October 29, 2006
Eco-kiting
How do you get to your favourite kite buggying location. Car? Van? Maybe your lucky enough to live within walking distance of a suitable location.
With greenhouse gases building up in our atmosphere, warming our little planet maybe its time to think about alternatives. How about cycling there instead? Here's the proof that it can be done. One 3.0m Flexifoil Blade, one 5.5m Peter Lynn Pepper, one 8.0m Peter Lynn Rebble, one Peter Lynn competition kite buggy, tools, camera and snacks all loaded onto a special lengthened mountain bike ready for a trip to the Wakapuaka Sand Flats.
Posted by murrayneill at 09:21 AM | Comments (0)
May 20, 2006
China And Back ( Wiefang Kite Festival )
It is that time of year again I have just returned from Weifang Kite Festival in China I was there last year and had a ball.
This Year I went with Chris Brent who also had a ball it was good to have some company and some professional help on the kite field and some help to collect the medals, see pictures.
I met Yao again this year and had a buggy with him and his mates but no photos of the bugging this year but I do got a photo of him.
I also got to fly his new kite and it wasn’t half bad for a home made, no pictures of them ether sorry.
Of note however was the large increase in power kites on display and ones being flown at the festival, a significant increase on last years festival, also noticeable was the growing interest in power kite sports.
If you want to see some photos of the festival click on this LINK.
Posted by craighansen at 12:58 AM | Comments (0)
October 19, 2005
90-mile Beach Speed Run
Speeeeeed.
Take a wide, flat, hard, and most of all, long Northland beach. Add a bunch of excitable kite buggy pilots, and about 30 knots of onshore gales and its bound to happen.
These were the conditions when we arrived at 90-mile Beach earlier this month. It was our last chance to buggy before embarking on the long drive home before the next low tide. The skies were looking very changeable. Bright blue and sunshine one minutes, frigid rain the next. Fortunately the wind just kept on screaming, rain or shine, so we kept on bugging! Our stubbornness paid off too because after bugging through a few heavy rain showers (thank God for Goretex), the clouds broke apart and the sun came out to stay.
As I said the wind was strong! I flew one 1.2m2 delta kite. Perin was flying a 2 point something N-Gen. Craig did one leg with a Venom, and the return trip with a 2.5m2 Rebble foil. We all were cruising at 60-70kph! Craig hit 80kph with the little red Rebble!
Craig doing 70-80kph on his lowered bigfoot.
Perin flying an N-gen in his bigfoot buggy with a suspension back axle.
"Turbo-duning" - sitting the kite right on top of the sand dune to catch the pressure wave created as the wind pushes over it. It gives a nice turbo boost that makes it very difficult to overtake anyone upwind (see video).
We got back and packed up with just enough time to get off the beach before dark. It was a memorable run on one of New Zealands celebrated beaches. It took me days to wipe the grin off my face!
Finally, here's some video footage of a little battle Perin and I had as he tried to overtake me during the run. I'm in the five-wheel buggy, and Perin is in the Bigfoot. Of course I edited the video to make it look like I won the race, but in truth he left me behind soon after these shots...
Video (1.8mb)- 90mile_teaser.wmv
Posted by murrayneill at 09:27 PM | Comments (0)
September 22, 2005
Snow Kite
Snow kite Photos
Sorted out some more photos from the Monday SNOW DUMP, these r some pictures of SAM making the most of conditions with the help of a PHANTOM to scare up some action.
We got to the field as soon as we could but with the very warm winter and the early spring the ground temps were up so the snow was not going to last long it was disappearing in front of our eyes.
Sam arrived shortly after us with a hired snow board and was soon doing the snow board thing see the Gallery.
Posted by craighansen at 02:59 AM | Comments (1)
September 20, 2005
Snow Buggy
Well At last something to report, Southerly wind along with some SNOW, so off we went, locked the office phoned the lads, grabbed the camera loaded the kites fetched the latest in kite traction vehicles (SNOW BUGGY)from the factory and off to the flat snow covered secret location near the airfield, for some snow kite action. Some photos in the SNOW BUGGY Gallery.
The wind was typically southerly big and ugly! but what fun, especially when your feet wont stick to the ground or your bum or belly or any thing else for that matter, some good laughs with some un expected time both in the air and in the snow was had by all.
The weather report is forecasting more of the same for the next three days I sure hope so.
Craig Out
P.S. I hope it is all gone away for the MOOSE
Posted by craighansen at 12:23 AM | Comments (0)
August 05, 2005
New Evidence of Midwinter Madness
Hi Readers
This a quick post I have some more pictures from JB of the blue balls.
JB's Blue Balls Pictures.
Craig
Posted by craighansen at 07:13 PM | Comments (2)
July 18, 2005
Buggy in the rain
Well went for a buggy yesterday there was wind very gusty but wind none the less and it was raining, but I was desprate!!!!!
I was using my seatbelt harness as a test it is working well looks like I have the balence right what I need now is to test it with sustained runs as this is what it is for, endurance.
Bigfoot tyers on wet grass are super slip no grip units, no side load ability at all and power turns are not possable.
Ground handeling of Twin Skin Kites on grass paddocks on your own can be a challenge but with practice is quite possable.
Craig
Posted by craighansen at 11:35 AM | Comments (0)
June 29, 2005
China Buggy Report
China Kite Trip
I was recently in China for the 22 Weifang Kite Festival and a smaller festival in Quigdao (Tsingtao) they make real good beer hear.
