Buggy Newz 1.3

Welcome to the third issue of Buggy News, the official publication of the Buggy Pilots of America.

The response has been great. Many people are interested in buggy information and sailing tips. Buggy sailing really seems to be gaining momentum and WE are the spark that is setting it off.

From beginner to advanced buggiers, something for everyone. Without further ado... Let's jump into the best and the rest of Buggy News Worldwide.

BUGGY PILOTS of AMERICA:
The inevitability of it is upon us. An overwhelming need for more information and contacts in this weird World of Buggy. The "club" is still as informal as we can keep it, a way to identify ourselves as a group.

No dues until I have to make cards or pins or something. A clearinghouse for Standard Buggy Racing Rules, proffiency standards and insurance considerations.

I started doing BUGGY NEWS because the excitement and pleasure of Buggying was filling me up to bursting and this gets some of the excess out. It all grows from there.

Buggy In Bunches!

"BUGGY BOOGIE THANG"
The biggest event for many will be "The Buggy Boogie Thang" next January 17-20, at Ivanpah Dry Lake, 40 miles outside Las Vegas on I-15. The KTA Trade Show (Jan 12-16, 1994 - in Las Vegas) will bring many international buggiers, so we will take advantage of that to have our little Thang on the 4 days immediately after.

While some will inevitably match themselves against others during the Buggy Boogie Thang, racing is not the point. This event provides buggiers an opportunity to improve their skills while at the same time creating the bonds of a "buggy community."

Remember that kite flyers have no special deal with the gods of rain. Worst case is we sit in the bar at the casino and tell lies about what we could have done.

Peter Himself gave all assurances of his presence when I saw him (and shared a room) in Monteal at the Worldwide Kite Rendez-vous in June.

As the lake straddles the state line, two casino/hotels are at the top of the lake. We are at the Prima Donna. Toll-Free reservation # 1-800-367-7383 Winter non-weekend rate $18 / nite. My confirmation # 216-508 - for near rooms.

RACING AT WILDWOOD:
The Memorial Day Weekend saw the East Coast Championships at Wildwood New Jersey host the first ever public demonstration of Buggy Racing in the U. S.

Three rounds of competition resulted in some close racing and thrilling moments. The field included Dean Jordan, Vince Bobrosky, Fritz Gramkowski, Calvin Martin, Lee & Sue, Billy Bob, Mike Simmons, Pete DiGiacomo, Blair Gray along with David Klein, Sue Edison, Freeman Register, Dodd Gross & Dave & Shari Arnold.

A good time was had by all!

WORK FOR THE POWER:
Sailing a buggy is best learned where you have to work for the power instead of the brake. Two or three times with my Q-25 in 12-15 mph wind (I'm 230 lbs) on a hard-pack parking lot at Laguna Seca Raceway allowed me to get the hang of going across the wind.

From there it's just a matter of seat time and paying attention to kite position. Learn how far ahead of the buggy you need to think to go where you want. Work the kite up and down as it points to the side/edge of the wind.

Kite overhead makes the least power. Good for gliding in stronger winds. Dip a little for speed then back overhead.

Fly the kite closer to the ground for more go! Be careful about letting the kite loop behind you. Looping a foil-type kite on short lines can give you a special kind of "jerk."

Don't start with too big a kite for the winds.

BUGGY & KITE:
Many beginners forget to point the buggy 40û-50û off the wind before doing the kite thing. Get the buggy set for a clean get-away. Launch the kite, then sit down.

Pointing the front wheel downwind momentarily helps get you started, then swing the wheel away and position the kite off to the side with both buggy and kite going in the same direction.

POWER vs SPEED:
The side-loads on the buggy both propel you forward and drag you side-ways. The trick to sailing the buggy is to balance those two forces and go where you want with speed and control.

Too much sail can mean you spend your time up higher in the sky to reduce the sideways drag. Sure you go fast, but only down wind.

A smaller sail can be worked up and down to generate more power. Easier on longer (75' - 100') lines.

POWER & CONTROL:
Lean back in the buggy and let the power transfer into the buggy through your hips and legs/feet. Always leaning into the kites power is great for two-wheeling and doing Front-Face Dismounts. It puts a strain on your back. Be in shape for that kind of use.

