Over the past 10 years or so, a new sport called Kite Surfing, or Kite Boarding has brought international attention to the kiting scene. I got caught up in it as well, becoming a certified Kite Board Instructor back in 2006, but I always loved kite buggying more!

In 1990 I opened a Kite shop in York Pa. Soon after, Kite buggying was born, delivered to us by the famous dude from New Zealand and my old friend, Peter Lynn.

I bought one of the first ones and after struggling a bit in south beach miami during a sport kite competieion, my buddy Dean and I met other friends in the Dry Lake Beds of Nevada and really learned, very quickly. For many years after, we made many trips to the the desert, both in California and Nevada, and to the beaches on the west and east cosst, often in Wildwood NJ. Treasure Island Florida, Jeckel Island Georgia, Outer Banks NC, oh, just so many places. I even Kite buggied in front of 200,000 spectators in Meddellin Columbia S.A. during a half time break during a national play off soccer game in the Meddellin Soccer Stadium, on the side of a mountain in Columbia, many times on the Beach's of Fano Denmark, In China, France, Italy, Germany, The Canary Islands, Aruba and Spain and probably some more places I cant remember right now, like Ireland, England and more! Those really were the days.

Around 2005 I was filming a Buggy video in Galveston Texas after conducting one of my Flight School Dual Line Classes and felt a pain in my lower back. I kept going, executing tricks like riding on two wheels, spins, power slides, 360's, 540''s and more. Well, I hurt my lower back and that was the last time I ever Kite Buggied.

Until a couple of months ago.

I was flying sport kites with my wife at the beach in Wildwood NJ, testing a competition prototype of the Crossfire. We were flying pairs, following each other around in the sky, having the best time, laughing, getting tangles and crashes, also some very good flying as well, when I saw and old friend I have not seen in 5 or 6 years, Kite buggying. After our greetings, I asked if I could try it. I had also ripped my Rotor Cuff just two years earlier so I was a little nervous.

So I took a short ride and it really was just like riding a bike. I immediately rode backwards, did a power slide and returned the buggy.

As soon as I got home, I dug out my 10 year old rusty buggy, got it fixed up, called Jim at Skydog and asked for a couple of SDT kites which he immediately sent.

Two weeks later I was back in Wildwood N.J. during the A.K.A. (American Kite Association) Convention, but I had no time for that, only buggying. I was surprised I was the only one on the beach Kite Buggying, but I did it for hours and hours and hours for two days logging over 10 hours in a two day period, no back pain, no shoulder pain, i was in heaven!

The two kites were the Sky Dog Traction 2.8 and 4.0. and they performed perfectly! Everyone asked "what was that white kite you were flying, it looked like it performed great!"

Two weeks after that, I returned to Wildwood N.J. for the annual WBB, Wildwood Buggy Blast. Traction kiters from all over the US and Canada showed up for this awesome event. Actually, it takes place twice a year. Fall and Spring. I logged in more time than anyone else with some of the fastest speeds, even compared to the new "depowered" Kites which are based on Kite surfing kites, using a bar controller which are normally much larger and way more expensive.

Great marketing by some companies have some buggiers convinced that they need to have these kites, but at $1000 and up, no thanks!

On a side note, you can get two sizes of Skydog Kites that will meet most wind needs, plus a buggy for that price.

We did have light winds one day, and my 4.0 was not enough, so I borrowed a SDT 5.5 from Dave who is a skydog endorsed kite buggier and that did the trick.

Upon returning home after 4 days of awesome buggying, I booked my ticket to the next event, and called Skydog and asked for a 5.5. which was sent out immediately. (THANKS JIM)

I packed my buggy, my new skydog kites and headed out for an event I have attended many years ago called the Dead Bird Buggy Blast which is a celebration of Thanksgiving on East Beach in Galveston Texas.

