The year of the kite buggy

2009 will prove to be kite buggying's most important year, when a UK champion will emerge

One of the most exhilarating feelings I have ever had is being just a few inches off the ground, annihilating it down a beach at 30mph, then sending the kite back and launching into a 12 foot jump while still being in full control of all that is going on.

Kite Buggying is gaining popularity. Although the sport has been around for a while, over the last 10 years it has really exploded. For the uninitiated, it's one of the many variations of power kiting which involves using a large kite and a 3-wheeled buggy to propel yourself along beaches and parks using nothing but the wind and Mother Nature. In the right hands, and with the right conditions, you can reach speeds upwards of 30mph.

I’ve been power kiting for just short of 10 years and kite buggying for around six – three as a pro rider.  In 2005 my local store, Edge Power Kites, offered me a sponsorship deal to help my kite sports career.  In 2007 I was taken on by Flexifoil, the leading manufacturer of power kites, and got sponsorship from Dakine, a lifestyle and sports accessories brand. Over the last few years I have entered several competitions and in 2007 won the South West Freestyle event.

After several failed attempts over the last few seasons, this year sees the first national kite buggying series in the UK – making 2009 probably the most important year for the sport. The upcoming competition has three rounds. The winner will be able to call themselves the best kite buggier in the UK. I was injured in a car accident recently, meaning I won't be able to ride for round one. I'll be entering the competition in round two on the back foot, but that's just more of a challenge for me.

There are a growing number of riders who are participating in the freestyle side of the sport - where the rider is strapped into the buggy using a lap belt with a safety system to keep them connected to the buggy at all times, but still allowing the rider to release from the buggy should they need to.

Being strapped in allows the rider to not only jump with the buggy attached to them - achieving heights over 10ft - but also enabling the rider to pull off a wide variety of manoeuvres and tricks. Some of the more advanced tricks include aerial 360 foot-outs where you jump with the buggy and do a rotation while in the air, at the same time taking your foot out of the front forks and returning them to the front forks before coming into land. There is nothing that beats that feeling!

For those who don't feel like going airborne, you don’t have to. There's a large number of people who just get into a buggy and ‘rag it’ up and down the beach, having a great time. Sat just a few inches off the ground travelling even at lower speeds feels much much faster than it really is. It's quite an easy sport to get into with a wide range of kites available for all ages and levels of ability.

See more at www.craigsparkes.com

The skinny

In the UK, there are three riders with a very good chance of taking the title at the end of the national series: Sparkes, Will Mckean and Dave Roberts. Known as the ‘young guns’, they have different variations of tricks and styles, which will make it a very good year for the sport in terms of pioneering new tricks:

Craig Sparkes

Sparkes likes to go out and nail the hard technical tricks that are difficult to pull off. Recently he has been linking ground-based tricks with aerial tricks, making each run as smooth as possible. He still loves to go out fully powered and throw out big rotations and big powered tricks but he is known as a technical rider.

Dave Roberts

Roberts is known for going nuts, throwing big airs and just being plain stupid. His riding style is powered – going 'big' is certainly Roberts' thing. One trick he has been pushing and trying to nail is the kiteloop in strong winds. When done right it looks amazing, but get it slightly wrong and it will end in tears.

Will McKean

Like Roberts, McKean loves to ride mega-powered. He recently pushed one of the oldest tricks in the book, tweaking it into a new position where the rider is almost completely upside down while in the air - a peculiar sight.