Thanks to macboy for a lid! a few things didn't make in the packing!
Playa climate is total new thing for me and my kiting experience.
Dry! this place is dry and the dust, wow! the surface of the playa is like 400 grit sand paper, which will remove flesh instantly, one good slam
and i have some road rash after the knee pads slipped down .
large range of wind speed, 15-20mph( i don't have any data on this it just a guess) peaking around 4-5pm.
the wind was much smoother than i had imagined. definitely had some OFF and ON but not brutally gusty. directional shifts seemed to be the
variables most frustrating.
THE WAITING for the wind got to me ! but i coped as best i could. best advice sleep in, hit it late after noon til sunset.
SO ...CH15 was the kite of choice the entire time. plenty of power and the speed can get out hand quick.
The ATB was the ride of choice to feel out the surface. very "sticky", a ton of grip. initially the power sliding was just rattling and chatter.
Easy slippery switches where not so easy at first, and catching off angle edges were hairy to say the least. with the all the grip, jumps and pops
where snappy and really demonstrated the kites responsive pop.
total confidence in the set up no change to the tip straps or center strap.
the second session definitely amped up the switches added some looping and road til i broke, which was a flat. once i dialed in the power slides
with out some much chatter the tires really started to smoke. estimated life span of new tires and a full on power slide session? maybe a couple of
hours.
a harsh environment indeed, hard on the gear and the flesh.
nice videos at the end of the Saturday night feast and a ton of raffle stuff. did not get a chance on the coyotes i really wanted the ATB dialed in
on this sirface before i jumped on the dogs.
Nice event def gonna hit it next year. hopefully in a buggy at some point ,
but hey JIBE is around the corna.PHREERIDER - 5-4-2010 at 07:27 AM
Oh i failed to mention, I dropped by AWOC shop for GI kingpins. big thanks !
Angus and GI really came through on some spares, once i dissected the trucks the king pins parts were shattered. SO while in Vegas dropped by and
snagged a fresh set.
these really added fresh life to the Bionic trucks.
not sure of speeds but no speed wobbles ...on a some of the out treks i may have hit somewhere around 40mph.
the distance perspective on the playa is very deceiving. in a matter of minutes you 2-3miles away, you look back don't realize how far away you
are heat mirage thing is just plain trippy.
Oh and the night sky, holy clarity batman. beautiful!action jackson - 5-4-2010 at 07:34 AM
Just wait til you discover Lake Mojave! Morning session on the Playa, afternoon at the lake kiteboarding in full nature and sunset playa chasing the
shadows! Mojave love in full affect!............ajBladerunner - 5-4-2010 at 07:41 AM
Way to go Phree'
You had it dialed by the time I had to leave on Sat. I went in with great intensions but that surface kept me from jumping. Sorry you didn't get on
the blades but it looked like you found a bit of aoxo on the board.
My 10m charger seemed best. I just had to ride out the lulls. A 12 seems like it may be the best size for me in those winds ? Being smaller I felt
unsafe at times with the 15. Nice thing with the arc, when the gusts hit I just quit flying it and let it bounce above like the sky trash! Almost no
lift. Very safe feeling!
Great time with great people. I'm glad we met.PHREERIDER - 5-4-2010 at 07:42 AM
i was wondering where a wet spot might be. def need a locals head to catch breeze rhythm for the area.
Great experience on the playa ....oh i recommend it.BeamerBob - 5-4-2010 at 07:55 AM
Phree, I'm surprised you went down. I was watching you late on Saturday and you had it dialed. You were 1 with the kite and this was in pretty hefty
winds as well. Complete balance under power. It was awesome for you to be there from a continent away.PHREERIDER - 5-4-2010 at 08:01 AM
BR you making some hot runs on those dogs. making it look easy.
glad we finally got together. you got a nice clip in the vid SAT nightPHREERIDER - 5-4-2010 at 08:12 AM
BB the scraps where no surprise, but amazed how well the harness hook works as a plow! come in for helmet/water and it seems the right above the
vehicles the wind had little luff. seconds after MACBOY handed me a lid ...whack! and drag. pics would have been proper but not for the squeamish.macboy - 5-4-2010 at 10:59 PM
And I heard Doublespeed say, "That dude's crazy on those things" when you took the big screen BR. Definitely sad I didn't slip them on and go for a
ride with you. We'll ride soon. Soon I say, soon.
Vancouver might be out for the return trip but if it is we'll be back sometime very soon to see all of ya.
And Phree - super good to meet you. You've got so much stoke it's amazing. I want to meet you in the Hatteras one of these days.herc - 6-4-2010 at 04:27 AM
waiting for "charged" videos !!PHREERIDER - 6-4-2010 at 05:16 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by herc
waiting for "charged" videos !!
ME TOO!
my camera crew was in NYC.
maybe i can get her to work the camera/video @ JIBEBladerunner - 6-4-2010 at 06:48 AM
I'm not sure if I am sad or proud but even when I was posing for mj I would not allow myseld to jump on that stuff. Didn't even beat my previous top
speed. A wimpy 36.6 mph is all I managed this year :Ange09:PHREERIDER - 6-4-2010 at 07:11 AM
BR you had good dose like the rest of us , its all good.
all about the ride, i should have focused on meeting new peeps, but the ride just took me away, like always
