Too Many OBEs

For the first three months of this year I have covered over twice the distance that I did for the same period in 2007. (well over 1200 kms)

I have also had more than three times as many OBE’s in that period.
I analyse every OBE to figure out what I did wrong in the hope of avoiding the same mistake.
I think I’m pushing the envelope a bit harder now than I ought.

Recent OBE’s occured when turning too fast to avoid some rocks. Another one happened in some good sized dunes when I was shouting directions to Bolts who seemed to be bouncing off in the wrong direction late in the afternoon.
I should have concentrated on what I was doing instead of concerning myself about others. Sorry Bolts, I know you will read this .

Last Friday was a terrible day. We were becalmed for a lot of it but suddenly got smacked with such gusts that we didn’t know what hit us. It was like a light switch going on & off much of the day.

My first problematic encounter with that dreadful wind condition was when my 6.5 Blade IV literally started to fall out of the sky like a wet rag as the wind stopped. Suddenly, a gust hit like the kite like an express train breaking the left hand brake & power lines.

Not messing too much with sorting lines I wrapped it up and put on my 6.6 Blade III.

Probably most of you know that I have been experimenting with videoing from about the end of last year. I had mounted my cam on my rear axle but pointed it about 45º to the left so as to just catch the rear wheel looking out towards the left side & a bit forward.

You will see in the vid. (link below) that it illustrates very well what I go through in the ever changing terrain of rapidly changing angles.
Watch the skyline when the cam’s on it.

About 2½ minutes into the vid., I start to go up a small dune just a few feet high & the wind stopped when I reached the ridge. I was then hit by one of those express gusts that picked me up & threw me over the front forks. The vid. catches it all very well.

I look like I’m playing the injured pantomine football player but in fact as I lay on the sand, I was checking that I was not damaged as my goggles had somehow got shoved up jamming between the top of forehead & helmet.

Other than a little scraped skin on my right ankle, I was OK.
It was one of those moments when my body armour investment paid off.

The only damage on the buggy was a broken footstrap from the left hand peg.

You might find this cam angle interesting as I hadn’t tried videoing like this before