One of our close friends had recently passed away, while kite surfing, he was from Houston, and spent a lot of time on East Beach so this was also a memorial fly for Charles Jackson A.K.A. AJ (Action Jackson)

I stayed with my old friends in a house we called the "old school house" because all of us had been kite buggying since the beginning, including the inventor of our sport, Mr. Peter Lynn.

We had such a wonderful time, and I logged many hours every day kite buggying with my new SDT Kites. Every night was awesome with my old and new friends too!

I also spent time on other kites just to compare. I like them too but they were very different, reminded me of my kite surfing kites which I never really liked and although I was fast on them as well, i preferred my quad line foils.

Many kite buggiers asked me (again) "what is that white kite you are flying, it really performs and you are the fastest guy on the beach!" White Kite? Oh yeah, the back is white.....Any way many were impressed with the performance, I was doing a lot of spins with very fast speeds, often passing these kites that are 3 times larger and 3 times more expensive!

Two days I could not buggy because I took my friend to the airport and then it rained, the next day the winds were just too high, over 25mph with gusts to 35 and more...

Monday I was by myself, I had many hours to kill before my evening flight back to Baltimore...So I buggied and buggied until some of my new kite surfing/kite bugging friends showed up.

I am so happy to kite buggying again, and to have such an awesome and affordable quiver of Sky Dog Traction kites to fly. They really were IMO, the best performers on the beach!

I have proof, I have video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN-Xi2gk_hk

Sorry, cant seem to get this link, but copy and paste. You can also go to my personal Youtube page to see this video at www.facebook.com/doddtunes

I had an awesome time making this, and I sincerely hope you enjoy!

My next event is NABX in April 2012. North American Buggy Exhibition which takes place at State Line, NV, 40miles from Las Vegas on the dry lake bed Ivanpah which I have been too at least a dozen times in my life, I love that Place!

If you are interested in Kite Buggying, please contact me. I will be happy to help you. Please do not feel that you have to have one of the Depowered kites which cost $800 and up, even if you are a kite surfer. Speed records are set with foils, similar to the SDT, not Depowered kites. They are easy to learn and easy to use and when you are buggying in the park like I am with out a lot of room, much better to use, plus, you can buy all the traction kites you will ever need plus a buggy for the price of one Depowered kite....

Enjoy the video and best wishes and Happy New Year! See you at NABX!

I am so proud to say that since the mid 90's, my sport kite designs have dominated the Sport kiting market.

And here is why...

1. The only Sport kite designer with National Competition Championship titles. What does that mean exactly? It means that I competed against the best in the country and came out on top. I learned everything I could about sport kites, not just how to fly them, but how to adjust them and what frames worked the best in different winds etc...Sure other designers have competed too, but in order to be the Master Champion, you need to be consistant and, really know your kites and conditions. And that is why I succeeded. I was not satisfied with being 3rd. I did however, have and advantage, I owned a Kite shop.

2. One of the only Sport Kite Desigers with Wholesale/Retail ownership Experience. What does that mean? It means that for 4 years, I owned my own kite shop and I learned everything. I began sewing and designing at that time, produced kitings first dual line training videos then, and learned everything about making and flying every style of kite! That later translated to a vast amount of knowledge that other designers just didn't have. I knew what the end user, you, needed and wanted first hand and the hard way. With my own money! This is important. Many know some things, but they work for others, they do not have their own money invested. It is very different when your decision affects your own pocket book! Lessons are learned the hard way, and fast or you go out of business.

For 6 years with my wholesale/import company, Dodd's Kite Company, I traveled Europe with the first international Sport kite Pro Classes (Flight School by Master Instructor Dodd Gross) and found the best sport kites in Europe, spent my own money on them and introduced them to the US through my import/wholesale business, many name brands you know today.

3. Factory Time. I spent many months (years of my life), learning the languages, working in and at kite factories all over the world. In many casees, as a "new eye" I was able to improve and come up with new procedures that these factories are now using today.