FRENCH BUGGY ACTION:
The First French Fast & Frantic Buggy Race ran on June 1 on the long, wide (at low tide) beach between Fort Mahon, Quand Plage and Marquenterre on the Channel Coast. (Check your atlas... It's midway between Calais and Dieppe at the mouth of the Somme River.)

Ten racers with a variety of Zeph-1's, PL Buggies and G-Force Buggies from England. Quads and Peels were the power.

The big bag flyers went like a shot downwind but fell out (literally and figuratively) when they had to turn and sail back. 1st was a Swiss (Where does he practice?) 2nd was a Canadian first-time Quad & Buggy pilot. 3rd was our friend Julian Wolf-Patrick and 4th was a Brit for a truly International Event.

All the buggy pilots had a great time and learned a lot. The thousand-odd audience really got to see some action and reportedly will get to see more.

ZEPH-1 UPDATE:
The information last issue concerning the "ZEPH-1" Kite Chariot suffered greatly by my inability to translate the french brochure correctly. I am sorry for the misunderstanding and appreciate the efforts of Mike Simmons to draw it to my attention and Julian Wolfe-Patrick to give the correct facts.

While a solid-gold, diamond-encrusted chariot could be fabricated for any serious buyer, the real retail price is 3480 FF (US $600) for the ZEPH-1.

Exchange rates (7/18/93) post the franc at .1734 US. That translates into 5.764 French Francs for US $ 1.

INSURANCE:
As to insurance for buggiers, I am exploring the choices with the AKA and their insurance carrier. The optimum solution would be a policy like the AKA's that covers Personnel Liability whenever you buggy and a 1 M policy for racing events to cover the federal requirements for use of public lands (the dry lake beds - for instance) and the use of public parks etc.

Nothing is set-up yet, so don't go jumping to conclusions. It might even require a separate fee and eventually the normalization of a separate organization for buggiers. Oh Horrors! Organization and Politics.

BOOGIE AT EL MIRAGE:
The UP SPORTS Competition at Manhattan Beach in LA over the 4th of July Weekend drew many flyers from around the country. By coming out to California a couple of days early, Dean Jordan from Florida and Dodd Gross from PA got a taste of the magic of El Mirage Dry Lake. The hot, dry desert was perfect for some intense buggying.

Scott Dyer and Patrick Hess came over from Las Vegas and I drove down from Monterey. Chris Semerau and his fiancee Ann from Carlsbad, CA even made it out to the lake for some buggy time.

Thursday, the temperature hit 112û in the shade (Thankfully it was a dry heat). At 3 pm the winds came up steady and we buggied til 10 pm.

Top speed recorded on Thursday was my 32 mph in 15 mph wind with a Q-25. Everybody hit at least the mid-20's. On Friday, 30 mph winds and Q-25's propelled Pat to 40.5 mph and Dodd to a top speed of 42 mph (measured). Dean says he was faster but lacked a speedometer.

We scouted some "pucker bumps" along the shore that inspired some moto-cross type action. Dean and I liked it especially. Even caught some air on occasion. Scott snapped a rear-axle bolt and took a little tumble. No harm, no foul, and as Dean had a spare bolt, Scott was back to speed in no time.

It is quite nice to buggy in a group and "swarm" across the lake bed. Because we were having so much fun, we failed to photograph much of our doings.

There were LandSailers & Yachts also on the lake and they are a nice bunch of folks. They remembered us from the Easter Regatta at Ivanpah and were very interested in our "pucker bump" action. Dean & Dodd got rides in the yachts. Scott bought one.

"B P of A" PINS:
The easiest way to make your affliction for buggy power known to others is to get yourself a Buggy Pilot of America pin from Jon Reinschreiber at Paint The Sky Kites in Portland Oregon (Ph: 503-222-5096 Fax: 503-222-5034)

EURO-BUGGY:
Upcoming schedule for European Buggy activities. July 31 - Aug 1 Proposed Euro-Buggy Championships. Call 241-50-71-57 Fax 241-51-32-32 for more information.

