PKA 2017-2018 SERIES, ROUND ONE: HOYLAKE

The Perfect Day on the Beach

OCTOBER 28 – 29

PHOTOS:  Stuart Turton

Picture that perfect day on the beach: Sun, sand, smooth winds and good company.

Now contrast that with winds so strong that dunes form around buggy wheels; foil kites fill up with sand in seconds; a fog of sand being thrown at you, choking and blinding as you try to look around.

It seems hard to believe that both can be just as enjoyable, but after a weekend of racing at Hoylake there were huge smiles on the faces of flyers walking off the beach following the 1^st round of the PKA national kite buggy racing championship.

Winds gusting up to around 40mph made many rethink their kite quiver for a moment and for the first time in many years there were more small, robust kites in the air than there were sleek race kites.

The great thing about kite competitions is that the unpredictability of the weather and beach can be a great leveller – especially for those who can’t always have the latest kit, the biggest quiver or have the pleasure of flying at the coast. 3 races in super-strong winds on Saturday and 5 races in decreasing winds on Sunday meant that everyone was continually tested.

Top open class pilot: Robert Thomas. Top woman: Alison Summersfield.
Masters class: 1^st Ryan McGavin, 2^nd Adrian Lavelle and 3^rd Chris Wilson.

Now the winter has arrived there may be fewer perfect days on the beach, but that doesn’t always mean you can’t enjoy it…

If you’re interested in trying kite buggy racing there are lots of local opportunities to take part with clubs like SWATK in the South West and WSYC at Hoylake. Event dates for 2018 will be announced soon so visit: http://www.parakartassociation.co.uk/ and like The PKA on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/parakartassociation/