Sisters coming to blows in desert

• Published date: 28 March 2024
• Author: Michaela Gower
• Publication title: Hawkes Bay Today

The Hawke’s Bay family are part of the 25-member New Zealand team that will take to the world stage and compete on the salt flats in the Nevada desert

Invented by Tauranga man Paul Beckett, the Blokart is a three-wheeled, triangular-shaped cart powered by an extendable sail that uses the wind for propulsion. It requires similar skills to sailing, which the family are familiar with.

“You can get up to speeds of 80km/h on these things that are about 100mm to 200mm off the ground — it’s pretty intense,” said father, Scott Pedersen.

Pedersen — who would also compete — encouraged his daughters, Jade, 14, and Sophie, 12, to take up the land-based sport two years ago after the family had spent a lot of time at the Napier Sailing Club.

The sisters will be in the 70kg weight category and previously competed at the world champs held at Sanson and Ōhakea in 2022.

Jade will defend her second-place youth title and Sophie would be the youngest competitor, and is likely to face others much older than her.

The family train at the Prebensen Drive Blokart Track in Napier, which is...