The Blue balls is on again.

The 15th annual winter gathering of the buggies will again be held at Raglan.

July 4 and 5 2009.
Ocean Beach
Raglan NZ

Riria Kereopa Memorial drive. End car park. Find the kitesurfers and carry on for another 500mtrs.

This is a free ride weekend with nothing planned, no prize money and no registration fee. As well as this there are few facilities and if you did not know it was an event you may walk right past. Some years we have 5 riders ocaisionally we get 20 but that is not the point.

Please remember we are comitted to social responsibilty. Raglan Beach is a busy pedestrian beach. Due caution must be observed at all times.

The Raglan foreshore is fragile. There is a long term programme of stabilisation and reclamation. To assist in this progamme Terrain riding is strictly prohibited. Riders must stay on the flat or play in the mogul areas next to the water.

Accommodation info avaialble from This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . or www.raglan.org.nz/

well it would be rude not to. see you their.

We took a group to the Raglan freeride this year and booked out the group of cabins at the very western end of the camp ground. It has a great setup with its own court yard, kitchen and BBQ. I suggest the BBBB might want to base itself there?

Su and I should be keen - work depending.

Cheers

DK

Here's the tides

Date Time Tide Height (m)
2009/07/04 01:06 -0.84
2009/07/04 07:14 0.88
2009/07/04 13:29 -0.98
2009/07/04 19:47 0.97
2009/07/05 01:58 -0.90
2009/07/05 08:04 0.93
2009/07/05 14:16 -1.04


I might be able fang up for a one dayer. or maybe bring the whole famn damily.

just in time to try out the blurr 5.0
i guess the race flags could come along too

i refuse to race blurr pilots, even yakuza pilots are bad enuff...i cant handle the blatent abuse of sporting spirit and unfounded wrecklesnes that one can couduct himself with when flying that kite in the face of more difficult kites
it makes me wanna burst into tears.
just you wait till i get my new kite

I will race you using my old C-quads Northy and I will be a gentlemen about it! That's unless my shipment arrives in which case I may feel the need for a little recklessness.

Yay... I have another month to work on my kit! Should have a seatframe and some forks later this weekend. Means I can start work on a seat during the evenings.

even though its blasphemy to race boards and buggies together i'll race your arrrses whether you like it or not! hahaha.

Now to make it interesting you should find a stream or lay down some logs that you have to jump over between the flags. if your too soft to jump the A line then you have to take a slower upwind B line. now that would make for some interesting racing.

Or is it getting too extreme for you buggy types?

Well i like it!

I think i've just created a whole new segment of racing.... its like the motorcross of kiting... kitercross? i'm going to rush out and populate the interweb with my wacky idea!

haha... i LOVE that idea....thats heaps more intresting than an oval course...im definentley in for that, imagine the carnage, i would like to see things like high speed corners and (i cant believe im saying this) drift comps:woohoo: (i am not a boy racer!!! i own a delica van!) but dont know how it would work yet
we should nut out some ideas.....ooooh exited

eh plummet, now you know youv got to get a buggy...hahahahahah come to the dark side

i think your on to something their you know, and it would work even better for boards than buggies

and heres me thinking i was getting something more conservative, i had a massive hole in the dunes department for 12-15 knots. the blurr is fast i guess but its 3x easier to handle and is the most fun kite, including our much loved reactor 3.8 and ngen 3.5 eh Al ? its getting some nice ozone lines 20m i had been saving for a rainy day.

kite cross sounds cool plummet, im going to be camera man for that i dont have any kites that are happy flying, much like thier owner.

jimmy maybe you should lay your hands on a lifting machine? isn't that where half the fun is? its not that dangerious really ;].

Al. yep i'll be keen on slideathons, kitecross, ..... anything silly. is there any hills we can ride at raglan?

hehe maybe when i grow up or wind lotto i'll buy a buggy. .....