August 14-15 Cuxhaven / Altenbruch in Germany. Buggies. Call 04721-51434 for more information.

Regular events for Sand Yachts are held at De Panne in Belgium, St. Peter-Ording and Cuxhaven in Germany, Romo and Fano in Denmark, Berck in France and along the Cornwall Coast in England.

AUSSIE BUGGY:
Best locations for buggy stuff downunder:
South Australia - York Peninsula, Salt Lakes, Silver Sands Beach.
Victoria - Lake Tyres Beach (90 miles long).
Queensland - The Gold Coast.
Western Australia - West Coast Beach

QUADS?
Quad-line foils are gaining many fans mostly for their power and ease-of-use. Be careful not to start too big for your situation. Add the power after you acquire the skill.

Dave Brittain, who is starting with a Q-50, says he gets dumped from his buggy most every time. If you can survive that level of strain... Well this is a free country. For others, a Q-25 or Q-30 is very nice and easier to control. Moderate winds are preferred.

Quad-line foils are changed for different winds. Sometimes it's nice to cruise. Large bags developmuch side-pull and can inhibit up- and cross-wind runs. For less side-pull you fly higher in the sky and therefore develop less motive force.

Four-line controls permit a greater range of controls but increase drag. Shorter lines help minimize this.

Smaller bags can be flown lower for more power and even looped for an extra burst while still being nimble and quick in turns. 60' - 75' line length is a good compromise of speed and power.

DOWN THE ROAD:
Eventually, you acquire a variety of bags for different conditions. Borrowing and trading are becoming staples.

Anyone like to place a classified ad in BUGGY NEWS? Cheap rates!

DESERT CHALLENGE:
Looking for Adventure? Perhaps a Buggy Trek Down-under across a vast desert area. Distances like 2500 kilometers. Rumors of support by the Aussie Army including logistics and follow vehicles. Debate about whether to make it a race or a crossing.

2500 Km? That's 1500 miles! Something like 75 miles a day for 20 days! And this is no sitting in the cockpit with your foot on the gas and going until the motor breaks. Besides, there are no indications that Australian winds are any different or more reliable than those elsewhere.

What a great adventure. Perfect for ESPN or a documentary on PBS. Perfect for that zany fringe element of buggiers with a lust for trying the outrageous.

NAKED BUGGY:
Recent still and video footage has confirmed the subcultural doings of a "small" cadre of naked buggiers. Reports confirm the natural feeling of the open spaces and freedom experienced. While at the same time your unprotected jewels hang suspended 4" above the ground.

European sources confirm development is underway for a device of interest to nude buggiers of the male persuasion. As not all balls roll, an under-seat support has been proposed. No doubt it would utilize a ball-bearing design.

Decency forbids any more in-depth descriptions. Enough to say this activity seldom occurs in public (more than once) and is confined to a thankfully small group of free spirits .

For the terminally deranged, membership can only be confirmed with photographic evidence of a reliable nature.

Send it to me you demented fools and wonderful benefits will be yours.

TV COVERAGE:
I hope everyone saw the fantastic coverage of George Baskette and Dean Jordan on CNN in May. The first segment showed power kiting with George's Nitro Fly System, kite-blading, and some great buggy footage including a camera hanging from the kite shooting down the line to the flyer and a buggy mounted camera to give an axle-height view of the buggy in action. The other segment featured Dean and his kite building workshop along with some indoor and no-wind flying.

My favorite snippet was of Dean buggying across the beach in Florida as cars drive by and you hear Dean say "It is my understanding that sail powered craft have the right-of-way. But I might be mistaken."

Be responsible when you Buggy! Our sport benefits. You benefit. "They" leave us alone. Never assume that others are responsible.

PETER DOES MONTREAL:
The Buggy Meister Himself put on a tour-de-force demonstration of buggy magic before huge crowds at the International Festival of Kites in Verdun/Montreal. Though the winds were spectacularly unpredictable, Peter buggy'd round the 300'x 500' field with his big Peel.

He introduced Himself to nearly everyone with a kite in the air at one time or another. He demonstrated as much skill going back-wards and spinning 180 deg and 360 deg as he did 2-wheeling on my buggy. Truely a maestro on the craft.

