![]() ![]() Kite buggies became commercially available in the US and UK in the late 1970’s. It is thought to have been invented in China around the 13th century and was introduced into the western world by George Pocock, an inventor in the UK in 1827. Kite buggying has an interesting history. Thanks to ventoactivo for posting this video. The driver sits in the seat in the middle of the vehicle and accelerates and slows down by applying steering manoeuvres in coordination with flying the kite. The buggy is single-seated and has one steerable front wheel and two fixed rear wheels. This sport combines the force of the wind using a large power kite and a 3-wheeled buggy with no brakes but a whole lot of speed! Sound like fun? One sport we haven’t given much coverage to, as yet, is parakarting – or kite buggying, said to be one of the most popular forms of power kiting. Kite surfing, THE top extreme sport of the moment, has been written about regularly on our blog, as have many of the other uses you can put your kite to such as kite board and kite ski-ing on snow or sand, kite with all-terrain roller blades or mountain board, and kiting with a hydro-foil board. The reputation of the Berck’s five hours of kite buggying is one of extreme endurance and incredible spectacle. Only the hardiest and most skillful riders attempt this contest. If you’re into extreme sports, then this is the place for you – a high-class, high thrills Kite Buggying Race. A challenge to your senses, your reflexes, your muscles and your pilotage.Īnd if you want to test your skills against others you might consider entering the unusual contest at Berck sur Mer in Nord-Pas de Calais, France in May 2009. It’s a new sport that combines the best of everything… a combination of sand and wind, huge open spaces, fresh air and skill. Kids as young as 8 have tried their hand at this thrills and spills sport – and become hooked. Protection gear should also be worn, such as helmet, shades (keeps sand out of the eyes on beaches), good sturdy footwear and maybe knee and elbow pads.Ĭanadiantourism are great at keeping in touch with us especially when we have blogged on something that they have an interest in – and the extreme sport of kite buggying falls neatly into this catagory the beaches of Nova Scotia being particularly suitable… Most power kites should come with some sort of emergency release system to enable you to get rid of the kite if it starts to get too much. It is adviseable to check the situation if you havn’t been there before.Īs a P.S. These beaches have no restrictions imposed on them, although some do have verbal agreements. There are many others, but these ones are good. Some goods ones are Brighton Beach (Christchurch), Rabbit Island (Nelson), Ohope Beach (Ohope),Nagarunui Beach and Ruapuke Beach (Raglan), and Mokau Beach (between Te Kuiti and New Plymouth). Several beaches in New Zealand have the optimum wind direction and perfect conditions for buggying. ![]() Grass is harder work and tarmac is extreme and good for speed runs, but that’s about it – and you have to compete with bigger, more threatening things on the road! Soft sand is OK if you have wide wheels often called bigfoot wheels. Hard compact sand is probably the most popular surface for buggying. But… kite buggying’s safety record is very good and with with the right safety gear the average buggier should never receive a bad injury.īeaches are a great place to kite buggy. After all, you are sitting strapped into a large metal object, traveling at potentially high speeds – up to 60 km/h + can be achieved, holding on to a kite and at the mercy of the wind. There is an inherent danger involved with the sport, as with all sports. However, that doesn’t even begin to give you the sense of fun and thrill and anticipation and excitement that you can get from this extreme sport. Using the kite for power, you steer (with your feet) the buggy in a direction approximately at right-angles to the wind direction on a relatively hard surface – sand, grass or maybe even tarmac. You sit in a three-wheeler stainless steel ‘buggy’ using foot pegs on the single front wheel to steer. It is the sport of flying a large kite – a kite big enough to pull you a few metres when fully inflated. There are plenty of empty beaches, and the wind is nearly always good – aided and abetted by the fact that New Zealand is made up of two small islands in the middle of a vast ocean.ĭo I need to remind you what kite buggying is – exactly? ![]() New Zealand is a great place for all extreme sports hey, New Zealand probably invented most of the world’s extreme sports, so kite buggying fits in perfectly. I am sure it goes without saying, that of course New Zealand is the perfect place for kite buggying. ![]()
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