My girlfriend and I are avid cat-sailors and ice-sailors but new to kites. We love it and were thinking about coming down for NABX. I know that I should get prepared now if we're going to do it but have no idea what to expect, especially with our experience level, or lack there of. I just got a new buggy and would love to ride out there. Any advice, suggestions, thoughts, opinions, and ideas would be much appreciated. Should we camp out, get a hotel room, where should we stay, rent a car from, etc. etc. Thanks!

I've not been to NABX before either (this is my first year living as an american!) but all the kite festivals i've been to back in england everyone is warm welcoming and downright lovely so no matter what your experience level i'm sure you'll feel very welcomed by the kitey community!

You should definitely go to NABX, there's no quicker way to learn how to get to grips with the sport than being surrounded by lots of other people doing it! :duh:

Look forward to seeing you there! :duh:

hey g
boy you ask alot of questions.
first off. go to nabx.net and look under" about nabx"
that should answer almost all of your questions. like,
where to stay. what to bring. etc. if you can`t find an answer
to your questions there. post up again and we`ll be happy to answer them. you owe it to yourself to come. its the best
time i have all year.

Here is a couple things to know about Ivanpah and the NABX event that I hope will help everyone who is planning on attending for their first time.

NABX is a kite buggy event that welcomes any and all kite fliers and buggiers. Please don't get intimidated at all about attending. Everyone is welcome and by welcome I mean WELCOME! Introduce yourself to anyone and everyone and don't be surprised if you're asked to sit a spell and share a brew....or if your handed a kite and pointed in a direction to ride. The NABX is not a scheduled spectator event like NASCAR or a Football game. Don't go there expecting to be entertained in your lawn chair. You make it what you want it to be and everyone is encouraged to ride until your tires fall off. You are encouraged to ride with the pro's and learn from them or just have fun with them. Of course you can always take a break and watch them perform some pretty awesome stuff. Bring your camera, take lots of pics.....don't forget to get some pictures of the surrounding desert landscapes and sunsets. Although usually not very green the desert has a true inner beauty that is hard to appreciate without actually being there.

Don't worry about your skill level. Nobody there is trying to prove anything. You will be riding with everyone there, some are pro's, some are just learning, all are there for fun. If you are learning then find yourself an area of the lake bed that is not populated and go to town. Don't hesitate to ask for help while you learn, there are tons of people there who are more than willing to give you some pointers and work with you. If you are experienced then test yourself against some of the best riders in the world...but be courteous and give everyone plenty of room. Ivanpah is well over 25 square miles of buggy paradise, no reason to cram everyone into a few hundred feet.

There are going to be many different shop and manufacturer reps there demo-ing their new products or helping with instructions and/or just plain hanging out together. If you are interested in trying out a new kite then this is the place. Ask around and someone will surely point you to the right person to get a test run. Our shop will be there with plenty of demo's for people to try out. Again be courteous with the Demo kites so that everyone will have a chance to play with them.

Buggying on Ivanpah is quite unique. The surface is very flat, nearly asphalt like with miles of area in all directions. You can go very fast very quickly. If the wind is up at all, the smaller kites will work best. It is very easy to get going with a 2.0 meter kite in 15mph winds because you have nearly zero resistance. The surface is very hard packed and when the water dries up from the lake bed, it leaves small amounts of crystalline mineral deposits that give the surface a texture similar to sandpaper. If you have an OBE (Out of Buggy Experience) you can shred your skin pretty easily. If you are going to be riding to the extreme, make sure to wear some heavy denim jeans and a long sleeve shirt along with your helmet and any pads/body armor to help keep the flesh where it belongs. For easy riding usually just a helmet will suffice.

Be prepared to be hot and dusty. If the weather is normal there will be fairly good wind and the possibility of a lot of dust. The dust penetrates into just about everything but that is all part of buggying in the desert on the lake bed. Bring lots of water or other fluids. If you bring alcohol, bring double the amount of water. Dehydration is fairly common and can get you sick if you run out of fluids.

