I've read the newbie thread in the general chit chat area and I've found a intro to kite flying online I'm going to try and read over the next couple evenings.

I've been thinking about trying to pick up flying as a new hobbie. Racing offroad trucks, rock crawling in jeeps, racing dirt bikes, etc... All that adds up pretty quick. $13K into the truck, $8K into the jeep, $8K into the bike, etc... Seems like I'm always dumping big money into those hobbies based on my budget and income level. The kites aren't cheap either but in comparison after just some quick looking I don't see myself spending thousands up front right off the bat. Seems like trainer kites can be picked up relatively cheap.

My question is... What's this event like? Is it pretty open to public and are people generally approachable to those of us that have never even held a kite but have the curiosity and interest in learning more to see if this is something worth getting into? I'm thinking about at least going out and trying to talk to some people to make sense of this whole kite thing. Would this be an event where that sort of thing is acceptable and open to? I see this as a hobby that would be a blast but also could be pretty dangerous if you just go launch a kite into the air strapped to it... I've got TONS of questions basically... Heck, are there people there with trainer kites that can show a nobody like me the ropes to getting started and explain the equipment in person rather then reading up online and looking at pictures? I'd love the chance to give it a whirl before forking out the cash. I'm guessing this will be one of those things where 5 minutes of play time is gonna end up costing me big bucks in the long run like my other hobbies and the first time I was exposed to them! LOL

I live in Vegas and drive by the lake bed almost weekly heading out to the hills in my jeep or to go ride dirt bikes so it's easy for me to cruise out there and check it out.

Just curious as to what I can expect if I walk up to a general person knowing absolutely nothing! When I say nothing I mean like even that intro thread in the general section was over my head and discussed things I know nothing about...

Thanks
Khris

:D welcome to your newest addiction most of us kiters are more than happy to show an interested person the ropes I carry my 2m all the time for just such an occasion powerkiting is fun extremely addictive and can be dangerous but if you take your time listen to those who have learned the hard way you should be ok just like any other extreme sport NABX IS GOING TO BLOW U AWAY HAVE FUN :singing:

oh my god... you better come out to NABX. That will be a great introduction for you to the 'tribe'. If you walk up to anyone of us chances are we are the friendliest and most approachable people in the world.

If you are itching to get out there in the next week before NABX, go talk to the kite stores in Vegas, they are super approachable and friendly.

All else fails give me a shout and I will make sure you get set up with the right people.

Nic

Hey Chris, on Friday evenings Kent from A Wind of Change and many others gather at the park across from Sam Boyd. If you call him up I'm sure y'all can work out a meeting there,the grass is a little friendlier to the kites in the hands of the beginner than the playa can be.

Hey Kris I fly into Vegas on the 21 st, dont have much planned ,

Hit me up for a lesson will be staying at the Excalibur

see!!! That's exactly how it is if you approach most kiters, they are super friendly and quick to help!

Friendly?

PAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA :D

Yes, we're friendly.

Crazy... but very friendly. In all honestly, the guys in this forum are some of the nicest, most generous people I've ever met. And I actually haven't even "met" most of them. But damn would I love to :P

There is no better way in the world to learn about kiting than to go to this event. No exaggeration. Take a heap of the best, most down to earth power kiters from all across the globe, stick them in a desert in the middle of nowhere, give them food and beer, and you have a wild party steeped in years of culture and knowledge. They're just a bunch of normal guys with a shared passion for a unique sport. Beginners are greeted with open arms -- seriously don't be alarmed if someone hugs you. Oh, and also don't be alarmed if you see a man in a pink short skirt riding on back of a small fast Asian man's buggy. We love teaching beginners! Why? Because the more the merrier! It means our sport is expanding. And, all of us would agree that it's best to be taught the right way from these guys who know what their doing as opposed to learning the WRONG way and getting yourself seriously hurt. Plus, virtually every kite shop owner who matters in the country will be there. They can give you the scoop on inside deals and hook you up with exactly what you need.

The only thing is, you will need to register (it's because of an insurance thing, I believe) and book a hotel room. But do it quick! NABX is right around the corner. If you have any more questions, feel free to post. You can even request that someone call you, and there are a lot of willing people who would have no problems with that.

Go get 'em tiger!

Come and have a good time it is a yearly event and one I look forward to. My son has a tandem rig that can get you out on the lake and feel what it is like. If you have a helmet and some heavier pants and jacket you might what to bring them.

I have some trainer kites you can use and I also have some I need to sell if (make that when) you get infected with a new hobby..

I'll be in the 5th wheel camper by the main tent just ask for George i'll make sure you get hooked up.

Welcome,

You are right on track with your thinking. NABX is an annual international gathering of all sorts of land based wind junkies. Just coming and hanging out will be a huge eye opener. There is a ton of different gear + ways of enjoying the wind. Everybody is super friendly and happy to share their passion. Just don't be shy !

