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Hello. I've got a post in the Introductions forum that gives a little history of what brings me to the KiteLife forums. That will give a little insight into myself and my Dad, Gene, who got me involved with kites back in the 80's. As mentioned in my post, Dad passed last year. He left behind a collection of over 170 kites. Primarily stunt kites, dating back as far as the 80's, but primarily the 90's. I intend to keep some of these, and I could use some advice now that I don't have Dad to consult anymore. I don't want to pick them based just on color/design. I do know how to fly, but it's been a while. I want to get back into it, and broaden my horizons as far as the types I fly. I'm not well-versed on the ins-and-outs of what each kite is best for, so I'm not quite sure which to keep. I'm attaching a PDF inventory of his collection. Feel free to educate me if you think I've identified any of them incorrectly. Dad left some notes, but not on every kite, so I relied on internet searches to fill in the rest, and I'm sure I got some wrong. Here's a list of what I'm looking for as far as what I want to actually fly, and for which I need recommendations: A kite for strong winds - I always liked a kite that required some strength to handle A kite for light winds/ultralight A kite for somewhere in-between - My upper body strength is actually pretty lame. So I'm not always going to want one that requires a lot of muscle. But light wind kites sometimes just don't feel great to me. My main go-to in the past was always an original model Skyburner, because that's what Dad gave me, LOL An indoor kite A quad - If there are such things, both a strong & a light wind models. Quads are one type of kite I never managed to find time to learn, so I don't know if they come in both types A rokkaku If there's a category I'm missing that you think I should have to complete my collection of flyers, I'd love your insight. I will be keeping a few single line kites, but that's primarily going to be based on design, so I'm not looking for insight into those, unless you want to share something. Thank you! Kite Inventory With Photos.pdf

It was a lot of fun to scroll through your inventory. Many I recognised. Many I didn’t! Can’t go wrong with your choices. While you say you may not be enamoured of the colour of your Tica, it is a fine choice as a ballet style kite and was ahead of its time when introduced (the video posted by BT above brought back memories). The fittings, if some are of the original surgical tubing, may need replacement but not a huge job if not already done. The same could be said of the Wren, another great choice btw imo. The Pro Dancer is likewise a good choice and you have various colour schemes to chose from. Do consider in addition one of the UL versions and the Vented to give a good range of winds the kite can be flown in. (I assume that the ULs are not the SUL version, which is a timeless design still being made and sold today!). I also like the Luna Moth (#1 in your list), as I believe they were flown by the Poys back in the 90s and they were based in my home town of Toronto. Great looking kite that won many competitions in its day. Further Notes (I may have further thoughts if I spend any more time on it but off the top of my head): -you intially mentioned a Rok and hereby remind you of it - great flying kites once trimmed properly for the particular wind. If wanna settle for a wee one, the LL Rok (#36) is a good choice -the Ospreys shown as #2 and #3 in your list look like cute little beginner kites designed by Skyburner but possibly made by Premier. -the NikNak (#5) was well regarded as a kite for very light wind and indoors and is more like an SUL than a UL I believe. -the Buena Vista (#74) I am almost certain is the x4i, a splendid little wisp of a kite that is mainly indoor but also okay outdoors in zero-ish wind. Here’s Hoy’s BFK ad from back then: http://www.bfk.com/kite/ki07013.htm Thanks for posting your stuff. Your dad had a wonderful collection. .

Thanks to all of you for helping me along! Right now I cant find used Rev 1.5 anywhere. There is a store with new ones, but they want 315 for a 1.5 kit (no reflex) and 415 for a Rev 1.5B kit with lines and handles. A bit stiff for me and in that case I'd rather go with the excellent options riffclown suggested. On the other hand you can get a complete EXP on amazon for 185 ... unfortunately I don't have anyone to let me try out ...

EXP is a beginner kite and its main basic draw is that it comes ready to fly.. Lots of flyers start with an EXP but very few keep them once they start to progress in skill (except to let others try them). It would serve your well to learn on, but you'd be wanting more once you get flying more. NYM is a bit higher end, but is a nice performer. It never really clicked for me. The B Series was the standard by which all other kites were judged for many years. If you can find a used one for a good price, that is a great option. If you have the opportunity to try other people's kites, that is your best single option, bar none.

Hi Roger. This is good advice. Riffclown also gave me fantastic advice and great option to consider! How in your mind does the EXP compare vs the NYM and the 1.5B? I am leaning towards an EXP because at the price point and it seems to be a decent beginner. I can see what I think. But I would like to know from you why you upgraded and what the differences are that you experienced.

In my experience and after observing countless fliers at various skill levels, I've found that the Rev 1.5 absolutely NEEDS at least a little extension on the top lines to stop the sail from spilling wind too freely (sheeting - the problem we so often see with EXP buyers (same length leaders top and bottom, too fast, difficult to control, falls out of the air). Also - aa lot of times, if you do the math on folks who use both top and bottom leaders, you'll find the difference is *still* longer on the top, even by 1", so why not just make super short leaders (top being the longer of the two)? I'd love some debate on this, just sharing my experience.