Places to Ride:
You can buggy pretty much anywhere there is enough room and enough wind. There are several types of buggies
on the market now days to handle just about any type of terrain imaginable. Big foot buggies (named so by their huge balloon
type tires) are excellent for sandy areas, soft beaches and even some water covered areas. Full race buggies are built for
large flat open areas like abandoned airport runways, asphalt, hard packed beaches, or our favorite...dry lake beds. Competition
buggies are the perfect ticket for inland parks, soccer fields, and other off road areas. All of these areas are just waiting
for someone to buggy on them.
Most of these areas are public areas. This means that the general public has just as much
right to use these areas as you do. Please be respectful of everyone who is around you including small children, sun bathers,
picnics, birthday parties, baseball games, soccer games, etc... Bans have been implemented in several areas against power kite
flying because of injuries and lack of respect for others. Because power kite flying is a lot newer sport than soccer or
baseball, it is easier for it to be banned in favor of the other. If you are lucky enough to have the perfect riding spot,
then be sure to keep it by being courteous and polite to everyone who shares your spot with you, even if that means not flying one
day in favor of being able to fly many days to come.
What makes an area a great place to ride?
A large, flat, open area that has constant and smooth wind is ideal. To find an area like this you
usually have to travel outside of most cities as houses, apartment buildings, office buildings, tall trees, fences, and large hills
will cause turbulence in your wind making it difficult to fly. As long as there isn't a soccer game in progress, soccer parks
make a great place to fly because they are usually quite open. Overhead items are always a problem. Power lines, trees,
and tall fences should always be avoided. Here in Nevada, we are lucky enough to have several dry lake beds to ride on that
are only 20-40 minutes away. Beaches are also a great place to ride as long as there isn't too many people and you have enough
room. The wind coming off of the lake or ocean has many miles to travel and is usually very constant without too many gusts.
Your area doesn't have to be flat to enjoy. Hills, dunes, trails, slopes...these are all very fun to navigate over and through
and can be some of the most exciting riding around.
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Are there any places by me that I can ride at?
Check with your local kite shop or kite group, ask them where the best place to ride is. Most of the
time they will have bountiful amounts of knowledge about many locations in your area. They will also be able to give you some
inside information about different areas that you may not realize until you launch and go. Information such as bans or
restrictions, hazards, wind conditions, best time to go, things to watch out for when you get there including dips, debris that can
damage your buggy or kite or other hazards. They may also be able to give you names and contacts for others in your area who
will be willing to go out with you to ride. Many kite clubs have regularly scheduled meeting times where everyone gets together
and rides. Check some of the online kite forums for riders in your area.
There are a couple of forums listed in our
links pages that have lists of local riding spots and even directories of riders from all over the world. When you do find that
perfect place to ride, be safe, wear proper protection, and respect others and you will be able to have the perfect buggy location for
many years of enjoyment.
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