The Buggy connection is two fold firstly it was a kite fest, and I get as much pleasure from flying single line kites, large and small as
I do from sucking free power from the sky and turning it in to speed or height as the mood takes me. And secondly I found a Chinese buggy Crew doing there thing on the kite field pulling power out of the sky the Chinese way.
Man what a rush to see them and ride there home made buggies and kites and lend them mine (just had to take a small Rebble) we had a blast Kite power is an international addiction and language.
I have included a link to a photo gallery of the trip below.
Posted by craighansen at 12:25 AM | Comments (0)
June 21, 2005
Blue Balls Buggy and Board Bash
Well we had the Blue Balls last weekend a good turnout 12 altogether.
The weather sadly did not turn out so good but a lot of Kite porn videos watched and a coupla mad motorcycle clips taken in, along with the playstation competition fun was had by all. (Thanks for the Big Screen Peter)
Day one
On day one woke to rain and a blustery offshore so bad it was that the beach was littered (ok there were two of them) with kite fishermen gleefully baiting hooks to hunt and kill poor innocent fish. It was suggested we drive south to find possible location a quick look at the map and off we went, we found small rock strewn beach with a gusty cross onshore that was buggy and boardable, Perrin Dave and Peter got amongst it in the rain for a bit of fun in the wet with Perrin doing some rock impact damage to his buggy in the wet conditions, Dave managed to get very wet and covered in sand and Peter got in 1 and a bit runs down the beach, Kent whose idea the trek south may have been could not be moved to board using the excuse it was wet and raining, the fact that he boards and that generally takes place in a wet water type environment similar to the rain was not sufficient argument to get him on to a board.
Day Two
It became evident that the choice of hostess in the friendly sea side camp ground venue was a little generous in the friendly part of the description but this was made up for by all the attention we received from the other natives of the west coast, that were more than pleased to see us (The sand flies They got away with about 2 itres of my blood while I was not looking), other than that once the Ramp was constructed we waited for wind with much watching and speculation of the visible but un reachable wind line, just off shore which spent most of its time teasing us, we did however get some wind. I was able to launch and fly the 8 mt Rebble and the 18 mt phantom and have a bit of a buggy but no boarding was possible.
there were other kites in the sky Paul from UK had his PKD up and flying we had David from France flying his Quadra foil, John ex CHCH fame with a 6.3 mt Cquad, Perrin From KiteWorks on his Monster Engen and The organiser Paul with a Peel
There was some tame jumping action when the wind allowed.
There was a spectacular wind shift towards the end of the day that left John and myself way down the beach eventually becalmed and in the rain with only the long wet and windless walk of shame in front of us, after this final frustration the lads called it a day and that was the Blue Balls.
Thanks to Paul Carfer for organising the event and we will see you all at THE MOOSEin October.
PS: MAD MEN WANTED Moose Special!!!! to take place after or before THE MOOSE with a trip planned to visit Bailey’s Beach, Tepaki Dunes, 90 Mile and more all in the week before or the week after (Tide Dependant) THE MOOSE (Head count to date 6 MAD MEN
on board)
Posted by craighansen at 11:40 PM | Comments (0)
March 16, 2005
Kitesports Challenge 2005
Above: The scene on the beach Sunday morning for the second day of the event.
Above: He's been doing it again. Craig jumping his big foot.
Above: PL was there and the fastest thing on the beach. He pipped Craig on the 9km time trails by a mere 20 seconds.
The weekend of the 12th and 13th of March saw the 2005 Kitesports Challenge on South New Brighton Beach, near Christchurch. Both Craig and I attended and had a blast. Kitesurfers, Landboarders and buggy pilots all shared the beach and mingled at a Saturday night BBQ.
I have posted a gallery of my photos here.
Posted by murrayneill at 02:12 PM | Comments (0)
December 13, 2004
Nelson Kite Club At Wakapuaka
Every month the Nelson Kite Club (of which I am a member) holds a couple of get-togethers. One is the Community Kite Day held at Neale Park, which is a public display to promote kite-flying. The other is the Club Day which we hold for our own satisfaction and enjoyment. Yesterday was the later. Usually we will meet at Rabbit Island Beach to take advantage of the Northerly sea breeze that is the norm during summer around here. Yesterday, however, it was blowing from the South-west (not good on a North facing beach) at 20-30 knots! In these conditions we move to the other side of town, to fly at the Wakapuaka Sand-flats, where a South-west wind is better suited.
The sand-flats is a very hard and fast surface and speed was the name of the game yesterday. I managed a few nice fast downwind runs reaching 65-70kph. I was flying my PL Excaliburs for most of the afternoon. These are large deltas which I fly in a stack (two of them yesterday). They are two-lined and I fly them with just padded wrist straps and no back-strap or harness. Its been a while since they have been out of the kite bag and I'd forgotten how much fun they can be. Although, they are hard work. I had to stop every half-hour or so to rest my arms. The great thing about the delta shape is their speed. Apart from the Flexifoil Power-kites (like the stacker 6) which hold the world record as the fastest kite design, I don't know of any kite shape that's faster through the air. They will go just as fast as the wind, and pilot, will allow. I had great fun working up-wind, then screaming back down wind, and power-sliding to stop when I reached the end of the sand-flats all to soon. Marty (pictured),another NKC member bent a wheel bolt doing the same thing. You can't be sure your trying hard enough until you bend or break something, so well done Marty!
More photos of the day on are in the Gallery on the NKC site.
Posted by murrayneill at 01:47 PM | Comments (0)