Kite buggy fan pleads for land (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Kite buggy fan pleads for land

KITE buggy enthusiast Toby Robson is trying to find a large piece of land in Wiltshire to enable him to set up a club.

At present Mr Robson, 33, who lives in Old Town, Swindon, undertakes a three hour trip to participate in his hobby.

Kite buggying involves enthusiasts sitting in a three wheeled buggy while holding a large kite and being propelled by the wind.

The skill is to maintain the buggy on its course.

Mr Robson, who was brought up in Littleton Panell, near Devizes, where his parents still live, said: "Kite buggying is a fast growing sport and where ever I go I see more kites and kite buggies appearing.

"There are enough people doing the sport locally who would be interested in forming a club.

"I used to use a field on Salisbury Plain and now I go to the beach at Pendine Sands in South Wales which is a three hour drive.

"Although people expect to see mountain bikers and horses in their local open places, councils and landowners tend to be a bit cautious when they see something that looks a bit different.

"That's why I would like to find some land, in the region of 20 acres, so the interests of different people don't conflict."

Mr Robson, who works as a public relations officer, said the land has to be relatively flat and on high ground with not many trees and open to the elements.

Mr Robson, whose other hobbies include sculpting and keeping bees, got involved in kite buggying a few years ago. He said: "I walked past a kite shop the week before I was due to get the keys to my house and I thought I owed myself one last silly present before I got a mortgage.

"I took my kite on to Salisbury Plain and scared myself silly with it. I had no buggy and I wore down the seat of my trousers on a few occasions. Once I bought a buggy it was much better and I was hooked."

Although kite buggying is classed as an extreme sport, Mr Robson says most enthusiasts don't race around at break neck speeds. He said: "The buggy speed racing record is 70mph and I can get up to 30mph.

"But I'm not one of these extremists who do kite jumping which is where you strap yourself into your buggy and use the kite to propel yourself upwards so you can perform stunts in mid air.

"It can be a very staid sport. You are pitting your wits against the wind. You are moving in one direction and the kite is pulling you in a slightly different direction, it's very akin to sailing."

Mr Robson, a member of the British Buggy Club, said most people can do kite bugging.

"Power kiting is a very good form of exercise for the cardio vascular system and the upper body," he said.

Mr Robson uses a wind meter to ascertain the speed and direction of the wind. He has four kites and uses the one that is most appropriate for the wind speed.

He has fallen out of his buggy a few times but said the sport has fewer accidents than mountain biking and horse racing.

If you can help Mr Robson by offering him suitable land, call him on 07747 022362.