2009 JIBE: Kite-Buggy Rally and Fun Fly!
Friday, January 2nd, 2009The 2009 JIBE Kite Buggy Rally will be held on a stretch of beach in front of Blackbeards Seafood Restaurant that has become known as Kite Beach. The site is favored by local kiteboarders and power kiters because it is never too crowded to safely launch and fly the large and powerful kites used in the sport. The kinds of kites used in the event are four-line, highly controllable parafoil shaped kites ranging in size from about 9 – 25 feet across, depending on wind conditions. They are highly maneuverable and when pulling a buggy they can achieve speeds of two to three times the speed of the local wind and they can even travel upwind, just like a sailboat.
On Friday and Saturday of the event, there will be free trainer kite clinics open to the public. People are welcome to come and ask questions and weather permitting, try their hands at flying a four line traction kite. The kites used here are easy to fly and are big enough (about 3 sq. meters) to give you a thrill and drag you around a bit, yet small enough not to get you into trouble if you make a mistake. Experienced pilots will be on hand to offer advice and safety guidelines. Suitable ages for participants is about 12 and up.
Angus Campbell of Coastal Wind Sports and event director of the JIBE can often be found flying traction kites or driving his kite buggy on Kite Beach time when the wind is out of the east and the tide is low.
“An east wind gives me long, broad reaches in the buggy of up to four miles and the low tide gives me enough room to safely pass other beach-goers”, says Campbell.
If the beach is crowded, he will generally stick to the quarter mile of Kite Beach where reduced crowds enable him to buggy safely away
from people. Anyone is is encouraged to contact Angus for a demo and a chance to try their hand at flying a trainer kite to experience the thrill of traction kites for themselves.Kiteboarders also like the water conditions at Kite Beach due to the sand bar that offers shallow water that is excellent for training and that generates
favorable currents. Kiteboarders and traction kiters who are visiting the area are encouraged to fly here since there are fewer crowds and more room, plus there will likely be knowledgeable local flyers on hand to assist them. Robb VanWie, local certified kiteboard instructor can often be found here working with students new to the sport.
Ride the Winds on Jekyll Island
Have you ever seen the people surfing or buggying at the beach with the giant colorful kites? Have you ever thought, “I’d like to try that?” Well you can now trykiting right here on Jekyll Island.
Coastal Wind Sports is owned and operated by Angus Campbell and specializes in kite buggying, kite boarding and kite surfing. As Mr. Campbell puts it, “Coastal Wind Sports is committed to getting customers outside and flying with a big grin on their face.” The use of kites to propel boards and buggies really came of age in the 90s and has grown in popularity ever since. Traction kites are used to pull buggies, for kite boarding on wheels and kite surfing. A power kite or “traction kite” is a large kite designed to provide significant pull to the user.
“We like to fly traction kites and drive kite buggies”, says Angus Campbell, “We fly or drive just about everything we sell so that we feel more comfortable talking about our products.” Kite buggies can routinely achieve speeds of over two times the speed of the local wind. “With a 10 knot breeze, you’re doing 25 mph, but with your bottom four inches off the ground, it feels like 50!”, says Mr. Campbell. Buggies can tack and reach across the wind and even point up-wind, so you are not walking back to your starting point. They are not hard at all to drive, once you know how to fly the kite. Traction kites (a.k.a “power kites”), are a lot of fun and provide a great workout. According to Mr. Campbell, the smaller 2-line foils are inexpensive, easy to fly and can provide great enjoyment with good pull for an upper body workout. Full sized four-line kites can pack a lot of energy and really drag you around for an “Xtreme” workout. A fourline kite gives you complete control. You can drive it through the sky to generate power and lift, you can stop it, back it up and land it wherever you choose. Four-line kites are pretty intuitive to fly and just take some practice.
It is important to talk to a professional before getting involved in kiting, because the wrong kite in the wrong conditions can hurt you. Coastal Wind Spots can set you up so you have fun and not frustration. For their customers (Southeast Georgia, Northeast Florida) Coastal Wind Sports is happy to meet on the beach and set up demos for any of their products. If you are in the Southeastern Georgia, Northeastern Florida area, call them to arrange for a free on-the-beach demo of any of their kites or buggies. They almost always have one of every item on hand to play with (not every size). “There is never an obligation. We’re gonna’ be out flying anyway!”, says Mr. Cambell.
You can reach Coastal Wind Sports at 912-265-1149, toll free at (800) 592-1195, or e-mail Angus Campbell at angus@coastalwindsports.com.
