There were also several kite-powered buggies buzzing around. It's amazing how fast those guys can get going with a kite much smaller than an on-the-water kiteboarder would use in the same winds strength. I guess it takes less force to keep wheels rolling than it does to plow a board through the water.
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"I guess it takes less force to keep wheels rolling than it does to plow a board through the water. "
Yup, and a bit of an understatement, too. As fast as Windsurfers and Kitesurfers can go on the water, there is a ton of drag. On a buggy or skateboard, there is very little drag. Add in some high speed apparent wind, and they can easily go 3-4 times the wind speed in the right point of sail.
I took my smallest sail (4.9), put it on a long skateboard, and went out in about 10 knots of wind in a parking lot. Very quickly and with little effort, I was cruising at 20 knots of speed over the pavement, and accelerating. I stopped going out until I was better armored with pads and helmets.
And a week later my sphincter unpuckered.
That must have been a tough week. ;)
I scared myself so much on the "turfdog" land windsurfer that I bought in Florida that I turned around and sold it within about a month.
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