Be forewarned. People will give you all the time in the world but if the wind picks up after a spell without expect everybody to leave you hanging while they get the Jones out.

There will be all sorts of trainer kites around if you speak up your sure to get hooked up.

If you plan to participate and I suggest you do, you will need to register. There are free T-shirts + parties +++ that make it more than worth the entry fee. If you plan to stay overnight please book with the room code so NABX gets the extra pull with the hotel.

Smart move and great timing !

Quote:

Originally posted by 702dirtsurfer Hey Chris, on Friday evenings Kent from A Wind of Change and many others gather at the park across from Sam Boyd. If you call him up I'm sure y'all can work out a meeting there,the grass is a little friendlier to the kites in the hands of the beginner than the playa can be. [/quote \ Great advice. Kent is A#1 at sharing with newbies and grass is a lot better to learn on. From dirt-biking, you know haw harsh the desert and lakebds are. Do not be bashful about registering for NABX without knowing anybody yet. The ROI will be rich and you will be most welcome. Welcome to the sport and to the Forum.

Chris,

Come on down and see me. We can get you all set up. If you can make it out to the park on Friday Nights, we can hook up there and I am more than willing to give you some free lessons and you can meet up with a bunch of the Vegas Buggy Crew. I have plenty of Demo kites that you can try out and if the winds and crowds permit, Brian may be able to take you for a buggy ride on his tandem setup.

NABX is awesome, if you get the chance to come out with us then be sure to do so. You will not be disappointed.

The shop number is (702) 736-1476. The park is Sam Boyd Silver Bowl park. This is the park in front of the UNLV Football Stadium on Boulder Highway and Russell Road. We fly there every Friday night from appx. 6:30 pm to 11:00 pm. If there's wind, look for the kites in the air. We're on the south end of the park.

Hope to see you there if not sooner!

Chris if you happen to be driving by the lake and see us out there stop and say hello. I as well drive a jeep 4 door wrangler so if you see it go ahead and stop my name is Jim.

Come be a newbie with me! I have only a few hours on a trainer kite and was encouraged to attend by the great people on this forum.

John

Please let Scott know who you are when you check in at the big white tent, he'll be expecting you!

welcome home~!~

Quote:

Originally posted by Bladerunner Be forewarned. People will give you all the time in the world but if the wind picks up after a spell without expect everybody to leave you hanging while they get the Jones out.

ha.... truer words were never spoken.... All newbies be forewarned, this is not meant to be rude, this is just a side effect of our (and now your) passion. You will soon find that you leave sandwiches half eaten, letters half written, and baby's half changed. (then again some try and take all of this with them into the buggy!) I know I have been seen zipping across the playa with a burrito hanging out of my mouth cause the wind kicked off mid-meal.

LOL, holy crap, wasn't expecting to hop on here today and see such a mass of replies.

Okay, where to start...

No need for me to book a room. It takes me a about 45 minutes to hit the lake bed from the bed I sleep in nightly.

Sounds like a good scene for sure and the type of thing I'm into. I'm quickly loosing passion of the truck offroad racing scene I'm in cause the egos are so huge and everyone is just getting to "hardcore" and not down to earth anymore. This actually kinda sucks considering the amount of time, labor and cash I have into it. Then again, selling my truck gives me a substantial chunk of change to throw into other toys I've been kicking around in my head. Just need to get it finished up 100% so I can play with it and get the most $$$ out of it when that time comes.

This scene sounds cool for sure...

I've driven by that lakebed countless times and see a kite out there on occasion and well, I saw one this past Sunday afternoon on my way home from riding in a lake bed which got me on google looking for info. I guess my timing to show some interest couldn't really be any better by luck!

Kent/windofchange...

I will for sure take you up on the offer. I live about 5 minutes from the stadium but will admit I've never been by there on a friday night so I never even knew you guys were doing this. I have parents visiting in town this week and am not sure what this friday night's plans are but I may actually even try to swing by for a bit this friday night. Will you guys be out there flying this friday evening? I may try to swing by after dinner with the folks since I'm guessing that's probably what the plans would be. Is it a calm or wind (rain or shine joke) type gathering?



As far as NABX, I just checked the schedule and wouldn't you know... It's on a race weekend for me. My #1 passion is racing dirt bikes and I've been riding for 25 years now. I do long distance endurance type stuff, not the crap you see on TV jumping around in stadiums. Anyways, my next race is the 26th and we're making a weekend of it. BUT!!!!!!!!!! I can easily cruise out Thursday afternoon and be out there by about 4ish in the afternoon from work. Also could probably attend for a few hours on Friday afternoon also. What's the scene like out there on those 1st two afternoons of the event? Someone mentioned a tandom ride and bringing some gear. Would a Moto helmet and my riding pants be reasonable or overkill? I also have like a protec open face but full head skate helmet too. Would there be a chance of sweet talking myself into a tandom ride on one of those afternoons? I'm not totally understanding how the event is scheduled and run. It looks like there's competitions obviously but how's the open freeforall time go? obviously it's wind driven too I'm sure. LOL




Can I register on site?

