What is the process, if someone wants to get into racing in the UK

popeyethewelder.com/facebook questions

 

2012

  • John Trainor – Check out the pka web site or Facebook page for an event if they have a licence if not contact the pka through their website to meet an assessor and get one.
  • Iain Newton King – Rock up to an SPKA with valid insurance and request to take part in an intro race, learn the flags and basic rules, take the theory test and wait to be issued with your race licence. 😉
  • Carlos Fandango – Can any buggy and kite be used?
  • Matt Cook – make sure you have a wad of cash in the bank because its addictive and you spend a load of money
  • John Trainor – Not at the first race Matt. As long as its got 3 wheels and under 60kg any buggy is good and what ever kites you have
  • Carlos Fandango – I was looking at the PKA, did I see that in fact you can have only two wheels….as in bike or did I miss read that
  • Iain Newton King – we have a very competitive 16″ wheel class in the SPKA series.
  • Carlos Fandango – ?16″…as in barrows Iain
  • Iain Newton King – yeah, barrows/midis and small(ish) buggys P/L, flexi, radsail,rs etc
  • Mark Sherlock – ?2 wheels, 3 wheels, 1 wheel if you’re very brave :o) PKA will also run a 16″ class if there are enough people interested, 2 or 3 is all it would need.
  • John Trainor – You could race on a kite bike only person I have ever seen do it is Dan and it was very slow around the course. Only person I have seen on one wheel is Kevin Arlot
  • Adrian Lavelle – If you attend a PKA event we will accommodate anyone as long as they have valid insurance, we will also try our best to get your licence done the same weekend.
    As for the test no need to be intimidated, all you have to do is go around 3 marks clockwise then anti-clockwise and come to a stop by side slipping.
  • Pete Stinson –Same for over here in northern Ireland and republic. Lesson available at Ipksa events and lisence can be got at most events. Insurance can be got on the day. Any kite or buggy can be used. We have 7/8 events each year and the Saturday is al…
    ways available for new members to try kiting or sandyachting. Sunday is dedicated for the racing but we try to get then out in the back of the fleet if they have gained the liscence on the Saturday. Lots of info on the new Ipksa.com website and more being added daily
  • Mark Coombs – Swatk try to race ones a month. Club racing is a great way to get in to racing .We have a set of rules we race fore 20mins & have 4 races a day . Any kite any buggy will do as long as you can get round the coures you can race.
  • Carlos Fandango – And where can people find this mark, is there an address you meet, times dates ect, website address ect, this is all about buggiers taking the first step into racing….the more details I get the more likely new people will give it a go
  • Ian Nudge Pearse – Correct me if Im wrong Mark, but in answer to your question pops. The information is on the SWATK forum for where the races are, to access the race information you have to be a member of SWATK.
    Also majority of the races are held at Westo…

    n Super Mud or Brean which you have to be a member of SWATK to access.
    They guys at SWATK are really nice fellas and some great pilots which a few have done their licences…… although Mark is still in the sub 50 club 😉 and one of their slowest buggiers hehe
    I know in the past and future CLSC have had fun races as well, but again its membership to Pembrey
    On the PKA side of things, I have known the guys for a long time and they are a great bunch of people. I attended the last gasp a couple of years ago to race, and was made to feel welcome. Have also attended the icicles another fun PKA race not race in it, but have attended and the guys are friendly approachable and want to get people into racing
    The licence isnt hard to do.
  • Carlos Fandango –Apart from Scotland, are all the racers held on the west coast, I know this is mainly because of the prevailing winds, and good beaches, but you would have thought there would have been at least one race on the east side….I for one am put…