We had one "almost a buggy" accident where the Peel caught a gust and boosted the driver out of the buggy and rather than let go, he tried to control the Peel but lost footing and gashed his leg on a rock. Nothing too serious, and we all adopted a sympathy limp for the rest of the weekend.

Peter demonstrated that buggies can share the space at kite festivals. It helped that the field was fenced and the crowd watched along the sidelines.

GOGGLES:
Those hot goggles on the cover of American Kite are available. Catching some sand behind my sunglasses during some high speed maneuvering down on the beach taught me the lesson.

They are adjustable and allow you to wear your sunglasses with the goggles. They come with two lenses - Smoke and Clear. You can get yours for only $20 - Delivered!

Orders shipped within California add $1.16 sales tax per item.

KITE BUGGY & THE AKA
AKA Power Kiting Sub-Committee Chair Dean Jordan is presenting a report to the AKA Board.

The focus of this report is to provide a set of criteria to allow buggy activity at AKA sanctioned events and allow the organizers to understand the requirements to ensure safety of participants and audience.

The AKA insurance policy covers personal liability - not personal injury. It is the responsibility of the user to protect him/her self from injury. The use of helmets, gloves and shoes should be a requirement at any sanctioned event. Elbow and knee pads (as used with in-line skates) would be an option. Refusal would be sufficient to deny participation at sanctioned events to that individual.

A demonstration of basic buggy control skills would include the ability to round marks (at least 100' apart) upwind, crosswind, downwind and stop/go on command. Refusal or inability to demonstrate these skills would be sufficient to deny participation.

Field size would determine level of buggy activity. Small fields (200' x 200') are sufficient for demos, while larger spaces would allow racing.

Buggy lessons could be conducted away from other activities if sufficient space is available. Upwind areas are safe for spectators, but there should be open areas downwind for recovery and over runs.

It should be noted that experienced buggy pilots can operate within the normal flying areas at festivals without problems or conflicts, although that would be inappropriate for racing.

A few builders are constructing their own buggy craft. Pre-inspection would eliminate many whose engineering is inherently unsafe. [ie: Front fork (steering wheel) that rotates more than 160 degrees, rider C of G above axle height, improper construction or insufficient frame strength, etc.] Experienced buggy pilots could be used to determine suitability in this regard.

The use of a harness that connects flyer to kite or buggy without a positive quick-release or dead-man-release would be prohibited at sanctioned events.

It is the desire to demonstrate safe use and responsible activities by buggy pilots.

INTERNET:
Buggier-to-be Dan Rubesh, the Wind Wizard out of Ventura California has put BUGGY NEWS on the INTERNET. This is a computer net that uses phone lines to connect subscribers around the world. Through the use of a modem, computer users may send and receive bursts of information.

INTERNET is one of the oldest and largest. They have a category under sports called . I send Dan a copy of BUGGY NEWS on a Macintosh diskette and he translates it into DOS on his computer and sends it onto the net. Graphics don't go along... So you who read it from the net, be assured the rest of us are being entertained and amused by the outstanding artwork that accompanies each treasured issue.

SCHEVENING 93:
From the Internet, Andrew Beattie files a report from the beach at Schevening Holland at the Great Kite Festival where he hung out with the group of Vlieger Op and Peter Lynn.

I quote from his story: "The best fun was to be had buggy racing. They joined two buggies together by removing the front wheel from one and bolting it to a swivel on the rear axle of the other. I had a particularly good time taking Kiri Lynn (Peter Lynn's daughter) for a ride up the beach, only to come back down at high speed and drive her fully clothed straight into the sea. This looked spectacular enough to make it onto the evening TV news (including the following sequence where she jumped out of the buggy and started hitting me!)"

Andrew also reports the Quad flyers looked rather pathetic compared to the Peel flyers, but they could have been inexperienced. The Peel does appear to be the fastest and most powerful if you have the space and wind. They had 20 mph steady at Schevening but not a very wide beach.

Schevening is a premier seaside resort kite festival. Unique in the world as all kinds of wonderful kites and flyers manage to co-exist on the stretch of beach. The festival is timed for the low tide in the afternoon.