Food? The only food on the lake bed is what you bring yourself. That also goes for any water. Not to fret tho, Primm is just on the edge of the lake bed and hosts 3 very nice casino's. Whiskey Pete's, the smallest of the three hotel/casino's is on the west side of I-15 and has several restaurants and bars plus rooms to stay in (showers can be heaven after the playa). Buffalo Bills is the newest Hotel/Casino and has some good placed to eat including Tony Roma's as well as the Buffet and coffee shops, it also has a pretty awesome roller coaster which at the time it was built was the fastest roller coaster in the world. Primm Valley is the resort that is closest to the lake bed. It features several eating places, couple bars, rooms and a pretty good sized shopping mall.

You can rent a room at any one of the resorts or you can camp out on the lake bed with the rest of us die hard buggiers. It is a couple miles from the hotels to the lake bed where buggy town is so walking back and forth may be difficult. Buggy town (and Primm) is about 45 miles south of Las Vegas. Airport access would be Las Vegas McCarren and you would need to find transportation to the Lake Bed from there. Rental cars would be your best bet.

The NABX is a very fun and enjoyable event. Leave your ego's and attitudes at home and bring your kites & buggies and prepare to have fun. Don't be a stranger and make sure you introduce yourself around. You will surely have the time of your life.

I hope this information helps those out who are coming to NABX for the first time. I am sure (and hope) others will also chime in with their comments and suggestions.

Naah.
If you haven't made reservations yet... Save your money.
There are already too many people coming.

WE want to keep all the fun for ourselves.

Buggy is Dangerous.

Buggytown is a haven for street-crime and degenerates.

No body want you here.

No Fun - Go Home.


The foregoing was offered to all our contrary friends who insist on doing the opposite of what they are told.
So there!
Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

One bit of advice, if you like riding powered up at all, you may want to consider bringing down an extra set of tires for the buggy, there is the chance that you'll need them, I believe someone's offered to bring down extras if you can't find them locally, but try and set up the deal in advance, The Playa's all about having fun, not business.

Interesting mix of comments, thanks for the input!

Don't let Corey feed your dog!........aj

Will Windjet be there this year?

I've got to say that NABX is my favorite event of the year. The riding is pure bliss. Cruising across the playa is the surest way to find a smile on your face. If you're on a board, it's amazing to jump around with some of the big dogs. The folks at this event are either totally insane or super nice and chill -- some of the best people you'll ever kite with. Not an arrogant bone in the bunch. Well, except for Corey. Curmudgeon. I'll hope to never miss another NABX until I'm too senile to know what kite lines are.

Hope to see you out there. I'll be the shmuck in a tent. (stake that puppy down!)

-J

If you decide to go once, you will make it every year therafter! I have... It truly is the highlight of my year, reuniting with old friends and meeting lots of new ones. And there is some buggying going on too. Lots of fun!

Seany

All right.

Fine.

Don't listen to me.

Just don't come around whining when your life is changed.

(and they still think I'm kidding)

Counseling will be available at the Mayor's Office.


Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

Thanks for a great post Kent. I have to put my NABX Admin hat on and say I'm sorry, but we can't allow either the event or this forum to be used for commercial purposes, due to new and more restrictive insurance issues.

NABX is totally dependent on our sponsors for its existence, and we thank them for their support. Many sponsors will have representatives at the event, they'll be more than happy to answer all your questions.

Please support your NABX sponsors.

thanks and aoxomoxoa

OK.
If Dean is getting serious, I'll drop my sarcasm for a minute.
We are having an issue concerning sellers and demos at nabx.

I am a nabx sponsor.
I also have a kite business.

I sponsor nabx so the event can continue and the sport can grow.
Not so I can sell product.

I want nabx to remain non-commercial.

My business is done in my shop and on-line.
The playa is, and should be, for play.

I have a long-term vision, not short-term needs.

I hope we can agree on this distinction and continue to grow our sport.
It requires all of us to maintain this quality of play.

Safen Up! Buggy On!

"Often wrong... Never in doubt"

the coreylama

For the good of NABX (our event) we need to abide by the regulations or risk losing the event. We need to grow our sport not cause it problems, and if that means we need to just have fun and buggy our asses off with great friends then hurray!!!! I totally support the NABX team and if there is anything I can do to help the event I will.
Jon Ellis
:frog: