MDK & The Playa Buggy - The Journey

MDK from Idaho USA came to me wanting his first buggy, he had looked at off the shelf buggy's and decided if he were to start a new hobby, let’s get rid of the learning curve with buying cheaper buggy's and upgrading them, let’s get a buggy made to measure, one that will last for years and one like no one else in the world would have.

Luck played a part in this, MDK was just about the same size as me, and the most important part....I was heading to NABX 2012 and taking a buggy with me, everything slotted into place and the buggy started taking shape, it was a new design by me, and the buggy would be called the Playa buggy.

I had offered to pay the shipping costs in exchange for the use of it during NABX, although there would be many occasions where MDK would have the opportunity to try the buggy.

The first attempt MDK had in the buggy there was almost zero wind, but off he went, and took to it straight away, the wind died and he had to scoot the buggy back.

The second occasion MDK went out, and was gone over an hour, I had said to Tyler his daughter, his arms must be dropping off by now as he was not wearing a harness, again he appeared back at buggy camp scooting the buggy back as his arms had turned to jelly.

The third time Mike went out, there was a bit more wind, again an hour had gone by and Tyler and myself spent ages searching for him on the playa, and could just see him in the distance, we walked over to get some shots on the camera, he was about two miles downwind. By the time we reached him, he said he was having a ball out there and had hit 35,2mph .....like wow, for a first real go in a buggy he was doing amazingly well, but could he get back up wind to buggy camp on his own....arms already sore, off he went on what must have been a three mile tack up wind before he made the turn back to buggy camp on his own steam....I don’t think I have ever come across anyone who has grasped the buggying skill so quickly in my life....what a natural.

Pops your first class all the way! Not only provide the man with a excellent buggy but a video as well.

I need to talk to Ruudje ... I did not get a video when I bought my Apexx. I think he needs to step it up a bit LOL

Ditto Popeye, first class all the way!

Very Envious!

Dino,

A video of you riding would be easy .. just one still pic. :P haha.. couldn't resist.

Sweet !

You are one class act Carl !

Awesome Video PTW! Very classy touch

You just never do anything half way do you? You have gained the respect of the buggy world with your skills and personality. You should be quite proud when you see your self. I know I'm proud to be connected with you.

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Originally posted by DAKITEZ Pops your first class all the way! Not only provide the man with a excellent buggy but a video as well. I need to talk to Ruudje ... I did not get a video when I bought my Apexx. I think he needs to step it up a bit LOL

no kidding right? LOL ....I knew I was going to get a great buggy and a great friend with it. but I have gotten way more than I imagined with having the opportunity to experience the NABX with Carl and Denise, and all the time and effort he put into this video, wow!
Thanks Carl!

Also I have to say, Carl compliments me but starting out in a buggy like that makes a big difference I’m sure. I have to give most of the credit to the buggy and its builder.
So thanks Carl for the Awesome buggy, mentorship and all the kind words.

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Originally posted by MDK Also I have to say, Carl compliments me but starting out in a buggy like that makes a big difference I’m sure. I have to give most of the credit to the buggy and its builder. So thanks Carl for the Awesome buggy, mentorship and all the kind words.

I agree completely. So maybe if we put Van in a PTW buggy he would go faster than 20 mph too :P

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I agree completely. So maybe if we put Van in a PTW buggy he would go faster than 20 mph too :P

LOL! you guys crack me up! brutal

Popeye is a superhero.

Super video and great story. Put a big smile on my face

One of the times I was skyping with Popeye before his 2011 nabx, (he was worried everyone would be disappointed in the real Carl instead of who they thought he would be) I told him he was a rockstar in the buggy world, because of the craftsmanship that he turns out of his garage. I told him everyone was going to be thrilled he wasn't distant and unapproachable. He would hear none of it. I've never heard an ill word spoken of him yet. My words turned out to be quite true it seems as people figure out how the face to face Popeye is way better than the guy they know from the buggy making videos. He's a guy anyone would be proud to call their friend.

While we're piling it on, MDK was a great guy to share the playa with as well. He did take to the buggy very well no matter what buggy he was riding in. Someone still has to hold on to and control the kite and keep the buggy pointed the right way. That's the same on all of them. I'm certain I wouldn't have been thrilled with going 35 mph my first few days in the buggy.

Oh dear....I didn't start this thread for any kind of appraisal, as Bob will confirm, although it is always a nice thing to get any kind of praise, I do get quite uncomfortable with it....I just dont see it like you do. I like to share or I guess some may say show off stuff though, and in this case I was sharing with you guys how well I believed MDK had done, forget the buggy, that as Bob rightly pointed out had nothing to do with it.