Ramps does anyone have any ramps? maybe a spade and a piece of plywood and make a kicker in the sand.

hmmmmmm... i vote spade and log....
my buggys up to 1.8m wide an its not the only one, to make a ramp even 2.0m wide that is gonna be one serius bit of ply..

my unofficial (how to have more fun at the bbbb) goes something like this.

1: plummet builds his kitecross track , has to be the all time best idea in the whole world ever.

2:some kind of drift course where you can only go round a flag as sideways as possible.not about speed, just buggy handling.
3:jump comp...longest distance A to B wins, plummet has to carry a rucksack full of sand
4: dragrace.drom dead stop to 100m on a stop watch or line race depending on beach race.
5: watch prrin win everything an go an have a beer.

ooh yeah like the drag race idea.... and the distance jump..... and the drifting,..... i like it all!

now for the drift have 2 pegs apart say 50m. you should be able to do a figure 8 slide around the pegs for one continious slide! downloop at each end and hold the slide in the middle.

maybe we need to lace perrins drink with a laxative. that might slow him down.... or speed him up!

more like an s shape to drift , first turn is a down wind double kite loop, then a switch around the further down wind mark to an opposite turn and a double unloop , but we could try both. i have some awesome flags perrin made for us, three of them and you lot must have a few too. who is bringing the bob cat ?

you dont need a bobcat when youv got a rexton...we had lazyboys with beerholders and footrests carved from the moose itsself.

i think we need a logical handicap system to make everything fair.

i cant actualy think of anything that might slow perrin down,other than a fake ufo going in the other direction
i think wayne should be made fly a kite at least 1sm above his comfort zone
gannet needs at least 50knots before the earth starts to move under his buggy so hopefully its only blowing 45..
rexton should only be allowed to enter his buggy after hes finished bending it back into its origonal shape..
plummets only allowed fixed bridals and has to ballast to compensate..
guster may not actualy have a buggy and therefor will have to scud the entire course on foot.
i think thats fair maby.

noooo not fixed bridles noooooooo!!!!!! tell you want i'll ride backwards and forwards! hehehe.

The only thing that'll slow Perrin down is a good set of APR's (anti perrin ruts) , these have proved them selves affective, go the APR's
as for the cross track I'm in, just have to straighten my buggy again me to heavy me thinks gona weld in some cross bracing today

Norternal, does you want me to bring the digger

A very good hangover and having to fly C-quads is about the only things that will handicap Perrin... a little.
Geminiboar: time we get you some good grade steampipe and make a Boar-proof frame!
Oh and stick Plummet in a buggy, Manta and all!

Me, I have another month and scored some more steel for front axles. Mosetruck seatframe was welded up yesterday. Killed a big TCT holesaw and waiting for another but lots to drill and grind in the meantime. Oh, tuned my plasma cutter. Love it, just love it!

i had some more mad ideas while mowing the lawns.

Tractor Pull!
Ideally pulling a skid of red bull girls but logs will work. i reacon Gemini with his 20m kite will be a contender for this one. tho gannet showed good towing capability at the last moose.

Dual slalom:
2 kiters race each other through a cones at the same time.

Le Monds start: To the kitercross that is
every starts 50 meters from there boards/buggies/kite and has to run to there gear strap in launch and off they go... damn funny.

Not sure what its called:
But they do it with horses and cars. basically you blast to a peg stab an apple in a bucket or what ever and blast back to the start.

Teams racing:
could be done with any events. ideally hook the slowest with the fastest to make for the most even teams.

Skudding:
longest skudd, skudd drag racing,

Triathlon:
Do a lap on a landboard, then jump on a buggy then a dirt surfer then, then.......

