Kite buggy

A kite buggy is a light, purpose-built vehicle powered by a traction kite (power kite). It is single-seated and has one steerable front wheel and two fixed rear wheels. The driver sits in the seat located in the middle of the vehicle and accelerates and slows down by applying steering manoeuvres in coordination with flying manoeuvres of the kite. This activity is called kite buggying. The speed achieved in kite buggies by skilled drivers can range up to around 110 km/h (70 mph), hence protective clothing, including a safety helmet, is commonly worn.

The kite buggy was probably invented in China around the 13th century. It was promulgated by George Pocock (inventor) in the UK in 1827 and kite buggies were available commercially in US and UK in the late 1970s.Peter Lynn is generally attributed with the modern popularization of buggies and kite buggying with his introduction of strong, lightweight, affordable buggies in the early 1990s.

Kite buggying is similar to land yachting, windsurfing or even yachting, and therefore much of its terminology and technique has been adopted from these activities. Kite buggies are classified as "Class 8 Land Yachts " by FISLY and kite buggying competitions are often based on established land yachting guidelines.

The kite buggy's rear wheels are mounted at the ends of the rear axle. The front wheel is mounted in the front fork. In advanced buggy designs either or both front and rear wheels can be attached via suspension mechanisms.

The front fork is not unlike a bicycle's fork apart from proportions and the fact that there is no handle bar at the top. Instead there are two foot rests sticking out, on the left and right of it, attached to the fork very low down, near where the wheel is mounted. These foot rests have two main purposes:

Foot rests can be fitted with foot straps and grip tape to prevent the feet from sliding off the rests during extreme buggying action. Foot straps are not recommended for beginners, due to the possibility that they will not be able to remove their feet from the pegs if the buggy flips over and therefore risk breaking their ankles.

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Wikipedia