I have been with many people when they first climb into a buggy, and you watch them set off, the kite goes one way, the buggy the other and they end up in a heap on the floor in the middle....then as they progress, they make their way down wind, and walk back with a huge smile on their face...you all know the score we either done it ourselves or seen that scenario many times.

Mike was different, and this has to go to how well he could fly statically, that always makes a huge difference if you ca do that well first

I never saw him loose tension on the lines, not even once when the wind was blowing
I never saw him put the buggy in the wrong position in relation to the kite
He had got the art of turning and heading back in the opposite direction down to a fine art
He could back tack upwind and get back to base, after deliberately heading off down wind where there was more space

Now, lets he honest here, you would think I was talking about someone who had at least 15-20 buggy hours or so under their belts, but no.....this guy had just sat in a buggy for the first time....so when at the end of the video, you can see I put a "kite buggying natural"....I really did mean that and was not exagerating.

At nabx 2012 I had a few moments that highlighted the event this year for me

1/ The first being, I am an HQ rider and chose the Prodigy as my weapon of choice, this was the first occasion I had really had of pushing them, I say them but I really mean..."it" as I flew just the one kite all event (apart from a 10min session on a 3m Beamer to blow away any rust) and that was the 3.4m, now this was great, and just what I needed to give me that buzz again and put a huge grin on my face, that took me to 56.2mph, and I was really happy with the kites performance, I am probably looking forward even more now when I get a nice onshore wind on the beach, because those race kites just love a constant run of power from the wind. When the wind picked up though, it soon became apparent, that the Prodigy series was missing something.....and that was a smaller kite than the 3.4.....I was in need of a 2.2m Prodigy or there abouts, I emailed Jan Hendrik about this on my return and he replied back with "We´ll see how small we can get with the next range" so that sounds very promising.

2/ Riccardo came up to me and said, Brian Holgate wants to see you, he wants you to reset the GPS units as he was going for 90mph....wow to me this would be a huge honour, to actually be part of what possibly could be a history making moment. I found Brian and his crew further down buggy camp, he was in the process of changing the lines to 500kg braking strain lines with his team of helpers.

Although I has seen Brian last year, it was only a couple of days ago that I went up to him and introduced myself to him, and congratulated him on his world record, he in return was thankful of my help with fending off the doubters and helping in the process of verifying the record and introducing a better set of rules.

Brian was pleased to see me again, and took me over to the buggy sat ready on the Playa, and there he watched me with others reset all three GPS units, in no time Brian was sat in the buggy, with his team holding his Vapor in position for him, and the moment came for him to set off, I was holding Brians floppy hat he wears a lot, and was willing him to break the record again, unfortunately, another rear axle fail and the wheel came off again, so that put a stop to that, once he returned I could see the look of dissapointment on his face, he showed me the bolt, and I could see the threads had been chewed up a bit...." I can fix this Brian...grabbed the bolt went inside his workshop trailer and set about removing the crossed threads and preparing it ready for Brian to go again....by this stage his crew had left, so that left just me to hold the kite for him, after a while Stupid Dave came over and took over from me so I could take photos....again Brian set off, and shot about 4 miles down the Playa, I could then see the kite down again...one of his lines had snapped, I could see he had someone with him, so knew he would be ok, but I was getting concerned, because I had just spent about 4-5 hours with Brian, and my wife Denise had been sat in the car during all this time as the dust clouds were coming through thick and fast, so I really had to get back to her, to see if she was ok....she had no idea where I had been.

3/ The friends.....I cant say no more than that really, the friendships you make on that playa seem to run as deep as some of the cracks in that dry lake bed, it is a very special event and I have made some fantastic frienships in the two years I have been there, I can only say, I wished I lived as close as you guys do...if you have never been, seriously, Its worth selling a kidney for...I have been very lucky to have been able to go twice, and the memories will stay with me a long time for sure.

4/ You know when your kids get old enough to be able to take the stableizers off their bike, and you are going to be the person, who will be with them the first time they set off down the road on their on on two wheels, and they come back with a smile so wide it reaches each of their ears..............that special moment in a parents life.

Well I have to admit, but thats how I felt when Mike set off, was gone for over an hour without a harness, cracked 35mph and tacked back upwind to buggy camp, I cant even say I told him what to do, because I dont think I did, I was just extremely impressed with Mikes natural ability to master the kite buggy so quickly

Sheeeeesh that went a touch off topic

So all the credit in this thread, I turn around and place on Mikes shoulders, well done again, it really was amazing to watch

Thanks for the kind words...:dunno:

If there is one thing I dont like to do is read but I am always glued to everything Carl writes up, good stuff! you guys are giving me a lot to live up to:embarrased: cant wait to get back out on the buggy, BTW Carl I got back from Ivanpah around midnight and the next moring I took time off work to clean the Bug it looks as good as new! Tyler taught me BTW BTW

Great read Pops