grooz23

awesome, awesome, awesome!!! you guys are very busy people. are you still going to milwaukee sept. 13,14? if so what days/times whatever? i am really trying to make it down there from oshkosh this year now that i have some decent kites and know how to fly them...at least a lot better than last year (my first summer flying). hope to see you there. -greg zimmerman

i have to say first off that kitelife is my favorite website. i tool arond here and there, but outside of my local NOAA website posting wind measurements every hour this is where i end up most often. by the way, NOAA online is the kiters best friend. my suggestion is this: i know that there are a lot of phtos and stuff floaitng around on this site and it is getting larger by the day. i think it would be neat if there were a "wallpaper"/"desktop" sized download location so we coulds be putting up cool pics and/or downloading them as well. as it is right now, you have to find them through the malestrom that is this ever growing site or go through google images where most of them are way too small. just a thought...mr. Barresi. all of you kiters take care of yourselves, and keep on getting more people into it.

flew the newly refurbished totl on fathers day. 22 mph wind. AWESOME!!! pulled me around quite a bit, but nothing i couldn't handle. i actually sat down and brought it across the power zone and used it to pick me up to standing, fun, fun. i also had my rev and acrobatx set up at the same time and went to the acro and then to the quad and they felt like little toy kites after the pull of that beast. anyway, i gave it back to the owner, showed him how to fly it (he had never had it in the air) so me and the flyin' hawaiian have parted ways...fun while it lasted. on the plus side i may have cultivated a flying partner...something that i do not have here in oshkosh. thanks to everyone for the valuable input.

WOW! thank you for the very thorough breakdown. the stand off (the one that remained) was a white fiberglass rod with rubber nipple tips. i foudn some carbon fiber ones and cut two to the original size one and put tips on them, i think it'll work out. i found a 100' 200# set of lines in town (very few items to choose from) and except for the actual launching she is ready to fly. i am thinking i might sit down on initial launch as i hear it gives a good pull. oh yeah, this one has these odd, metal bridle attachments which doesn't use a larkshead. i can't wait to see what happens. a chef is me, greg z.

hey, i am getting a friends totl (team hawaiian?) back into flying condition. it needs a stand-off and some things which are no problem, but i was wondering what length/strength line to get for it. is 150# enough or should i get something stronger? this thing is huge!! he inherited it from some one, doesn't fly much if at all, but he won't sell it to me so i decided i would get it flyable and fly it for a little while before i give it back to him fair trade off for a little running around and stuff. thanks for any help in this regard. -greg zimmerman

i have had more problems with this by trying it from a fade...over and over again. i gree it is easier to start from higher positions but the way that i openend up this move was doing it in what i believe is called a "turtle" i.e. on its back, nose away from you. at this position and with enough slack it works perfectly for me everytime. i still have yet to do it from a fade, but then again i am not very good and have NO ONE to fly and learn with/from. it has been all trial and error and a few tutorials online which have helped...not very much (that's where i got the fade to backspin lesson)

i have only been doing this for a year now and needless to say i am hooked. i definitely think a bigger kite (when i say bigger i mean 64 inches & up) is much nicer to fly in terms of fun, pull, and ease of learning...they like to fly. my first kite was less than 48 inches and i tired of it quickly. you have probably, hopefully bought a kiite by now so this is probably inconsequential, but being somewhat new to this myself i have to say you came to the right place. i just bought an acrobatx that i wont get in the mail till thursday and i CANNOT wait. unfortunately i left my last kite on top of a car while loading up for a grill out and...it is no longer. a fool and his kite are soon parted. it was a new tech diode that while fun for a while and great for my wife and five year old daughter, left me wanting something a bit more trickier, so i advise listening to these guys on investing a little more at first to save you money in the long run. i wished i had. have fun. i know you will. and trust me after four hours of good wind i am sure you will be doing more than figure 8's...not that those aren't fun either.

i have been flying in oshkosh for over a year now and have yet to see ANY multi line kites. seen a few single line kites, though. i am sure there are people in o-town that fly stunt kites and keep my eyes peeled for them whenever i am anywhere near a flyable area (i fly all over the place). if anyone on these forums are in or from the area and want to fly some kites, i would love to network and go flying. i think it would be a great way to accelerate learning tricks, having other flyers to share their observations and hints, etc. my email is groozimmerman@yahoo feel free to contact me.