Kite buggy
A kite buggy is usually a three-wheeled, rarely four-wheeled vehicle that is pulled by a four-line kite (power kite), usually without a rod, and steered with the feet over the front axle. The wide rear axle ensures stability when cornering.
history
The first attempts at kitesailing were made in 1826, but the modern kite buggy was invented in New Zealand in the late 1980s by the kite maker Peter Lynn . From the beginning of the 1990s, the kite buggy became known in Germany, whereupon many kite enthusiasts built their own buggies, which, however, looked relatively bizarre and were very unsafe. The sport became popular in the late 1990s and has been practiced by many kite enthusiasts around the world ever since.
Kite buggy riding
The Kitebuggyfahren is a subspecies of Kitesailings and is regarded as a special form of the beach sailing (FISLY class 8). There are essentially two different types of kite buggy riding:
- When driving a racing buggy, the focus is on high speeds and long distances. Racing buggies are usually heavier and larger in order to ensure a smoother run at higher speeds.
- When driving a freestyle buggy, the maneuverability of the buggy is important. Here some spectacular artistic tricks and jumps are made with the buggy, reaching a high speed is secondary here. In continental Europe, freestyle buggy riding is less popular. Buggies for freestyle riding are usually smaller and light sports equipment.
Locations
Important "spots" for buggy driving in Germany include the beaches of Norderney , Borkum and Sankt Peter-Ording as well as on the Danish islands of Rømø and Fanø . There are also other sailing areas along the Dutch, Belgian and French coasts. Inland there are individual "spots" in so-called "kite parks" as well as on large meadows, fields or former airfields such as Tempelhofer Freiheit . Buggy driving is not strictly forbidden at glider airfields, but according to the latest regulations, not even a kite may be allowed to fly within a 1.5 km radius. So it is also impossible to do buggy kiting. Kite buggy riding is also prohibited in nature reserves.
literature
- Jeremy Boyce: The Ultimate Book of Power Kiting and Kiteboarding. Lyons Press, 2004, ISBN 978-159-2285-679