Hill climb, downhill, jumps... step up, step down drop offs..... the list is endless.

so will have to run the dragrace first to decide whose the fastest/slowest before we can team race....hmmm, bit of preasure, good stuff.

i think were going to need more flags,cones,toilet paper on sticks...iv got a couple of small flags, will set up the figour8 drift pitch.

just cause you can drag fast from A) to doesn't mean you can slalom through cones or jump rivers....

you can get flags with smilley faces from the $2 shop. but using the enviroment is always good. sticks and rocks etc.

ps does anyone have some carpet? rather than using ply on top of the kicker you could use old carpet. tho 3m wide of carpet is still alot of carpet. Silly wide buggies. i only need a 2" wide kicker.

what about the buggy drivers test UK ; 4 cone square and you have to do 360s x 5 in side the cones.

what about a drag race backwards

will have new toys on show at the BBBB

are you coming up plummet?

it will depend on a few factors if i turn up or not. wind being the biggest. if theres good wind in the right direction i'll do a day trip up. or i might bring the whole family.... i'm going to wellington the that week and sydney a week after so belting off on random kiting trips will insight rage factor 9.73. i'll take the rage if its looking like good conditions. marginal conditions wont be worth the weeks of cold shoulder!

well i got all keen to try the kitercross track and bought some flags from the $2 shop and charged to the beach to set up a course for a trial run.

i found a crossshore wind gusty as hell and small tide so not much room....

i was overpowered and had trouble just stopping before hitting the sea/soft sand let alone try and make a slalom course....

the a front came through with gusts hitting 33knots. needless to say 33knots is too much to have a 10m rag in the sky. so i pulled the safety and discovered i was still skudding down the beach with the kite on the back lines..... anyway.

the morrel of the story is don't try such an event in poo conditions it just wont work.
make the slalom easy and give at least 50-60m from a flag to a jump for time to tee up for the jump.

sounds like fun
maybe next time you could take some photos for us, with your free hand
rage factor 9.73 I know what that feels like too

maybe i need to set up eyeball cam. so you can see the whites of my eyes when such silly things happen.

needless to say i spent 45mins untangling my bridle

ok so whose going to bbbb? what are the good wind directions? i'm presuming sw to nw. anything Easterly will be crapola. i'll go but not in offshore poo.

"sw to nw. anything Easterly will be crapola"

yup ! that about it in a nut shell

If it goes easterly,you'll find me at port waikato

im goin, rexton hopes to....
wind went poo last year so me an roffey extrodited ourselfs to port waikato.
hoping to catch up with a few people this year tho as missed them last year so will probably stick around even if poo.

well lets hope for non poo sw to nw winds. tho i don't hold out much hope as its been pretty my s,se for the last couple of months.... grrrrr.

if its e anything i'll flag it. i can't be assed drive for that long to fly in poo.

when you next in auckland plummet? have to take you for a full imersion buggy jaunt into the dunes of moose.

not sure. no direct plans to head to auck in the near future.

I'm there. Wife is just eyeing out accomodation so it's easier with the little one.

However with all the new kit wind is definitely optional. It may come down to drinking beer and talking rubbish at one of the locals.

My hands are raw. I finished the rear damper to discover the elastomers are too soft and where I got 30degrees preload I had 60degrees and bottomed out. I could fill the thing with casting rubber but I would need more time and really want a springboard axle. Once the rear frame is done I'll give the whole frame a clean. Stirrups and rail covers are sewn and starting on the seat now. Also trying to finish 5 pairs of kite handles with 5 linesets and casting some spare elastomers for people to test.

Anyone know where I can get the cheap acrylic powder paint like they use in pre-schools? The pot of grey pigment I got form the urethane supplier caused curing problems and the epoxy tints that work well so far end up to expensive. Sure I can get the full rainbow for the same cost and no curing problems either. Otherwise the new molds work a treat so far... just a bit of work to clean the sticky remnants from the bad pigment so I can cast Jimmy22 some bright blue ones.

so..... whose got the streamers? i feel like doing some dog fight action.