SUBSCRIPTIONS:
Distributed throughout North America, Great Britain and the Continent, also translated into French and German, Buggy News is widely shared by fax and now on INTERNET.

I don't know how much longer I can continue doing this for free. A few good people have already sent money along with their subscription request to help defray the costs of putting this thin rag out with some degree of regularity. These donations are greatly appreciated.

I suppose the fairest way to do it is to respond to all requests for BUGGY NEWS with the current issue and offer a one year subscription (a minimum of 6 issues) for a donation of US$ 5 or more.

Can you folks afford that ghastly sum for the gruel I feed you through these meager efforts?

Well, do what you can.

BUGGY HEAVEN:
Do you have a favorite place to buggy where the wind blows steady and you can run until you want to turn?

As we travel, the compact size of the PL Buggy makes taking it along a serious option. If we had a central clearing house for that information, any BP of A member could call me and find out if a fellow buggier had provided the knowledge that just such an option were available.

Please write it down, although it doesn't have to be a story. The location with directions, accommodations, seasonal variations, any special reasons why this particular place.

I will maintain a file for the use of buggiers. I have written about the overwhelming space available at the Southern California Dry Lake Beds. Anyone interested in making the trip is welcome to call for the particulars.

BUGGY MUSIC:
Do you listen to your tunes whilst astride your mount? Has there yet emerged a category of Great Buggy Music? Send a cassette with your entry for Best Buggy Tape. Winners will be announced at The Buggy Boogie Thang in January.

BUGGY LOCATIONS:
Reports from David Klein and Robbi Sugarman in NYC have alerted me to Floyd Bennet Field being an outstanding open and windy spot.

Floyd Bennet Field, the historic old airstrip in Brooklyn, is barely used (not by aircraft) and David reports he was welcome there and almost alone. Plenty of tarmac (1/2 mile x 500') and plenty of room to hone your skills.

David says Robbi has been kicked off of nearly every beach on Long Island he has buggied. Too much fun! Robbi denies everything and accuses David of putting mayonnaise on hot dogs. Not good for David - If true!

DESERT DOODLEBUGS:
Scott Dyer reports the formation of a buggy club in Las Vegas. The Doodlebugs. Very Insectile. Scott and Pat Hess get out on Ivanpah Dry Lake with some regularity and Scott just acquired a Manta-Twin Land Sailer for even more fun! Both run STB's with cyclocomputers mounted.

They report going out at night and sometimes with no moon. The sensation of speed is greatly altered when you can't see the ground rushing by.

Car lights don't penetrate far in such a space and buggy lights would be too low. They would barely show you where you were.

Not all is seeing. Sometimes it is good to be seen. Pat mounted strobes on his buggy. White on the front fork and a red one mounted below the rear axle. We could see him and miss him too.

Scott reports that on some of the first times they buggied in total darkness, there were special opportunities to buggy up on a buddy without making a sound and scare the hell out of them. Right Pat?

PALMETTO BUGS:
Gainesville Florida buggier Dean Jordan reports the local buggy chapter has chosen a local giant roach (they taste a lot like chicken) to represent their insective affection for the buggy.

Local buggy chapters are sprouting all over. The current trend for "buggy" names makes my favorite The WindRiders seem a bit sappy.

With the Spanish and Mexican heritage in California (Monterey is the site of the oldest capitol in California - Mexican Government not US) I guess Las Cucarachas is my next favorite.

We already have a theme song.

GO WHERE YOU LOOK:
I discovered a truism in sailing. You hit what you look at! In the center of the field at Berkeley Marina is a pipe sticking up out of the ground. I was eyeing it carefully so as to avoid hitting it while crossing the field. Inevitably, each time it nearly caught me and I had to swerve to miss.

Slowly it dawned on me... Look at the space right next to the obstacle! No problem from then on and I didn't have to swerve to miss it.

Pick your aiming points carefully and remember to point higher into the wind and bear off as you near your goal.