Quote:

A fee of $75.00 is required for each participant and $45.00 for each guest. A guest is anyone who is there as a spectator. Guest are not allowed to buggy or fly power kites. An additional fee of $10.00 will be applied to registrations received less than 14 days prior to the event's start date. Registration fees cover the costs of Event T-shirt, food, permits, insurance, main tent, porta potty rental and all the little things that help make this event possible. Advanced online registration is greatly appreciated and helps free up the administrators to concentrate on other aspects of the event.

I'm assuming that last paragragh kinda reads like I can register on site? $45 to two afternoons of spectating and BS'ing... Ouch but hey, it's just money right?



The open hugging and pink wearing freaks sounds like what I'm used to! The racing I do has people sometimes wearing all pink jerseys and the joking around the pits sometimes leaves you questioning who you race against and you better not be easily offended!!! LOL



The buggys, are they mostly bought or are you guys fabbing them up yourself? Only asking cause I have some pretty decent fab experience...


Nocando... Going out on a whim here... You drink? Maybe meetup for happy hour one afternoon early next week? Can't commit right now but tossing out the idea. Judging from your list of kites I'd like to bounce some questions off you as far as costs, beginner rigs, more experienced kits/costs/buggy costs, how not to kill myself right away, etc...


My current money pits include...










You can kinda make the connection of things with wheels and the idea of taking the motor out of the equation is very intriguing to me!!! Btw, the toyota is 100% home built in my garage, hence the question of if your buggies are mostly bought or built...








Thanks for the replies everyone!!!

Khris

buggys are bought and built. look up popeye the welder or van. popeyes has a web site. van recently built one. just about all the kite shops sell them. a wind of change has a cool thro off of a popeye build that they sell called an ivanpah very nice buggy. you can buy used for a few hundred bucks or thousands for a very nice new one

Yup, we'll be out on Friday, wind or calm. The only time we are not out on Friday is during NABX or a nuke explodes.

First you said your race was the 26th? NABX weekend is April 1,2,3
Any helmet is better than none and your ridding pants my be over kill but if you ride in the dessert you know what brush burns look like Playa peel is worse.
If the wind is up a tandem ride will be no problem maybe even a solo ride if the winds are just right "BUT" if you are out on the playa in a buggy you need to pay the full fee which is an insurance thing required by our permit from the BLM.

as far as build vs buy for the buggy good used buggies can be had for less than $600 but if you enjoy building making you own just feels good. I would suggest buying one now building your own later after you now what you want then you can resell yours and recoup most of your money.

(Disclaimer spoken by someone who has a buggy to sell)

THANK YOU GBROWN!!!!

No clue how I missed the dates right on the main page for NABX. I was looking for dates too hard and skipped right over them. Then I ended up clicking the "whenwherehow" page and just saw the dates right at the top and once again read right past the part where it said it was a pre event at a different location! Good thing my college degree isn't in reading I guess!

For once I'm pretty stoked I can't read! LOL Not to mention showing up next thursday to the lake bed may have been a really big WTF moment!!! LOL

Kent, I'll try to swing by this Friday evening sometime for sure, it's too close not to and knowing my parents they'll be ready to retire for the night by 9ish anyways so I can always drive by a little later and see if anyone is still around.

Also, I just found out I've got a fricken trainer kite in my house right now!!! My friend that I ride with has one in her moto gear bag that's sitting in my guest room! She said she's never flown it but told me to take it with me and figure it out so I can teach her. So heck, I guess I'll bring it if I make it out this friday evening and see what it is. I have no clue having never even seen it! I'll dig it out tonight though. Talk about blind luck!!! LOL



Makes sense on the buggies on buying vs. built. I know for a fact I'd eventually want to build my own just cause that's the type of person I am but like I said, totally makes sense to try and pickup something used and go from there.



Also, considering the summer temps here in Vegas and the proximity to lake mead the whole idea of kite boarding out there is also in the back of my head. I'm thinking step one is learn to use a kite though! Crawl before you walk right!!! LOL The youtube videos of the buggies look like a fricken blast though!


Nocando
Now that I realize I'm WAY off on my dates I'm sure we could line something up for between the time you're in town and the event. Are you going to have internet access while you're in town?


Thanks again everyone for the info!