5 days to go ..... rain hail or snow ?!?!

im hoping for one good day at least, we deserve one


who knows what the tides are doing ?

tides I think was about 1.30 pm low sat I'll check thou.

streamers , next it will be glue and glass on the kite lines for some kite running

and I'm not calling the weather yet

but the wind looks good

Well guy's, looks like I aint gona make the BBBB, the missis is workin and havn't managed to train me five month old well enough to look after himself yet so it'l have to be next year for me.

maybe if I ask nice, she might garentee me the next Moose

hey boar. what about a day trip and dump the boy with some grandparents for the day?

well the forecast isn't looking any better. bummer.

www.windguru.com/int/index.php?sc=25736

i'll flag it.

with the slight possibilty of hauling up sunday if the forecast looks better.

downer. i was looking foward to whipping some buggy ass

I'm doing the same.
may do sunday but don't think the wind will play ball this weekend
more photos tomorrow of new toy....finished, well, almost finished

Ah well, got accommodation and a trailer sorted. Might as well take an easy drive down with the family.

One new toy is ready!

Just hit a snag on the LL fork forcing me to do a little last minute welding a few minutes ago (someone forgot he designed his clearances for the Duro on the red rims! ) Had to get rid of some bolt heads.

Padding and seat just went on and the batteries on the camera are charging. Last minute elastomer casting to give Craig some samples.

I'm knackered and going to bed.

awww plummet,gannet, who next!... jimmy
no plummet bashing, no gannets to save me as i head out to sea upside down..
it just not gonna be right.

cant wait to go for a blaat with you guster, perrin and myself are goin down tonight, when are you arriving and where ya staying?

hope you guys make it sunday.

I'll save you Northy. Me and my Moosetruck to the rescue! I need a twirly light or something?

Will try and leave Auckland tomorrow morning but it depends on sprog and family readiness... you know how that goes. Staying an a cabin at the holiday park.

It figures... on a whim I buy a little 1.8m and now we have tornado warnings! Might just wear a baggy jacket.

PS. Couriers delayed delivery of my new foils on time but Santa's little helper may just bring them to me on Sunday if the weather is any good.

Weather update!!

Sunday N shifting to W rising to 15knots at 3pm.... some showers.....

Based on that forecast i'll do turn up sunday.

Is there cell ph coverage at raglan? i'd like to ring and make sure you guys are still around before i haul 3 hours up the road. I don't want to get there to find yourve gone home early.

I'd aim to get there around 1 sunday leave around 4 to 5. ....,...,.,.,.,.,.,..

Whooot.

ps a crispy package turned up this morning. double whoot.

Packet of crisps... all you need now is some lager and a few streamers and we have ourselves a party!

There's cell phone coverage even down to the beach.

Looks like this BBBB will see more C-quad action!

primo gathering gents.

I flew both kites did some speed runs got a new pb did some jumps and all in all had an excellent time!

Role on the moose.

woohoo.
awesome BBBB again, great weather ,awesome beach and great fun
and when I said, that I'll take a photo every one showed me there best side

That photo was taken while everyones' looking for Perrins' nuts.

Who knew after all that gloom a few hours earlier!

By 11am the sun was out and within a few minutes of launching the 3.2m C-quad I was so lit I was lifting the back of the Moosetruck. Few minutes later again I was putting down the 2.2m C-quad once I got dragged up the dunes at the top of the beach. So much wind my little 1.8mBeamer filled with sand while waiting on the race start but I was glad for that little impulse buy.

Moosetruck seemed to do well on it's maiden voyage needing only a little tuning. Springboard axle worked a treat and apparently strong enough according to everyone bouncing on it. May have to incorporate it into the bigfoot too.


Thanks to the Raglan crew, PL for the loot and all who turned up showing that buggying is alive and well again. Even Plummet turned up!

yeah what happened guster? man o many kites didn't have a kite suitable for the situation?
you need to sell some of those panshes, c quads etc and buy a 4-6m depower hehehe.


did anyone actually measure the wind speed? i'd love to know what it was when at the windiest and what in camed down too. my geuss was 25 to 30+ in the gusts dropping to 18-22 by sun down.

Ps its hard to move today my whole mod section is hammered.