Well, it's been a fantastic April and May on Ivanpah. I've had 4 sessions with multiple runs breaking 60 mph, but no PB for me till today.

Winds were forecast to be 23 gusting to 33 from the SW. When I arrived, I measured 23 to 28 mph. Steve Holeman, a local landsailer measured a gust of 44 mph but I don't know how prevalent those were.

I was flying the HQ Ignition 5m LEI knowing I had not found its limits yet. I had been 62 mph with it earlier in the week and was certain it had more speed to give. My first run was just a test of the wind, kite and buggy and it was about 55 mph. My next run I went further south on Ivanpah, downwind of the settlement pond and got just over 60 on my return downwind run. My next run didn't break 60 but it taught me I should let the kite run downwind more to allow it to pull me. That next run got me to 62. My next run with a little more downwind angle got me to 63.4 which was a new pb, but I didn't want to settle for that. I went to the NW corner of the settlement pond which was more upwind than any other run so far and after I crossed 50 mph heading back, I turned towards the shoreline, aiming for a point about a half mile NW of camp. As I reached my point to back off, and start edging upwind, the kite started buckling at the top line attachment point. The tube was folding over from the pressure of the wind, made worse by me letting the bar out reducing tension on the back lines. I checked my gps and saw 65 something and decided to not tempt fate with my body or equipment further and headed back to camp and call it a day.

Nice runs Bobby and great descriptions of what you are learning. That is really interesting to hear about any quirks you might encounter at higher speeds with the LEI.
Keep nailing those speeds like it's second nature and you'll be able to work the small things to see how they effect speed etc.

Congrats on the new PB! Just now knowing what maintaining 18-20mph feels like, I can only imagine what the 50-60mph arena feels like... I'm certain a change of undies would be in order for me, lol.

Thanks Mark, indeed it is putting all the small things together to improve at this stuff.

Baby steps Soliver! I remember the first time I hit 35 at JIBE, I felt like the beach was rushing at me like the Millenium Falcon going to lightspeed. I had to get used to 40, then 45. I was just getting used to low 50s when I got my 63.1 pb. It felt much faster and out of my element than the 65 did today.
Just keep learning and pushing your limits a little at a time. Try to come ride at Ivanpah sometime. I've been told you learn more here in a week than you will learn at home in a year. 4 years ago, my goal for my first event here was to break 40 mph. I was still learning today and can't wait till my next lesson.

For perspective, the world record is almost 20 mph faster!

Very well done Bob, especially on that surface which I find more scary than grass and way more scary than sand.
The small LEI's 5m-7m need to be pumped very hard or they lose their shape under pressure. Not bad for a kite that is designed to sit in the middle of the window and not to take anything away from it but imagine what you could achieve with a slightly bigger LEI designed for speed!

Thanks Redsky. I pumped it up tight, but maybe not as tight as it will go. I'm not sure how much is too much. I could've gone faster still as the wind was building. A local landsailer got blown over and broke his wrist. I was the only one riding the lakebed.

nice Bob! at the limits !

Quote: Originally posted by BeamerBob

Thanks Redsky. I pumped it up tight, but maybe not as tight as it will go. I'm not sure how much is too much. I could've gone faster still as the wind was building. A local landsailer got blown over and broke his wrist. I was the only one riding the lakebed.

Live to fly another day. You must be on a high after today. Great feeling to finally beat your PB after coming so close so many times. I'm really pleased for you.

Thanks Redsky and Phreerider. Yes, it's like winning the lottery but nothing to spend. It's just respect from peers. That means a lot though. Then to reground myself, I look at the depower record of over 79 mph, Aries record set in my buggy that's another 18 mph, and I'd need 20 to break Brian's record. This 2.5 mph bump took over 2 years, but I'm still proud to be #22.

Congrats. Do you think the lei will be your goto kite in high wind and the montana's in light or moderate wind?

The 2 kites compliment each other well with a changeover about 25 mph. That can shift up or down depending on the predictability of the wind. The Montana reaches a point where it keeps pulling too hard to slow down. The LEI is the same but can go above 35 mph it seems.

Can you buggy there in July? I might be going out there in the middle of july but is it too hot to do anything at that time?

It is hot enough and dry enough that wind makes the heat worse if you can imagine. In the boat on lake mead one day, I noticed that it was cooler running down the lake with my head behind the windshield rather than up in the wind. One time, I dove in the water with a cotton t shirt on and then drove 25 minutes to the marina and my shirt was dry. Get your oven preheated and open the door with your head above the opening, and that's what it feels like to buggy in over 100 degrees in the desert. You can do it but you have to pre hydrate with water and after your session, you have catching up to do to rehydrate. Early morning or after sunset are options if the wind is blowing.

That's what I was afraid of. Myself and some of my friends turn 40 this year and they were planning a trip to vegas during that time. I didn't have any interest at first, until I thought about the possibility of kiting. I think I'll pass on the july trip and just try to talk the wife into going to an ibb event in the future. The heat sounds pretty brutal and it would be my luck that it wouldn't be windy morning or night.

Okay, sorry for the thread drift, carry on.

Full moon! July is awesome then.

Quote: Originally posted by ssayre

Can you buggy there in July? I might be going out there in the middle of july but is it too hot to do anything at that time?

I was there in the middle of May 2011 or 2012 and it reached 100f for the entire time I was there.
I decided to not wear my full face crash helmet as it was just too unbearable. Buy water in gallons.

Bob, what's the wind/weather like in October ?

October is comfortable temps and there can be windy days. Not epic winds usually, but winds that let you ride all day and enjoy yourself.

Quote: Originally posted by BeamerBob

October is comfortable temps and there can be windy days. Not epic winds usually, but winds that let you ride all day and enjoy yourself.

That sounds great. Its a long way off but I'm thinking about combining a trip to see my sister in the Bahamas with a visit to Ivanpha and Avorld.

I have to ask, when are the epic winds ? :D

The need for speed ... I love it ... you tell the story well Bob!

Quote: Originally posted by RedSky

Quote: Originally posted by BeamerBob   October is comfortable temps and there can be windy days. Not epic winds usually, but winds that let you ride all day and enjoy yourself. That sounds great. Its a long way off but I'm thinking about combining a trip to see my sister in the Bahamas with a visit to Ivanpha and Avorld. I have to ask, when are the epic winds ? :D

This year, it seems April and May are the sweet spot. I can't think about the sessions that were close to or faster than 60 mph without smiling. Today was epic too. 60 miles with 59 mph showing on the Verb camera/gps. My gps showed 58.2 mph.

Way to go Bobby!! I love seeing anybody break their PB. It's a great feeling when you can finally bust through a personal wall. Congrats!!

On a side note: We were in Wendover this past weekend and it absolutely killed me to see the flats and not have a buggy with, especially when it was windy every day we were there. You sure have some beautiful land out there to play on!

Thanks Cheddar! This one had been 26 months in the making so it was sweet to bump it up.

Ivanpah is quite a treasure and I wish all kite buggiers could enjoy it at least once.