About You

Name?
Richy Stones aka Richy303

Location?
Westward Ho! North Devon

Where will we find you flying in your free time?
Westward Ho! Beach. Good quality sand.  Some soft patches and a few rocks closer to the estuary - good fun for some off road action!  Better sand for land-boarding towards the southern half of the beach.  It's ideally positioned to catch the prevailing westerly winds off the Atlantic, which also keeps it mild in winter.

Favourite Location and why?
Saunton Sands. Lovely sand, beautiful surroundings and close to home.  The hard sand is more consistent than The Ho!  But it's academic as there's currently a buggy ban in place!

Current Sponsors?
The Powerkiteshop have been kind enough to sponsor me through 2004 and continue to support me in 2005.  I would also like to thank Flexifoil, Wind Designs and Vliegerop BV for their support during 2004.

Equipment

Kit?
For '04 and '05 I shall mostly flying the Blade MkIII 4 ,4.9, 6.6, 8.5 and Phantom 6m. Riding Flexi Buggy, modified.  Plenty of PPE, one MP3 and one Camel Back.

What harness do you use generally and what are the advantages?
These past few years I've been using a climbing harness. The reason I changed was to move away from the spreader bar as it digs in my ribs.  Since using it I have got an improved centre of gravity and the centre of pull remains constant. It generally improves balance which is especially important for tricking.

What is there in the way of equipment that you think could be advanced? Handles and pulleys.  Up to now both of these have been very basic with little thought going into the design.  After a couple of seasons most riders start to make their own modifications.  I know of some new designs that are in prototype, I just hope they get released ASAP.  While I love the flexi buggy to bits, I'm starting to wonder if the addition of brakes could open up some possibilities for freestyle?  De-powerable kites are starting to make some impact on bugging.  The Peter Lynn Phantom has had a fast rise to fame in the buggy scene. I think there's some scope for a de-powerable buggy kite.  The Blade is still the #1 kite for freestyle, at the moment, but it's going to be interesting watching what happens towards the end of '05 as riders work out how to get the best out using a bar.

The Past

What attracted you to the sport of Kite Buggying and how long is it now you've been doing it? I've been buggying for about 6 years.  It's a tricky thing to describe why I love it so much.  Many people have tried to explain it before me; I'm not a poet so I can't put a feeling into words very well.  It's a combination of the outdoors and harnessing nature, try it and you might understand. I love the variety the buggy offers in particular.  It will freestyle, race and tour; whatever your mood, what ever the terrain, the buggy will fit the bill.

What events have you been to and what sort of atmosphere and reception was there to you and buggy jumping in general?
Buggy jumping is getting a lot of exposure in the UK but still catches the eye of those that have never seen it before.  The lens caps are taken off very quickly once the public figures out what's going on.  So far the type of jumping seen in the UK is peculiar to the UK.  We have taken it to the SBBB in Nevada and impressed the Yanks in March '04.  In September '04 we went to Holland where we entertained the crowds at their national kite festival.  Generally people are very impressed, but at the same time question our sanity!  Kite surfers especially think we're mad!

Have you ever considered racing in a buggy or have you always just been into freestyle? I have always been into freestyle.  I see freestyle as an expression and an extension of freeriding.  This year's freestlye series is going to see the first formal freestyle competition.  I guess the discipline's mature enough to make it worthwhile, but it's a departure from freeriding that may not appeal to some.

What sort of tricks are you pulling off? Is there anything you class as your trademark move?  
I like to master as many tricks as possible and work on combinations and transitions.  I think your own expression and interpretation of a trick is as important as the trick itself. Being able to pull off a trick is not the same as doing it well.  I like to make my moves as smooth as possible, keep my buggy in one piece and walk, not hobble, off the beach!

So what advice would you give to new buggy freestylers?
Don't go big, before you go smooth.  Master the ground work first. The better you are at freestyle with your wheels on the ground the better you'll be in the air.  Don't push yourself too hard as the ground is unforgiving and always wins!  Always wear PPE - especially a helmet.  I know it's all very boring advice but it will keep you fit and able to fly again next weekend.