In August, 2006, by pure chance I went to the Chicago Botanic Gardens the day the Chicago Fire kite team was performing. I was blown away. I didn't know people flew kites like that. Zach and Josh Gordon and the rest of the team were all there flying duals and quads. I was hooked before I ever picked up my first kite.
I went home, surfed the 'net, decided a dual would be easier to learn than a quad, and bought an Acrobatx. So it was Sep. 2006 when I actually flew. Toyed around with that a few times before winter, hooked up online with a new kite club in my area, the Illinois Kite Enthusiasts.
The following spring, I met the IKE crew for a club fly. Mike Kory put the quad handles in my hands, and the rest is history. I'm a complete addict. I got my first quads (Rev 1) in May 2007 from a very generous club member, and now I have 6 Revs and I'm working on team flying.