WIND READER:
The ability to "see the wind" is easy to pick up on. The use of a wind meter is crucial. Any meter that shows speed in 1 mph increments will do. Those that fit into your pocket get used more often. If you keep it in your pocket, be sure it is of the type that may be sat upon without rendering it "hors de combat."

First, learn to notice all available wind indicators such as trees, flags, water, etc. With this information make your best guesstimate of wind speed. Then pull out the meter to confirm your ability to see and judge accurately.

The trick is to avoid using the meter instead of your eyes. See the wind and use the meter to calibrate your senses.

AKA CONVENTION
BOOGIE UPDATE:
Jon Reinschreiber in Portland reports back that Ft. Stevens State Park on the mouth of the Columbia River at Astoria Oregon has indeed abundant room to buggy at low tide. Late afternoon on October 12. So go ahead and get there at dawn. I'll fly into Portland that morning and have a nice drive out to the afternoon Thang.

All that is intended is a chance to get together before the rush of activities of the AKA Convention just down the road in Seaside. The low tides will continue to move a bit earlier into the afternoon, and opportunities will abound on the beach outside our hotels, if the winds are good. See You There!

BUGGY SPEEDS:
There is a fascination in just how fast these buggys will go. One of the amazing parts of it is how stable it feels to go real fast. I've gone 40 mph on my bike downhill that rated a high pucker factor but 40 mph on the buggy is an absolute thrill. I smiled so big for hours afterward that I got cramps in my cheeks. Paul Treleaven in Australia reports that Michael Quintel hit 81.5 km/h on grass at Pt. Ormond, Melbourne. Using my basic math skills and the idea that 1 km/h equals .6 mph, I reckon that equals 48.9 mph or there'bouts.

Paul also reports Michael did a bit of airborne duty after launching from a berm. Despite the transition from kite to glider, buggy and pilot completed the excursion with no overt damage. Michael was very quiet for a long time afterwards.

SPEED CLAIMS:
Future speed claims should include: Type of Buggy, Wind Speed, Type/Size of Kite, Pilot Weight, Type of Surface, Ground Speed, Crosswind or Downwind run (Can you run them in both directions or are you racing a hurricane?) Send it all to me.

Speed alone is not enough of a measure. Most of us will never get the chance to race each other. By keeping track of how efficient we are, we can compare our abilities without meeting face-to-face.

If I can hit 32 mph with a Q-25 in 15 mph crosswind on hardpack we can compare. Keep track with a log and compare abilities as they improve instead of just the speed.

WOLFF WAGON:
The Chicago areais being terrorized by a Passionate Purple Buggy piloted by Eric Wolff and customized by him in response to an inate sense of style and an attempt to garner one of the "Best" Prizes at the Buggy Boogie Thang next January.

"HELMETS"
Recent remarks concerning the use of head gear while buggying in front of cameras has caused some confusion. As a young lad in southern Oregon, "helmet" was a slang term for condom. And I always wear one of those while on the buggy. (In fact, I'm wearing one now) Sorry for any misunderstanding.

WHEEL BUILDING:
Alloy rims to make Skinny Tire wheel-sets that won't rust and will accept the side-loads we generate. All the rims I see are steel

I'm interested in 16" x 1.75" alloy rims. You should be too as I will build you some real trick wheels with stainless spokes and a new front-end hub with tool-less change-ability.

Lace the spokes at least two-over. Try to find a wheel builder who will do a three-over lace pattern. I have also found some 28 hole front hubs with a wider flange.

As FTB owners are discovering, moving upwind on a grassy field is not as good as with those Skinny Tires. To get the most out of your buggy, add a set of Skinnys for grass days. No reason to buy Peter's steel wheels if you live or buggy near the coast. Rust will force you to upgrade anyway.

For the truly demented, I have knobbys in 16" for some aggressive traction in dirt and mud (?).

Prices for a custom set of alloy wheels, hubs and tires are still to be determined but expect them to be $150-$200. For non-oceanside STB's I will also source steel rims at a lower cost but higher strength and quality than OE.

TUBES & TIRES:
BMX tires are available in many colors and tread patterns. Expect shorter life with colored rubber especially in sunny locations. Doesn't matter. Looks way cool!

