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Showing content with the highest reputation on 12/30/2018 in all areas

  1. From the album: Riffclown's Homemades

    Showing the backlit hourglass.
    1 point
  2. That is one badass kite! I'm really impressed.
    1 point
  3. Wear strips and framing remain.. Will finish this up this afternoon!!!
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  4. Thank you Tim. A smooth transaction, received sooner than expected. Tim described both 1.5's perfectly. Great seller!
    1 point
  5. Sold! Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app
    1 point
  6. The springs on the Reflex kites will change the norm for you a bit. Going back and forth between them will give your skills the muscle memory to fly both AND allow you to select what configuration works best for you. Learning to adjust yourself to the needs of the kite is also part of the equation as you have already found out. Personally I think you are on the right path to become an amazing quad line flier. A couple of pieces of wisdom to go forward.. 1. It's never the kite's fault. You've purchased quality products from different sources and you've invested in the proper gear to make them work. From here out, it's YOU.. The kite is doing exactly what you are telling it to do. You just have to learn to tell the kite what you want using the four lines provided. 2. Take care of your gear. It's not a small investment for most people. Know the wind ranges of your kites and try to stay below that upper range as much as you possible can. Once a sail gets stretched, it is stretched. That's a one way trip. 3. Practice and fly with intent. I'm stepping on @John Barresi's line here a bit but the wisdom is very valid. Practice what you want the kite to do and it's an investment into your flying skills. Learn something every time you fly. 4. The latest gadget will not make you a better flier. Only practice will do that. There is no substitute for time on the handles. Skill only comes with practice. The latest gadget or gimmick might make the translation from your hands to the kite a bit better BUT, the kite is still only going to do what you make it do. 5. Find friend to fly with if you can. One on One learning, AND teaching, is the best way to learn and also give back to the sport. Minimize risks to yourself and the public. Fly safely and skillfully. Mind your surroundings and know both your limits and your boundaries. 6. Don't forget to breathe. Enjoy your flying to the max. Making it all work will take the fun out of it.. Give yourself a few minutes each time you fly to just fly and let the kite teach you something. Believe it or not. the kite is also a pretty good teacher if you let it be.
    1 point
  7. That spider is way cool [emoji41] nice job Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app
    1 point
  8. We've gone all around with different options and combos to include Handle design and length.. I know you got good leaders. What handles (length and type) did you finally decide to go with? Flying with full brakes will really give you a lot of extra control with gusts and especially when you start loading the sail and working on drive as well as slack line work. Also keep in mind that handle settings for one kite might be slightly different than another kite.
    1 point
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  10. Now you can control the kite. I would use a full vent kite in 18mph wind, a mid-vent in anything over 10mph. Strong wind with a standard sail is great if you like the pull, but it does stretch the sail and it can snap spars in two with no warning. For light winds, should you encounter any soon, move the top lines out to the last knot. This squares the sail nearly perpendicular to the wind and puts more pressure in the sail, allowing to harness as much of the energy as possible. Pressure on the sail is what keeps the kite airborne. We're talking 4mph and under. It will be harder to launch from an upright position but super easy from inverted. When you have very steady wind play with moving the lines in and out on the top knots to see how it affects performance.
    1 point
  11. First a slight disclaimer. since this was my first real attempt at doing any sort of detailed applique, I used scraps to start with. The black was two triangular pieces seamed diagonally to give me roughly a notebook page sized rectangle. The midnight blue PolyMax was two pieces cut from the last kite and seamed in the center to make a triangle to build upon. I was NOT expecting this to actually work so didn't plan ahead on a few fronts. First rollback decision was to no back cut due to the thinness of the legs. This decision gave me a nice black spider even on the backside when light is shining through. This decision also allowed me to work a small piece of classic Robin red between the layers of the body so I could fully back cut the hourglass from both sides..End result is the hourglass just glows and the double layers of fabric around it makes it look even brighter..
    1 point
  12. Here’s an old article about Will Sturdy. http://kitelife.com/2010/12/01/issue-75-profile-will-sturdy/
    1 point
  13. Next time I see it I'll take a picture. Could very well be the kite made it's way to England and back to the US. Assumed the guy was from England but ya know what they say about assuming.
    1 point
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