Khris

BTW, completely off topic but since I screwed up my dates, any of you guys from out of the southwest that want to see something mind blowing Sat the 26th here in Vegas is the Mint 400 offroad race. If you ever wanted to see what half million dollar trucks with 800hp can do in the desert it's pretty mind blowing! Here's testing video from yesterday of one of the trucks. It's well worth checking out if you're a motor head of any sort and have never had the chance!

http://vimeo.com/21115792

This isn't what I'm racing, just happens to be the same day and local...

Sirhk, you can register at the event, cash or cc no problem.

Check thread at top for schedule and what to expect.

Ska T is in charge of registration

my name is dean and if i can't help you, i bet i know who can


aoxomoxoa~soon~!~

Hey Sirhk

About the helmet and MX pants...

For now, at least a helmet would be a great thing. We all wear them, no matter the skill level. The pants would be a bit overkill since you're not doing anything crazy, but keep in mind that the lakebed surface is VERY rugged. 60 grit sandpaper is the term I frequently see to describe it. Falling naturally comes with power kiting, as does dragging, bouncing, tripping, tumbling... yeah. :P So you'll come back with a few scrapes and bruises, no doubt. Nothing you aren't used to, I assume. But when your friends make fun of you for flying kites, at least you'll have something to show them when you tell them your kite kicked your ass

Hi Khris good on you for coming to the playa.


I dont have a laptop was just going to use internet cafes on the strip.

U2U me with your cell phone number and I will buzz you when I hit the strip.

Be sure and stop by the Canadian Camp and say hello to Coolbreeze. He has just moved over from the offroad thing and you sound like you may know the same people. He will be convoying down to MOAB with his old 4X group but continuing on to join us. I think we will have a tandem setup as well?

Just like you, Coolbreeze and a couple of others I know with Fab'ing skills chose to buy a quality ( Apexx ) buggy already made once they added up materials and hours. Building is a labour of love ! Once you see the buggies you will better understand.

Hey Khris dont rule out Draggin Jeans or similar kevlar lined.

Just bought a Draggin Jeans jacket to kite in, as I have been OBEd a few times across cricket wickets
on sportsfields, turf burns and cuts suck.

Do bike stores your way stock this brand ?

Trip from Canada to Vegas with a stop at Moab on the way!!! Yeah, that sounds like a fun road trip for sure!!!

I have not seen Dragon brand anything other then goggles at the bike shops. Not sure if that's the same brand or not though. My moto pants are very plain jane looking, just black essentially and look almost like snow boarding pants actually. I'm not into the big flashy stuff. I can toss it all in my truck, won't hurt anything to bring it and not use it if that's the case you know...

Unfortunately I do know the feeling of bouncing off the desert floor. When I ride though I wear 100% of my gear so most of my injuries are along the lines of breaking or tearing, not loosing skin cause damn I HATE road rash! LOL Maybe I'm a freak but screws and pins are just annoying, road rash fricken hurts!!! LOL, it's like a oversized paper cut!

Funny you mentioned friends making fun of you for flying kites... I already told one friend about it and I made sure to add in that if I do end up getting into this I'll obviously try to find a butterfly shaped kite with lots of flowers on it! DUH!!! LOL


I've spied around this forum a bit mostly reading and keeping my rookie questions/thoughts to just this thread. You guys have some acronyms I haven't been able to figure out yet!

OBE??? I'm picking up that it's something I don't want to do! LOL Not sure if it's being drug or if it's falling hard after being dropped from loosing wind or something in a jump.

Crap, I saw some other acronyms looking around yesterday but can't find them to post now so I'll just leave it at that...



As far as the fab thing goes. Yeah like said above I'd for sure buy my first one but would probably look into building one. Sure it may not be economical but it's more about just doing it and bragging. I've wanted to try my hand at carbon fiber and this may be a good sport to play with that stuff in. I've always thought an ultra thin walled alum tubing wrapped with carbon would make good frame work for something that needed strength yet light weight. I'm jumping a million miles ahead of myself though at this point. I'm thinking just checking out the scene in general should be step #1. LOL

Thanks again everyone!

Khris

Khris OBE = out of buggy experience or James Bond Experience when the ejector seat works and wind plucks you out backwards:eekdrull:

Oh, nice! LOL Sounds like a good time! Or not!


Looking at ivanpah on google earth... what's the dirt oval out in the middle of the lake bed? I've never noticed that driving by on the highway and I've never actually ridden down into that area that far south. We usually stay more up near jean and in the mountains to the east.

Toxic Waste Dumb for MolyCorp. Mine tailings. Stay upwind.

Quote:

Originally posted by sirhk100 Oh, nice! LOL Sounds like a good time! Or not! Looking at ivanpah on google earth... what's the dirt oval out in the middle of the lake bed? I've never noticed that driving by on the highway and I've never actually ridden down into that area that far south. We usually stay more up near jean and in the mountains to the east.