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Coming to NABX?

Howdy Buggy-Brethren,
I know. You've been thinking about the desert and the buggy and the opportunity.
But you don't know anybody.
You've been figuring out the kites and buggy pretty much on your own and the gang at NABX sounds like they all know each other and you won't fit in.
I know.

If you come and bring that mind-set, you just might be right.
The community of riders that gather for such an event accepts each other pretty much as we are.
Quite a wide range of individuals, from around the world, with an equally wide range of backgrounds.

To be practical, the problem isn't so much the strangers as the strange situation.
How does one make a trip to NABX practical?
If practical means on the cheap… Post to the message board for a room-mate – Sharing the reasonable rate with another.
The rooms are standard rooms. The prices can be so reasonable because of the location.
Think about it: Vegas gets more than half their visitors by car from California.
Folks have already been on the road for 3-4 hours and they're an hour from the Strip.
Why would they stop? Cheap rooms and cheap food. Shrewd marketing.
We benefit from 3 nice hotels and a selection of restaurants literally at the north end of Ivanpah lakebed. Some 3-4 miles from our “buggytown”.

So you'll need a car. Another item that can be split up between a couple of buggiers.
Find close arrivals and departures for added convenience.
Nothing elaborate or expensive.
Back and forth to the airport (or the Strip) and back and forth from your hotel to buggytown each day.
Since we have an established camp on the playa, you can leave your buggy gear each evening without worry.
No hauling buggies back and forth each day.
No hauling of camping gear AND all your buggy gear on the airplane.
Hot shower each day and a comfortable bed.

Getting your buggy gear to the playa can be a challenge.
Not everyone has their shipping box or a sturdy-enough buggy-bag.
Couple of ideas, the first to those who saved their boxes.
Pack the frame and seat in the box and the put it in a duffle bag.
The frame would rub right through canvas, but not if it's in the box.
Pack the wheels on top of the box and pad with kites or clothes.
This can be checked baggage on your flight.

Don't want to schlep your gear at all?
I believe Buffalo Bill's has accepted UPS shipments directly, timed to show up with the guest.
I have accepted shipments at my shop, but I go the pre-event and move out to the event on Wednesday, so timing can be a problem.

Only other issue I can think of is the superstition that one must possess a certain skill-level to attend.
Where do you suppose we can go to watch what others, perhaps better than ourselves, have figured out?
Visual-modeling is an established method of learning. We use the heck out of it.

But that doesn't even matter.
At NABX, going fast just means you're probably buggying alone.
This event is about our community.
Made up of the individuals attending.
NABX is the venue, but WE are the content.

Simple as it sounds… Follow-the-Leader is a favorite game.
This year the NPW-On Handles races sound like a hoot.
Pimp-Your-Buggy, started last year, has sprung nearly full-grown into our buggy-culture and will blossom this year in astounding ways.
Short-course, same-size racing sounds like fun too.

There is so much room on this playa that non-racers can easily buggy, in fact we have three or four times more space than used by the 50 Mile Enduro course.
Turns out there are lots more beginner-intermediate riders than most thought.
So everyone feels pretty comfortable and if the wind co-operates, there's plenty of playa.

Bring a wide selection of clothing as the weather and temperature can vary widely.
A jacket for the evenings, some sweat shirts and tee's, long pants, maybe shorts, and buggy-boots.
A hat is handy, as well as gloves and goggles.
The only really critical thing, however, is YOU.
Want to live in that world? Gotta be that guy.

A brief aside to those enjoying libation.
A passel of us sippers have fashioned “shot-cars” to make it even more silly.
A matchbox car with a shot glass glued to the top.
Make one for yourself to drive at our evening “shot-car” rally and you can feel like “one-of-the-guys” even if you're a girl.
And bring a bottle of what you like, to share.

Safen Up! Buggy On!

“Often wrong… Never in doubt”

the coreylama