The first to take the concept of manufacturing a beginner sport kite with the same methods used for upper end kites. And that is why my designs continue to dominate the market.

The first time I stepped into a kite factory I just could not believe that the smaller kites were so bad. The manufacturing is basically the same as a larger sport kite. That is when I said "it is just as easy to make a good flying kite as it is to make a bad one". You just need to start with a good design. Easier said than done!

It is easy to take a proven design and copy it, but what you end up with is a bad clone. Beware of these! They may look good on the wall , but in the air there is a difference.

When I am desiging I always start from scratch. If it does not fly well, I spend some time on the bridle, but if still doesnt match up, I then throw it away and start fresh.

Because of my experience now, it doesnt take as long, but believe me, beginner kites are the most difficult to design and is the reason most companies don't have good flying ones. But we do!

I am proud to have developed a very good reputation for designing great flying kites for all skill levels, focusing on beginners, why? Because I have what others don't have, all that expereince and with successful designs, not just numbers over the years. My competitors know that. So they do look to my designs to find out why they sell, why they fly well.
They say it is a form of flattery. I say, get your own experience!

Another reason Skydog sport kites do well is that they are consistant. One full time designer. Most kite companies use sport kite desigers who design for many companies. Freelance. They are competing against them selves and are not always giving their best designs. I ONLY DESIGN FOR SKYDOG. SKYDOG gets my best for each season. My Very best. Not something left over that didnt sell or was bought up last year. I am exclusive to skydog.

Thank you so much for flying, buying and selling my designs over the past 16 years. I really appreciate your support and your business and allowing me to continue to do what I love! Thank you so much and I promise to keep designing the best sport kites for Skydog, for you and your customers, providing you with the best sales tools and training videos! Best winds, Dodd Gross, Master Sport kite Designer/Instructor, Skydog Kites LLC.

Hello everyone! Would you like to see some of our Sport Kite in action? Click on the link below and enjoy!

Skydog Videos

Dodd Gross

Hi Everyone,

While on Vacation in South Carolina (video to follow) I spent a lot of time on my two favorite upper end sport kites, the Sweet Emotion and the Crossfire.

I love the Crossfire because it is easy to fly. For an older sport kite flier like me, it is like putting on an old glove. But since I have been flying a long time, I tend to push my kites hard and the 6mm frame in the Crossfire sometimes breaks in higher winds. Don't get me wrong, the Crossfire is a great kite and very durable, but I prefer Polyester sails, I like the responsiveness of them, and I also like stiffer and better frames i.e. Wrapped Graphite.

So while on vacation, after many days of re-connecting with my Crossfire, I decided that my new design for 2011 would be a competition model of the Crossfire.

When I returned, I flew the Crossfire a few more weeks, tested a new bridle, and then sent the specs to the factory.

A week ago I received the new Crossfire Comp 2011 and was very pleased at the workmanship from our factory, as always. So I got out my little camera and started shooting and although I did so some experimenting, I pretty much went back to my original Comp specs. And she is performing wonderfully as you can see in the video.

The difference........
I changed the sail graphics back to my original graphic design I did for the Crossfire STD. Changed the 3/4oz ripstop nylon sail to .5oz polyester, the 6mm carbon frame to a wrapped graphite frame. Kept all of the cool features, covered leading edge and nose, but changed the bridle to a Reverse Turbo Bridle, and the Weights to stainless steel to prevent rusting. Other than that, it still flys like the original, only better! Hope you enjoy!
Best wishes, Dodd Gross

Hi Everyone, sorry for not posting more here.

I am in the middle of shooting and editing video for our site. We have a few up there now, mostly assembly of product but I am working on the instructional videos for all skill levels. Sometimes it takes time to get them posted to the site so I have posted them under my bands youtube account for now.

www.youtube.com/bobnobleband

It is an easy way for me to get them on line and get some feed back. Then I make the changes if needed, send them to Skydog to be embedded on our site.

Please visit us on Facebook. Best wishes, Dodd