Dan (PhatDan) Vaughan

Freestyle buggy pilot.

Ozone Questionnaire

Name: Dan 'phatdan' Vaughan

Date of birth: 04/08/71

Home ground: Leicester but Brancaster is my regular beach

No. of years riding: 5 or 6 years give or take a few injuries

What is your favourite kiting location?

Any beach that’s hard packed sand with a steady wind above 15 mph.
…and your favourite event?
I like all the events because they give me the opportunity to fly alongside other riders. The friendly competitive edge at these events motivates me to push harder and pursue new avenues of riding styles and tricks. Then of course there’s the socializing and the parties.
I thought the kite jam stood out as being the most organized and wasn’t ruined despite a lack of wind because of the other activities that were on offer.


What’s your favorite trick?
Big airs with floaty landings are my favorite tricks whether with rotations, kite loops or just big I love the feeling you get when your just hanging in the air.
What are your results in competition?
Position Event year
2nd Sat x-zone autumn games Freestyle 2004
1st Sun x-zone autumn games Freestyle 2004
2nd Sat x-zone autumn games Kite cross 2004
2nd Round 1 NPFS 2005
1st Round 2 NPFS 2005
1st Skypark expression session 2005
Who do you most admire in the sport and why?



What are your plans for this year/next season?
Next season will be my first with ozone. I hope to build on an already close working relationship with the team and company providing feedback and advice to help further develop an already excellent kite ranges for future seasons.
I will also be arranging some demo days for Ozone equipment with my sponsor www.cygnus-sails.com and also with club Airboss. The date and location is as yet to be finalized so feel free to contact them to express an interesting attending.
I hope to attend even more event during the year to representing Ozone in both demos and competitions.
What are your goals within the sport?
To keep pushing myself further improving on my skills.
To improve my knowledge of the equipment.
To become a qualified instructor.
But more importantly than these to continue having fun doing the sport I love (cheesy but true).
How do you see the future of kiting?
I’m glad I had the chance to develop my skills in a time without restrictions and an almost gun ho attitude towards danger but I feel kiting will, through increasing numbers be forced into becoming more organised. People will perhaps need proper tuition, certificates of competence and proof of insurance in order for the sport to survive within the environment of increasing bans and restrictions placed on us by local authorities. I hope that a national club will evolve so that travelling to different flying sites will still be possible and easy. It’s a credit to the people within the sport that so many bans have already been rescinded.
I’m hoping to see a more established freestyle series next year with more events and more support. This competitive edge will help drive the riders harder and increase the speed at which the sport develops. As on the water tricks will probably become more technical and not just big as we are already seeing in mountain boarding from the likes of Butch and Lewis. This same driving force will also keep the manufacturers on their toes so that they can provide their rider the equipment that gives them the edge over the competition.
Who are your sponsors?
Ozone UK and www.cygnus-sails.com
CD currently in the player?
Jack Johnson In Between Dreams, Madeleine Peyroux Careless Love, Black Eyed Peas Monkey Business
What book is on your bedside table?
Philip Pullman His Dark Materials trilogy
The last word…..
Dude

Top of page | Print this page