BUGGY BOOGIE THANG

What is this thing called a “Thang”?
What’s it all about?

Elementary, my dear surfers.

It all began long, long ago, in a strange, strange land far, far away.
Back in 1993, in California.

The creation of the modern kite buggy by Peter Lynn
in 1990 sparked a revolution in land sailing.
Here was a light-weight, strong and durable,
transportable adventure machine.
With sufficient skills, a buggy sailor could access spots
and terrain denied the more traditional land yacht.

Among many buggy spots, the desert dry lakes that spot
the Mojave Desert in the Southwestern U.S. are
ranked amongst the very best.
Besides the hard, dry, relatively smooth surface
and the vast, unobstructed space available,
many of the dry lakes in the Mojave are also very accessible.

One of the most accessible is the famous El Mirage Dry Lake,
between Victorville (on I-15) and Palmdale (on the Antelope Fwy).
Made famous by the early hot rods that started racing there in the late 40’s – early 50’s, Elmer’s Garage (as it was nicknamed) is big enough to accommodate many groups of users in many different outdoor activities.

We started riding buggies there in the winter of 1991-92.
The early buggy riders found a spot near the far end,
where the land-sailers played and where motorcycle riders
had made a sort of moto-x course that our buggies could negotiate. Up and down over and through… With a little more speed we could catch some air over the “pucker-bumps” (so named for their ability to cause a posterior-pucker if you weren’t paying attention).

Unlike more conventional sports and hobbies, wind-powered sports don’t necessarily “go” when the whistle blows.
We “go” when the wind blows.

Paying attention to the weather and
wind conditions becomes a part of play.
Instead of paying attention to some authority figure
telling how and when to play…
We’ve evolved into a sense of buggy-gathering
that forms its own authority – Determined by the wind.

A sense of not playing with buggies and kites,
the “things”, so much as playing with the wind.
Kites and buggies are merely the tools we use
to accomplish our goals.
So it isn’t about the “things”.

It’s starting to become a “Thang”

Venturing further into the void, in 1993,
hearing of a land-sailing regatta to be held near
Las Vegas on a dry lake called Ivanpah, I went, I saw, I was moved.
Ivanpah is restricted to wind-powered craft only
and the surface is typically the best available.
Set at the California/Nevada state line on Interstate-15,
a trio of hotel/casinos have been built, right at the
northern edge of the lake bed, to service the weary travelers.
Being only an hour from Vegas, the prices are very competitive.
Our usual camping/launching site is about 3 miles down
the edge of the lake bed (called “playa” - Spanish word for beach)

Now the stage was set.
The Kite Trade Assoc. annual trade show was to be held
in Las Vegas in January of 1994.
The kite trade was stronger then and we had a
respectable European attendance.
I knew many of the European kiters and knew
they’d not want to just come for a week and return,
they’d welcome an excuse to make this U.S. trip a bit… more.
That would be the core and provide much of the flavor.
The European flyers typically knew each other better,
as the distances are not so great there.
American flyers are scattered over much greater distances
and as the buggy sport was brand new, hadn’t had
much opportunity to know each other.

More flavor.
I have a copy of James Cotton blowing his harp on a
song called “Boogie Thang”.
The lyrics in the chorus: “..It’s a Boogie Thang…
It’s a Boogie Thang…” readily allow the insertion
of the word “Buggy” in the second line.
When I’m singing along.
Listeners don’t always get that the “Buggy”
word isn’t in the song.

Then, a final ingredient.
That last dash of a certain spice that sets up all the others.
Andy King, from London, there at the beginning, insisted.
“It’s a THANG! – It’s too real! – Must be an “A”

So I announced a BUGGY BOOGIE THANG to be held
at Ivanpah Dry Lake beginning 17 January 1994,
directly after the close of the KTAI Trade Show,

Co-incidentally, that morning, the 17th of January,
was the Northridge Earthquake in Los Angeles.

I believe our event to be the First event-specific
Buggy Gathering on Earth.
I know it was the first in the Americas.

Over 350 people showed up.
Over 100 buggies were out on the playa.

Since then, each spring and fall, with the steadfast,
reliable assistance of the Wind Wizard, we’ve held
“Sprang Thangs” (usually the weekend AFTER Memorial Day)
and “Fall Thangs” (usually the second weekend after Labor Day)
with the occasional “Summer Thang” unwisely held around the end of July- first of August when the scorching sun heats the lake beds to well over 120 degrees F.

They continue to this day.
Usual group numbers between 15-25, with the occasional
bonus gathering including twice that or more.
The current batch of “Thangs” have been at Elmer’s.
At our special spot dubbed “Walt’s Cove” –
It’s on the BLM map of El Mirage.

No club.
No organization.
No dues.

We merely show up to camp for the weekend
and buggy with our friends.

Sometimes the simple things… err… thangs… are the best.

Corey Jensen
January 2007