'Naki Nutbuster 2012

Boards and buggies battling on the beach

Organised by Plummet, the 2012 Taranaki Nutbuster is briefly explained in this topic and has been made into this event. Being only the second year of the annual event it holds many surprises for the newbie kiter, but it is definitely going to be a buggy-load of fun. Check out last year's description of the event by Charlie Watson.

The event takes place at Fitzroy Beach, New Plymouth, Taranaki. Spanning from Saturday 18th to Sunday 19th the Nutbuster features course races, adventure riding and more. Although the exact plans and locations are subject to wind and weather conditions heaps of action is guaranteed.

Futher information from Plummet:

OK boys. Location for the Nut Buster on Saturday is Fitzroy Beach. Race HQ will be north of the Fitrzoy Surf Club, straight out from the holiday park.

It's going to be a balmy day so stay clear of the crowds near the Surf Club flags. North of the flagged area is the better end anyway.

I'll be on the beach from 11:00 am. Race brief will be at 12:30 and the feature race will start at 1:30. We will shoehorn other activities around this.

Location for Sunday is yet to be decided. We will have a discussion at race brief.

My cellphone number is 0274 973 929. Particularly if you're comming for Sunday you'll need to ring/txt to confirm location.

The general New Plymouth public are not used to landkiting (it's only me that actively landkites in the 'Naki) so take that into account when kiting by random beach users. They will most likely have no idea at all.

Cheers and see you Saturday... or Friday night maybe.

After they'd been busted

Plummet's recollections of the event

The first day of the Naki Nutbuster was insane. Wind started at around eight knots and pulled up to a super clean fifteen knots mid afternoon.

The course race was a diamond shape with some rocks and monster puddles to avoid and a fast 50 kilometre per hour downwind run. Al and Perin battled it out until Al broke a line. We saw two new buggy racing contenders emerge with Dan taking 2nd and Lawrence taking 3rd with some solid buggy riding.

Then we had the first ever adventure race. It lived up to its name and was a true adventure. The race went like this: cruise down the beach, around the boulder wall, cross the river (chest-high and 50 metres wide), avoid the baby head sized rock field, head directly downwind and skirt the thin slither of beach with drift wood, watch out for the boxthorn hedges, cautiously keep an eye on the rusting steel girders jutting out of the beach (too small for a buggy to go through), then dash the deserted beach to the finish.

Clear? David Plumtree's very accurate sketching of the adventure course route (above right).

It was perhaps the first ever buggy races with a river crossing and one of the funniest things I've ever seen! Perrin, Conrad and Lawrence simply rode their big foot buggies across the river. Thomas ditched his kite in the river and Conrad managed to crash his kite into a boxthorn hedge and not damage his kite! Al tried to skirt the river upwind but was denied. Dan threaded the needle through the steel girders with about three centimetres to spare on either side and on the deserted beach we were all treated to the mildly-amusing sight of two naked surf casting fishermen. Perrin blazed to 1st, Dan 2nd, Lawrence 3rd and Conrad, Shaun and I followed in after.

Can't go around it... Buggiers attempted to cross the river any way they could.

We then cranked a distance jump contest. I took out the distance with 21meters and Perrin slammed a 16 metre jump on his big foot buggy race kite combo. Madness!

Day two was sweeeeeet. Wind pulled up to a solid clean 20 knots all day, great for the three events planned: cross-dressing time trial, Nut Stylee and restaurant parking.

Nut Stylee was an expression session in which each competitor had two minutes to wow the crowd. Dan Doom laid down an unbeatable smooth doomer room to take the stand up Stylee. Brett Cudby impressed everyone with 360s and two-wheeling to take the buggy Stylee.

Cross-dressing time trial meant you had to use whatever device you hadn’t used before – buggy riders using a board or doom wheels, board riders using a buggy, doomer on landboard. It was absolutely hilarious seeing the dudes out of their comfort zone. Perrin on doom wheels was a sight to behold! Brett Cudby took the cross-dressing time trial with a time of 28.65 seconds, followed by Dan, who was only 0.34 seconds slower.