Carry some spare tubes and patch kit. Shop for some 16" thorn-proof tubes. Why use less considering the closeness of your butt to the ground and the distance to the car.

A compact tire pump or a small compressor can come in handy more often than you think.

HARNESSES:
To relieve some of the strain from the buggy pilots arms and upper back, many have started using a wind surfer harness. There are two main types: The chest harness and the seat harness.

With either harness, the common feature is the hook in front that holds the line strung between the tops of your handles. The hook faces down and allows the line to fall whenever you take any pressure on the handles.

The main advantage is on runs across the wind. You can steer with one hand!

SPARES:
The inevitable accumulation of gear begins. Spare parts to ensure the ability to continue without making that trip to the bike shop in the middle of it all. Especially difficult out on the dry lakes.

Extra wheels and tires already assembled are the fastest way to change a flat. They also cover you if spokes break or the rim gets bent. Extra tubes (Buy Thorn-proof tubes) are smart. Also quick and easy to swap. A patch kit and tire removal tools are a small package that can be carried onboard.

Spare axle bolts can be a day saver, just ask Dean Jordan or Scott Dyer. Peter Lynn has upgraded to a thicker steel rear axle for more strength. Retro-fits are no problem.

The new front axle hub on STB's is the rear hub with an axle bolt through it. A set of spacers allow swapping between Fat & Skinny tire sets.

BUGGY TRICKS:
Peter Lynn called to pass along a couple of bits of buggy news. He watched a young buggier named Andre at Cuxhaven (at the mouth of the Elbe on the North Sea) in Germany do a two-wheel take-off, buggy across the field still on two wheels, then buggy back. Still on two wheels. Not fast mind you, but all on two wheels!

Peter also reported being the cause of a mishap while at Fano that injured Dominic. They were riding two-on-the-buggy and took a tumble. Even when we think we know a lot, there is most assuredly more we don't know.

Mend soon Dominic.

CORRECTION:
It has come to my attention that while my spell checker has a considerable memory for words, it has no capacity for the truth. The fax # included in the last issue was wrong. The correct fax # is 408-647-8483.

I hope the folks at the wrong number have a sense of humor. The fax number is not mine, but rather rings across town at the home/office of Brooks Leffler who is the exec. dir. of the AKA. Please use it for international communication and orders so we don't abuse Mr. Lefflers good nature.

Thank you.

BUGGY TOURS:
Probably because of the cover story in American Kite/ Summer 93 (Have you picked up yours yet?), El Mirage Dry Lake has become known to a wider audience and a Buggy Trip there has become an object of desire for many buggiers.

This opportunity is available to all with sufficient "want". Cross-country airfares are reasonable and driving is not without its special pleasures.

I am available for excursions. Summer hours in the store put a crimp on things, but come fall I'll be ready to go.

Normal days off this fall will be Tuesday and Wednesday. Drive time from LAX to El Mirage is 2-3 hours. Las Vegas with Ivanpah Dry Lake 40 miles away is the other great opportunity. Should be cooler by then too.

If you are planning a trip to California or Las Vegas, call and perhaps we can arrange the experience of your buggy life. The opportunity is as special as the locations.

"BOOGIE BEST"
"Buggy Boogie Thang" Prize Chair Bob Negen has promised some spanking fine prizes for the Thang in January. He is developing a random method of discovering and judging each "Best" as they are perceived.

Much bribery and promises of future pleasures being exchanged. What is the going price for judges these days, Bob?

The contest has no "rules" as such, but leaves it up to each buggier to do their "best". Costume, paint job, theme, antics (Within bounds of safety), or what-have-you.

Many winners - Much fun!

CONTACT:
I love to hear from buggiers. Call or write.
I work at Windborne Kites.
585 Cannery Row # 105
Monterey CA 93940.
Toll-Free Order # is 800-234-1033. The shop # is 408-373-7422

My Summer hours in the store are M-W-F 10 am till close and Sat 5-9 pm. It's cool to call me there. Please use your dime unless ordering.

You may use my home number 408-372-7922 I'm around on my days off unless I'm flying or buggying. I have an answer machine for messages.

BUGGY or DIE!