How it All Started For Me

Well some time during the summer of 2003, I went to Fen Lane Park in Hykeham and saw a guy flying a power kite; I watched him for a while and finally went over to speak to him. He was really friendly and answered any questions that I asked him.

Then it happened…..he asked me if I would like to have a go with his kite, it was a Blade 3m on a bar. As soon as I had put the kite killer on my wrist, to prevent the kite flying away should I let go, the kite powered up and dragged me about 10m across the field, that was it really, that was the precise moment the kiting bug hit me. I asked him what kite I should go for as a first kite, and he said a 2m Fire bee.

At home that night, straight onto EBay and searched for a 2m Firebee….found one and paid my dues.

When it came, that was it, at every opportunity I had, I was out flying with the kite. I loved it and learned the basics of kiting on that great little kite, I say little it seemed huge to me at the time.

I had that kite for about a year until I got a 5m Beamer, since then I have had many kites, from Sammi’s to JoJo’s, Bullets to Blades, but for the type of kiting I did next which was purely buggying, cruising down the beach, I had the 4,6,8 & 10m Access’s, perfect for me….I still had a few fixed line kites, but they very rarely come out of my kite bag.

I had never seen a buggy in the flesh, but attempted to make one at work, the result was the Grass Cutter Buggy, shortly after completing it, I soon realized it didn’t quite look like a conventional buggy and so never even used it once. I sold it on eBay and it now lives in Australia

A year later, I saw a PL XR with kenda Scorpions on and thought it was the mutt’s nuts, I paid about £200 for it and could not wait to try it out. An opportunity came and Dan and I went to Cleethorpes, I was so proud rolling that onto the beach for the first time. It was only then that I really started taking any notice of other buggies, and realized that the PL XR wasn’t that brilliant after all…..

I decided I would collect a picture of every buggy that I liked the look of, and spent time going through the pictures and taking note of parts that I liked on certain buggies.

I then started work in my dinner times at work making the 06 Fandango Buggy, luckily for me everything I wanted to achieve I managed to do, I even made a steel mudguard for it. I posted a few pics on the forums at this stage and was really amazed at the response it got. I loved the look and feel of the buggy, but it seemed hundreds of other people did too.

Once powder coated and put together in my kitchen, I was in love….so, so pleased, with every little detail that I had spent on the buggy, it just looked perfect.

That buggy has now gone to its new owner in London, who loves and looks after the buggy just as I had done. I have since made quite a few other buggies, all of which the owners have been very happy with, one of two minor hiccups, but nothing that couldn’t be sorted. My next buggy was the Prowler, I never even got to ride that one a Trucknut sapped it up straight away lol, then the PTW Panther, a stainless race type buggy, again I am was pleased with ever aspect of it, but there was always room for improvement.

After the Panther, it was the Cougar, my first true race buggy, The SuperBug, the Cougar2, then onto my first lighter weight all terrain buggy the WildKat, what an awesome buggy that is on barrow tyres.

The Dominator, is an absolute beast of a buggy and weighs over 67kgs, and since been fitted with a leading link. The development of the Power Kite Buggy has taken over a huge chunk of my life, I am very lucky to have a wife who will put up with me, either in the garage or on the beach any spare time I have.

Whats next, well I replaced the Wildkat with a light weight version of the Dominator, called the Cheetah and then went back to basics with a twist and made the SuperBug2, first time out in this buggy hitting 57.4mph. The Dominator 4 was next to follow, and that as far as I am concerned is the one noticable and most rigid buggies on the planet, you walked onto the beach with that buggy and everyone, and I mean everyone turns and look…..even non kiters, they look for an engine lol

Over the years, I have made many new friends from all over the world through building buggies, from places like Dubai, Austailia, New Zealand, Europe and the USA. I have been lucky enough to meet a few of those people, The Sand Yeti in the Dubai desert and many of my American friends at NABX.

I hope over time to meet a whole lot more.