    off by the amount of traveling, and fuel costs, there are not many from the east side into racing…..can this not be addressed…..I am sure many more buggiers would get involved if the races were nearer to where they live…..a trip to bls on the west side is a luxury for me, and costs around 80quid in fuel….there are many others like me I am sure
  • Ian Nudge Pearse – tis the same with us down in the far South pops, nearest PKA race to me is Pembrey 4 hours and 300mile round trip the rest being hoylake etc which is nearly a weeks all inclusive holiday paid for by not going!
    Dont forget not just fuel, add in the cost of accomodation, food, drink etc.
    Had the same problem with the BKSA freestyle competitions. Dan Kinsman pulled out after the 1st round last year as it worked out to travel to Redcar and take time off work to get there eat  and enter the competition as he is self employed worked out to be a trip of £2000 none of the events were held down here.
    I said before would be good if there was a North and South competition. Or all 4 sides of the country! Rounds would be set up of say 4 rounds for each “section” then the best from those sections have one race up north and one down south to then get the final team. We used to do this when I shot .22 for Devon. The best from each club went up against each other to then form a Devon team that went against other counties.
    I think fuel costs are killing the kiting for a lot of people, when I started I would go to the local field most nights and go to the beach every fortnight, didnt matter if it was windy or not. Now working out that a trip to the Ho! is £40 + parking I have to think twice as kiting in my family eyes is a hobby and takes 2nd place to bills!
  • Mark Coombs – Yep you have to be a member of swatk to play on Brean . Wind wheels & waves allso have access to UpHill
  • Carlos Fandango – I hear what you are saying Nudge, I mean personally I am not complaining as I have no desire what so ever to race, but I know a lot of people would like to try, its a pity it is set up the way it is, who knows there could easily be potential world champions living 2-300 miles away from the designated racing beaches and we would never know purely because of fuel costs.
  • Iain Newton King – Last season SPKA had 3 venues, Fraserburgh, St. Andrews, and my local, Sands of Luce, this was done, I believe, to make the travel costs fairer to all competitors as the Scottish fleet is fairly well spread out.Totally agree fuel cost are still a huge issue though.
  • Adrian Lavelle – The PKA did approach the council at Mablethorpe but they could only authorise use of the beach from the car park to the right when looking out to sea and this is the busiest for pedestrians which we have to accommodate and avoid, this side of the beach is not as large as the beach to the left which we were not permitted to use.
    If anyone has suggestions to where an event could be hosted and contacts we could approach then we would be more than happy to look into it. Considerations for a pit area capable of up to 40 competitors and a beach where foot traffic is at a minimum needs to be taken into account.
  • Fuel is the biggest stopper for all of us, at every event there is 3 people in my van just to share the cost.
  • KiteBuggy BagMan –Any group of Buggiers can set up there own race series, if there are a couple of people interested in each area that is.  Small localised groups would probably do better as they would have more sessions over the months.  Travelling costs wo…
    uld be absorbed into your normal flying time so there would be little addition here.  Getting someone in “your” area to orgainise it will probably be the problem, unless its just done on an Ad Hoc Fun basis.  Taff and myself ended up setting up courses evey time we went out some years back, this was much more interesting than just going up and down the beach.  Saying that though our first courses were two marks on a reach, as neither of us could do tacks.  As soon as he learnt though i was not far behind, it certainly makes you a better pilot as well.      Dont be intimidated by having not the latest kit, or running longer lines, Older kit can do very well, plus its a darn site cheaper, its important to fly in your comfort zone as well, although this “can” be difficult if you are two sizes  or more down than others flying in the same wind.  Most important thing is to keep it friendly and have fun.  Next time you are down the beach Carl, set up three  Marks a couple of hundred yards apart, see how long it takes for others to start following you around, all of a sudden you will be racing! Simples….  Hey the PTW Cup, i am sure you could russle up a couple of prizes!!!  🙂
  • Martin Smith – for the spka side your best talking to Keith Haynes or Robert Mitchell I’m sure they would write something up for you for the site about the spka racing
  • Stephen Berry – As far as the licence test goes, i was quite worried about what it entailed but the guys from the pka were really helpful and the practical test was explained until you got it right.
  • John Jones – carl in answer to the question posted earlier, i raced with pansh flux’s, a couple of old predators and a radsail buggy, after sitting the written and practical tests with the SPKA, epic fun
  • Robin Cook – Been meaning to set up a course for ages too Jon, cones have been in the car for months. One of these days.
    Little bit of friendly racing might have to be the answer for me living where I do. At least for a few years till I head back to the mainland for good.
  • Alan Vidow – Contact the PKA or speak to someone who attends the races.