could have been
inexperienced. The Peel does appear to be the fastest and most
powerful if you have the space and wind. They had 20 mph steady at
Schevening but not a very wide beach.
Schevening is a premier seaside resort kite festival. Unique
in the world as all kinds of wonderful kites and flyers manage to
co-exist on the stretch of beach. The festival is timed for the
low tide in the afternoon.
SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Distributed throughout North America, Great Britain and the
Continent, also translated into French and German, Buggy News is
widely shared by fax and now on INTERNET.
I don't know how much longer I can continue doing this for
free. A few good people have already sent money along with their
subscription request to help defray the costs of putting this thin
rag out with some degree of regularity. These donations are
greatly appreciated.
I suppose the fairest way to do it is to respond to all
requests for BUGGY NEWS with the current issue and offer a one year
subscription (a minimum of 6 issues) for a donation of US$ 5 or
more.
Can you folks afford that ghastly sum for the gruel I feed you
through these meager efforts?
Well, do what you can.
BUGGY HEAVEN:
Do you have a favorite place to buggy where the wind blows
steady and you can run until you want to turn?
As we travel, the compact size of the PL Buggy makes taking it
along a serious option. If we had a central clearing house for
that information, any BP of A member could call me and find out if
a fellow buggier had provided the knowledge that just such an
option were available.
Please write it down, although it doesn't have to be a story.
The location with directions, accommodations, seasonal variations,
any special reasons why this particular place.
I will maintain a file for the use of buggiers. I have
written about the overwhelming space available at the Southern
California Dry Lake Beds. Anyone interested in making the trip is
welcome to call for the particulars.
BUGGY MUSIC:
Do you listen to your tunes whilst astride your mount? Has
there yet emerged a category of Great Buggy Music? Send a cassette
with your entry for Best Buggy Tape. Winners will be announced at
The Buggy Boogie Thang in January.
BUGGY LOCATIONS:
Reports from David Klein and Robbi Sugarman in NYC have
alerted me to Floyd Bennet Field being an outstanding open and
windy spot.
Floyd Bennet Field, the historic old airstrip in Brooklyn, is
barely used (not by aircraft) and David reports he was welcome
there and almost alone. Plenty of tarmac (1/2 mile x 500') and
plenty of room to hone your skills.
David says Robbi has been kicked off of nearly every beach on
Long Island he has buggied. Too much fun! Robbi denies everything
and accuses David of putting mayonnaise on hot dogs. Not good for
David - If true!
DESERT DOODLEBUGS:
Scott Dyer reports the formation of a buggy club in Las Vegas.
The Doodlebugs. Very Insectile. Scott and Pat Hess get out on
Ivanpah Dry Lake with some regularity and Scott just acquired a
Manta-Twin Land Sailer for even more fun! Both run STB's with
cyclocomputers mounted.
They report going out at night and sometimes with no moon.
The sensation of speed is greatly altered when you can't see the
ground rushing by.
Car lights don't penetrate far in such a space and buggy
lights would be too low. They would barely show you where you
were.
Not all is seeing. Sometimes it is good to be seen. Pat
mounted strobes on his buggy. White on the front fork and a red
one mounted below the rear axle. We could see him and miss him
too.
Scott reports that on some of the first times they buggied in
total darkness, there were special opportunities to buggy up on a
buddy without making a sound and scare the hell out of them. Right
Pat?
PALMETTO BUGS:
Gainesville Florida buggier Dean Jordan reports the local
buggy chapter has chosen a local giant roach (they taste a lot like
chicken) to represent their insective affection for the buggy.
Local buggy chapters are sprouting all over. The current
trend for "buggy" names makes my favorite The WindRiders seem a bit
sappy.
With the Spanish and Mexican heritage in California (Monterey
is the site of the oldest capitol in California - Mexican
Government not US) I guess Las Cucarachas is my next favorite.
We already have a theme song.
GO WHERE YOU LOOK:
I discovered a truism in sailing. You hit what you look at!
In the center of the field at Berkeley Marina is a pipe
sticking up out of the ground. I was eyeing it carefully so as to
avoid hitting it while crossing the field. Inevitably, each time
it nearly caught me and I had to swerve to miss.
Slowly it dawned on me... Look at the space right next to the
obstacle! No problem from then on and I didn't have to swerve to
miss it.
Pick your aiming points carefully and remember to point higher
into the wind and bear off as you near your goal.
WIND READER:
The ability to "see the wind" is easy to pick up on. The use
of a wind meter is crucial. Any meter that shows speed in 1 mph
increments will do. Those that fit into your pocket get used more
often. If you keep it in your pocket, be sure it is of the type
that may be sat upon without rendering it "hors de combat."
First, learn to notice all available wind indicators such as
trees, flags, water, etc. With this information make your best
guesstimate of wind speed. Then pull out the meter to confirm your
ability to see and judge accurately.
The trick is to avoid using the meter instead of your eyes.
See the wind and use the meter to calibrate your senses.
AKA CONVENTION
BOOGIE UPDATE:
Jon Reinschreiber in Portland reports back that Ft. Stevens
State Park on the mouth of the Columbia River at Astoria Oregon has
indeed abundant room to buggy at low tide. Late afternoon on
October 12. So go ahead and get there at dawn. I'll fly into
Portland that morning and have a nice drive out to the afternoon
Thang.
All that is intended is a chance to get together before the
rush of activities of the AKA Convention just down the road in
Seaside. The low tides will continue to move a bit earlier into
the afternoon, and opportunities will abound on the beach outside
our hotels, if the winds are good. See You There!
BUGGY SPEEDS:
There is a fascination in just how fast these buggys will go.
One of the amazing parts of it is how stable it feels to go real
fast. I've gone 40 mph on my bike downhill that rated a high
pucker factor but 40 mph on the buggy is an absolute thrill. I
smiled so big for hours afterward that I got cramps in my cheeks.
Paul Treleaven in Australia reports that Michael Quintel hit
81.5 km/h on grass at Pt. Ormond, Melbourne. Using my basic math
skills and the idea that 1 km/h equals .6 mph, I reckon that equals
48.9 mph or there'bouts.
Paul also reports Michael did a bit of airborne duty after
launching from a berm. Despite the transition from kite to glider,
buggy and pilot completed the excursion with no overt damage.
Michael was very quiet for a long time afterwards.
SPEED CLAIMS:
Future speed claims should include: Type of Buggy, Wind
Speed, Type/Size of Kite, Pilot Weight, Type of Surface, Ground
Speed, Crosswind or Downwind run (Can you run them in both
directions or are you racing a hurricane?) Send it all to me.
Speed alone is not enough of a measure. Most of us will never
get the chance to race each other. By keeping track of how
efficient we are, we can compare our abilities without meeting
face-to-face.
If I can hit 32 mph with a Q-25 in 15 mph crosswind on
hardpack we can compare. Keep track with a log and compare
abilities as they improve instead of just the speed.
WOLFF WAGON:
The Chicago areais being terrorized by a Passionate Purple
Buggy piloted by Eric Wolff and customized by him in response to an
inate sense of style and an attempt to garner one of the "Best"
Prizes at the Buggy Boogie Thang next January.
"HELMETS"
Recent remarks concerning the use of head gear while buggying
in front of cameras has caused some confusion. As a young lad in
southern Oregon, "helmet" was a slang term for condom. And I
always wear one of those while on the buggy. (In fact, I'm
wearing one now) Sorry for any misunderstanding.
WHEEL BUILDING: