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  1. I finally got a chance to watch your video all the way through. Looked like a nice flying session, and a great location. I think the high point of what I saw was around the 7 minute mark, you flew straight down and did a snap stall to the left, then again to the right. That looked really good. That move can easily be made into an impressive landing, or while the kite is stalled, it's a perfect spot for an axel. The move at the end looked like a turtle, I couldn't see the kite, but your input looked like the input for a turtle. That was my first trick... fly up while pulling on both lines, and right near the top, throw slack at both lines. The kite flips onto it's back... walk towards the kite, tug either the right or the left line, and the kite will rotate around. Boom... Lazy Susan. Once the kite rotates 360*, pull both lines, the kite will return to flying position, fly away. Two things I would suggest... I fly with my pointer fingers on the leaders for fine inputs on either line. This helps greatly during stalls & slides. Inputs when the kite is barely flying are micro inputs. Which brings me to the universal truth... more slack. Almost always, when you wonder why a trick failed, the answer is... more slack. Always walking (or at least a big step) towards the kite when you're trying a trick. Example... 1/2 axel, snap stall towards the side of the window, step forward, axel input to fly out towards the center of the window. If you're like me, the stepping forward is tough while the kite is in the middle of a trick. I kinda lock up out of fear that I'm about to crash. Very difficult to overcome, I'm still working on that. Last thing... patience. I worked on the axel for about a year before I really got it. It took me over a year to learn the 540. I know that I'm slow, but I didn't have anything but written advice and some uToob videos to learn from. I would read & watch, over & over, but most of that information would fly out of my head when I got out to the beach. I am happy to see someone else learning dual line, not the most popular, and certainly not the easiest kind of flying. Keep up with the videos, even if you don't post them, watching them in your down time will help you analyze what you're doing (right & wrong) and that will help greatly the next time you're out in the field. Let me leave you with this... and this...
    5 points
  2. The calm before the storm... well, not too calm, the winds were 10-15mph, but they were clean off of the water. My daughter, Bailey (7 years old), wanted to come out and fly her new Butterfly kite. The kids aren't as interested in kites as I am, so I always jump at the chance to fly with them. The Butterfly is made by X-Kites, and is better made than most kid's kites. It did fly well, right out of the box. It's amazing how cold a 70 degree day feels after weeks of hazy, hot & humid 90 degree days. Yay ! Sweatshirt weather ! Bailey also took a turn wrangling the Ultrafoil 15. It seems really big to her, and with any much more wind, would probably lift her off the ground. It was much easier to fly once it was properly lashed down to a convenient piece of driftwood. This is the one kite that I was itching to fly... the Joel Schultz Skyscraper. Yeah... this one's got some pull ! It's a very unique SLK that's going to get flown alot. It flew really well, even if it did make my arms a little longer. 300# line required ! Thanks, RC ! SO, Kite Season 2016 is off to a great start... hoping to get all the kids more involved this year, the other two seemed a little jealous when they saw the pictures. Bailey worked on her dual line skills today with the Snapshot foil. I think she'll be ready soon to fly the hot pink Action Kite that's been hanging from her ceiling since she was a baby. It will be good to see that classic in the air, it's 20-25 years old, but has never been flown !
    5 points
  3. HS... congratulations on your Virtual Freestyle entry. When I first started with VF, my first two entries to VF were rejected... one had too much OOF (out of frame) and the other was just not up to acceptable standards at the time. Congrats on winning a prize, too ! I'm never there to win it, I think it's just fun to stand & fly on the same (virtual) field with the best pilots in the world.
    4 points
  4. Good stuff ! I really like to see someone who has the bug, and is so enthusiastic about learning dual line flying. I get that... been there, for many years. The Fade at the end of the last video stuck with me. That was nice. I like to see how long I can hold a fade, which can seem like a boring exercise, but it really helps to get the 'feel' of the kite. The gentle inputs that a fade teaches you translate directly to the types of inputs need to hold a stall or a slide. 1/2 axels ? It took me forever to learn them, and I still don't know if I do them right. I do a fast snap stall input, but don't let the kite go tips horizontal, but give the axel input quickly after ditching the speed (when the nose is pointed at 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock, depending on which side I'm flying). I choke the axel just as the nose is pointed in the right direction (left or right, horizontal) and quickly take up the slack either with a step back or an arm sweep, or sometimes both if the wind is low. That's the best I can describe it, and like I said, I'm not sure if my 1/2 axels are 'real' 1/2 axels... Was the first video just the I2K, or did I see a different kite in there, too ? Maybe an Ozone at the end ? Different kites are going to be stronger with certain tricks, and I have to say, the I2K is a very difficult kite to trick. I really only like mine with the Spoilerz installed in higher winds. I don't like flying it without in lower winds. As a matter of fact, the I2K is the only high wind duallie that I have in my bag. I have an Alien, too, but we don't get along, and it stays home. I like the music & the creative editing. You've found the exact reason I film my flying, to watch and see what you're doing wrong. Or right, sometimes... Finally, about the weather watching... tell me that you can't drive past a flagpole without looking up to see which way the wind's blowing ?!? 8)
    4 points
  5. OK... day 2. I gotta say, I am totally exhausted. Something about walking around in the sand in the rain all day, I guess. Well, not rain all day, but as the forecast read, it rained 60% of the time. Didn't care, I was there to fly, and even at times when my kite was the only one in the air. But a really good time... it was good to see these faces that I only see once a year, and all the friendly residents of Long Beach Island. They're something else, so welcoming and friendly, just like kite folks. When I woke up, this is what I saw out of my window... these were taken from my balcony. Yeah, I guess I got up late... This is turning into a 'real' kite festival. Even with the grey weather, the turn-out was very impressive. This is only the second year that this festival has been held. These guys had an actual real-deal Buffalo Cody. First time I've seen one of those in person ! Wow, just Wow. I've seen this stack before, it just doesn't get old. So, what could top a stack of Rainbow Revs ? How about a Jimi stack. I got to examine these up close... the intricate sewing was very impressive. Of course, every 'real' kite festival needs a Bol race. I think I need to look into these for my kids, it looks like a good way to tire them out ! Yeah, those again. Did I mention I really like these ? 8) Something different, Dual Line and Quad line mega-fly ! Yup, some dual lines, too. I couldn't identify this kite yesterday, I suspected that it was something kinda rare, but it was confirmed today that these are 'Machines'. Not something you see everyday... and not one, but two !
    4 points
  6. Try a punch turn to quickly change direction 180*. I think I may do a combo turn, but it's more punch heavy. Punch, step forward (lunge), and use the other hand for steering input into the landing. It's all very fast and difficult to dissect. But I think that's how I do that one. When a light kite is stuck on it's back, try pushing forward on both lines, then pull it back out of the turtle. I remember that bugging me about the Shadow, too. The Fade is easier in lighter wind, and more dangerous to the kite in higher winds. If you lose the Fade in higher winds with the nose pointed down, it's only a split second before it turns into a high speed land dart. Lazies can be done without much risk in any wind, but look better in lower wind. I like them to go around slow & graceful, it just looks better to me. Fast yank & spank flying kinda looks like the kite is out of control... Hopefully some of this may be helpful, I enjoyed reading your blog. I would be lucky to fly with someone who has the same enthusiasm as you do, it's nice to talk with someone who speaks the same language... at least I can read about it.
    4 points
  7. Just forget about that 'Sleeping Beauty' launch... don't break your kite. What's the point ? Fade launch is OK, though. I hear you about wanting to concentrate on learning to fly dual lines, but you've got the rest of your life to learn duallies. You'll need at least that long ! The great thing about four lines is that they're easy to learn, and the learning curve is fast. If I'm on a crowded beach, I choose to fly a quad line because of the confidence the kite gives me. I've been trying to learn how to fly dual lines for ~15 years, but still won't fly them in a place where there are a bunch of people hanging out, only when I'm about the only person there. I totally prefer to fly dual line kites, but finding the right winds and conditions can be frustrating. You can put tails on quad line kites, too, BTW...
    4 points
  8. Work on the stationary stall, snap stall... then axel to a stall. A side slide is a stall that moves.... sideways. I frequently practice dual line 'hovering', see how long I can make the dual line kite look like a Rev.
    4 points
  9. The second log dump Session list: Breakthroughs of destruction Low/zero wind session with the 4D in a new park Doing basics and ground work with the Shadow The day of the good looking axles - a surprising light wind success First time with the Hydra and (experimental) flying without intention Conclusions can be found last in this comment/log dump ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Breakthroughs of destruction Mon Sep 12 12:54:25 CEST 2016 GB forecasted 3-2 Maestro 3, Elixir, Tramontana - all on 20m 40 kg lines Wind was a bit on the harder side first, but then really quickly died out in the evening. It was slightly frustrating, when finished assembling a suitable kite (Elixir) for the new lower wind, it was time to assemble the next kite for yet lower wind. Maestro 3 Initially a bit hard wind with a hint of frame deformation in the gusts. Rock and roll and fun flying. Not much gentle touch here. The maestro 3 had no problem in staying in a turtle, however it didn't lay still in a turtle, but wobbled back and fourth and also changed the pitch of the kite. Doing the Lazy was just a question of waiting to the right moment when the backside of the kite was visible and the kite was (left-right) horisontal and then pull on one line. The beach/lawn is quite smooth and the wind came from the sea - yet the turbulence was there. For the moment I didn't mind the tumbling - it kind of suited the scene - felt wild. However for other moods, is there a way to dampen the random oscillations of the turtles in higher wind? The wind speed went down so I could practice holding fades for a while - were by no means fantastically performed, but it felt good. But everything has an end - a brief glimmer, a reflection of the last direct light from the sun for today, was seen in front of the kite nose. It was the spine that now had made it through the worn out nose and the end-cap had fallen off. Elixir I assembled the next kite for the now lower wind. It was hardly worth it - wind dropped again - next kite! Tramontana Wind continued to drop - too comfortable/too little time left, so I didn't bother with longer line set - stuck to 20m. Time to ponder over the preserved momentum from the turn - can't say I got it. More like managed to make it look not ugly, but the old way of making a 3/4 turn downwards still looked nice (but on the other hand almost all stalls and slides looks good with this kite). I still would like to learn the "speedy slide way" by flinging the kite in the downwards turn (as discussed in the topic http://kitelife.com/forum/topic/7443-trying-to-do-the-side-slide-with-a-two-line-kite/ ) in several places in the wind window. When disassembling the kites I noticed that there were two smaller holes in the Tramontana nose. The end caps of the upper leading edges had fallen off and the edges of the end of the carbon tube had worn two symmetrical holes on either side of the spine. These end-caps were quite short - should they have been longer or just better glued? Two holes in the Tramontana nose. The end caps of the two LEs had fallen off exposing the fabric of the nose to the sharp edges of the carbon tube. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Low/zero wind session with the 4D in a new park Sat Sep 17 11:15:00 CEST 2016 KG forecasted 1 4D 18' 50# lines The 4D session Me being close to this untested small field/park by the sea was caused by driving my oldest daughter to catch a small ferry to go to town. The lawn of the park was 20m max physical 15m max practical line length. There were a lot of families with children in the park, but the lawn was practically empty (many seemed occupied with building some obstacle path in the steep slope around the lawn). Wind was really a disappointment. The forecast spoke of 1m/s mean and 5m/s in the gusts - ha! The dew was still here and there in the lawn. Releasing relatively dry seeds of an dandelion gave a wind speed of about 0.3m/s (and at one measurement they just fell straight down). Remembering my previous attempts with the 4D in zero wind about a year ago, I actually considered just going home. Here in a park it could turn out to be a humiliating experience. Well it wasn't as bad as I feared and was for certain some good physical exercise. By end of the short (40min?) session keeping it in the air was a bit more fluent. Did a couple of axles and a few 360deg. The 360deg was not reliable enough to be used as the main way of gaining ground. Most often I needed to grab the kite itself to gain ground, but with 18' lines and a small field the walk of shame (or gain?) is short. Thoughts about low wind kiting Really, why should this much running around of the behalf of the pilot be required? When 14 years old, I built a balsa tissue model rogallo wing "hang glider" of my own design. The spanwidth was about 30cm (a foot for you over there). The spars were about 1.5mm square balsa sticks. The sail was made from thin (esaki?) tissue used otherwise for coating model aircrafts. It had no stand-offs but had balsa bows/arcs that had been steamed, then bent and allowed to dry so that they preserved the bow shape. The balsa arcs held the sail roughly in place. The rogallo wing was constantly assembled glued together with balsa cement. I never used this as a kite - just put a small weight under it where the miniature pilot would have been - and then watched it when it slowly flew like a glider across a large room. At this time I had never seen a stunt kite so this was all I did with it. How would this have worked as a kite during a no wind day? So today instead of doing the healthy physical exercise I'd much like to have had a slightly larger kite and a metre or two longer lines made of just a few strands from a kite line. The spars should not be solid as for the 4D but really really thin tubes and only the lightest fittings. Everything contained in a hardcase during transport. I guess it would be more practical to settle for any of the suggestions I got from @Wayne Dowler in http://kitelife.com/forum/topic/7468-karma-prism-red-4d-10-3-16/?do=findComment&comment=60646 Tissue for balsa models ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Doing basics and ground work with the Shadow Sat Sep 24 17:58:43 CEST 2016 GB forecasted 2m/s HQ shadow 20m 40 kg lines The field should have worked for the wind direction in the forecast, but in reality it was very varying and somewhat dirty wind. Not a really good start, had difficulties in especially in doing fades but much else as well. Trying the sideways fling of of the initial turn of the side slide - well a shadow haven't got much mass to fling, but ok I was more aware of this part of the trick. A Shadow on the beach. No there is no tide that you can notice in the Baltic sea/archipelago. However the low water level made a few extra meters of the beach available. Lazy Susans are a nice and comforting for the trick self confidence with the right kite. I hadn't done any multi lazies before (and did not really today either) but when the kite was sinking down when being in a turtle I did three. How close in time should the lazies be to be considered to be a multi lazy? Sometimes it took a long time for the turtled kite to land - how can this be utilized and controlled? I think (but need to study this again) that the nose it quite low when/"in spite of" there is some tension in the lines (but how could the turtle be deep then?). It turned out that I could do the sliding prone pigtail slightly better by locking it more (thanks again @Wayne Dowler), so it was only needed to correct it two times during the session, but there is some kind of slippery stuff there I believe. Now I have cleaned the troublesome bridle part twice with concentrated manual dish washing detergent - lets see what the effect will be. When doing bridle adjustments to correct for the sliding pigtail, I could just as well try some settings out. Usually I don't adjust the bridle except for very light or very hard wind. It is like I'm impatient to have the normal flying going and therefore don't start with bridle tweaking unless I have a good reason to. This have meant when adjusting it I've always moved the nose towards me (or returning to factory settings). So this time I decided to do the opposite - adjust the nose way back (even though the wind was quite light). Flying felt much strange initially with very much over-steer, but this was something that could be largely handled. Returned to normal setting after a while. I then focused on something I've not been doing for a long while - the stall and nothing but the stall. Just let the kite freeze in it's position in a point in the sky. Stalls have for a long time only been a part of a trick with a short duration (well for the exception side slides then and landing by slowly lowering the kite). Maintaining the fixed stall was not very good - practice much needed. Another exercise that came to my mind was because of something I suggested in a "getting acquainted with the ground set of exercises" ( http://kitelife.com/forum/blogs/entry/200-exults-chunky-log-autumnwinter-2016/#comment-321 ). Same thing here, I have not been focused on doing this - more or less only focusing on on fade launches when starting from a "ground flare". I had actually forgot to do the proper set up angling the kite on the ground (which I actually did during late nineties but kind of forgot during my second "kite wave"). This exercise was quickly rewarding (as opposed to the stalls) and resulted in good looking belly launches. Another ground work shortcoming is to go directly into a wing tip stand - I never managed to go from an ordinary launch position quickly and without hesitation into a wing tip stand. And also the tip-stabs needed (and will need) some working on as well. There was much working on basics today, but I found that it was a good thing to do - no matter if it left much to desire to look good or if the exercise was quickly rewarding. Too much focus on "fancy" tricks makes you forget the basics which well performed can add to your over all appearance IMO. An early sign of the autumn - the birch tree is preparing for winter. And yes the Shadow is in the foreground. Lilacs during non-flowering off season - still looks beautiful. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ The day of the good looking axles - a surprising light wind success Sun Sep 25 18:46:09 CEST 2016 GB forecasted 3m/s Prism Alien on 20m 40kg lines Prism 4D on 17m? ??kg (the original lines) The Alien part of the session I very much hesitated before going out on the second kite session for the weekend. Earlier this day I had sawn down a small maple tree in a steep slope by hand and chopped it into logs, so I longed for some rest. Besides my wife had made an apple pie and there was a kind of spontaneous family just being together time. No, I thought I can't give after for being a little exhausted and I can always limit the total time to 1.5h or so (perhaps)... Everything from the tree, except for every branch more narrow than a finger, eventually ends up in the tiled fireplaces or the wooden stove heating the house. Besides the residues from the tree gets very manageable, no bulky branches remain, just twigs and leaves. Testing a tiled fireplace before the winter. The whether forecast did it again, much less wind then in the forecast. I had just removed my Shadow from the kiting bag (due to the forecast) and now assembled the Alien more or less out of principle . It was a long time since flying the Alien so I felt a bit rusty on this kite and the low wind made me need to work to keep it airborne. Adjusting the stand offs to an more outward position helped a bit. After a while a kind of felt in control doing the basic flying. Did also FA to fade transition when I became more comfortable to see if I could transfer my more recent tricking abilities to this kite. Later flaring the Alien required quite much input - was it the kite or the kite in combination with the low wind? Should experiment more with the pull/release of the flare to also be able to handle the few kites/conditions that requires more input. Perhaps a spin-off would be a better flare technique for any kite? Axels are nice to do with the Alien. It got an tendency to do them flat and sometimes they even come out double. It is prone to lower the nose and effortlessly carry on with the axle rotation. Two things to practice another time with the Alien pops into my mind. Learn to do the double axle with a decent success ratio. The other is to transfer the good axels of the Alien to other kites by doing axels first with the Alien for a minute, then the other kite, then the Alien... The 4D part of the session Eventually the light wind flying with the Alien became too difficult as the wind dropped further. Guess which small kite I didn't notice when cleaning out the light wind kites in the bottom of my kite bag? - Yes, my 4D! I'd say that the tricking with this kite has been much limited. One reason is the light frame which require inputs much different from the kites I've "historically" have used. Another reason is that I haven't used it more or less unless I've been forced to do so by the conditions/circumstances. It could be an extremely limited space, in a hurry during travelling when my family wants to go to the restaurant or something or in no or close to no wind. After working to have the Alien remaining in the air it felt like a luxury to use the 4D - you did not need to work for the action. In the middle of the wind window you could even take a step forward to reduce the pressure on the sail. Inspired by the successful flat axels with the Alien I carried on to see if I could do similar axels with the 4D. It happened almost by accident when turning downwards at the edge of the wind window as if initiating a side slide, but instead only go to a "deep stall" (nose down and and outer wing a bit back) and then do a light pull the outer wing to do the axel. Further inspired by the success of the good looking axles I had a go at the fade launches. After getting used to the small movements required for that one, the fade launch worked as well. This session everything seemed to work with the 4D, so why not trying out Lazies? I didn't exit the Lazies, but I allowed them to sink all the way to the ground. It was possible to do several rotations before the 4D reached the ground. This day I felt that the 4D started to behave like a "real kite". The two light wind heroes of the day (though not within the usual wind range for the Alien). ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ First time with the Hydra and (experimental) flying without intention Sat Oct 1 19:05:04 CEST 2016 GB forecasted 5m/s (+quite hard gusts) ITW Hydra on 20m 40kg lines After 6.5 week of waiting I had finally received my Kymera and Hydra. "Unfortunately" this was a weekend of (mostly relatives) parties and meals here. The time for kiting I had, or actually took, was some kind of compromise that lead to flying in turbulent, hard and gusty wind. Sometimes the wind direction was so, so that it was favorable to fly over water and part of the time me and/or the kite needed to deal with obstacles on the ground. The Kymera was lighter and seemed to be designed for a lower wind range, so the Kymera had to rest today. Friday evening - Two frequent visitors that wouldn't have been bothered if I had gone directly for the long package instead of joining the dinner. My two new darlings - Two homeless kites have now found a good home where they will get a lot of attention. The figure flying had dramatic sound effects added in this wind with the Hydra. Sometimes even the frame was shuddering/vibrating, but I'd say that the pull was there but not so high as I had expected. I only managed to make a FA to fade transition once, while the fade launches were OK (look forward to try fades in less wind). Lazy Susans were there, but required a bit of a nose dip before the pull (that starts the rotation), but well it might have been the hard wind. When provoking the kite, e.g. with failed FA or an axle without proper set up and too little following slack (flatter/better ones after a better set up were also available however), and dealing with the in air recovery, much felt within reach. It felt like many kite movements were within reach also when using only small inputs. Many kite moves that can be turned into trick for those who know howto. I should perhaps see some trick tutorials to get a language to describe the parts of this more random kite movements or as a help to identify parts of tricks if possible. This could really be a themed training session in its own - Flying without intention, just provoke the kite (and a site administrator who advocates flying with intention?) and learn how to deal with it. Constantly toss around the kite and let it tumble before recovering. Repeat until you find something new that can be repeated - i.e. a trick. Let the circumstances and your current abilities decide what to learn - don't attempt something that is so distant that you will not be rewarded within a year or have tried again and again without any success. Do you already have seeds of tricks within you that can be repeated, developed and made reliable? To the extent that was possible to investigate during the current wind conditions it seems that this kite belongs to the category that falls over with a small turning radius (which I like more than the other option that the kite has a large turning radius at the edge of the wind window so that it hits the ground (which I don't like)). This was not a very good occasion to investigate the sideways flinging of the kite during the initial downwards turn, since the speed from the side slide in itself was so high that the sideways speed that you could get from the downwards turn was small in comparison. Another "turning-on-dime" trick that worked well was the snappy type of 2-point landing - not much sideways movement during the landing. I don't know if this was the kite or if the harder wind makes this landing easier. Actually I don't know if a low wind 2-point landing is any more difficult to make look good than when performed in higher wind. Belly landings were no problem but a bit to my surprise the (few) belly launches I tried were not successful. I need to figure this out and not only blame the conditions. I'm not into yo-yo tricks and getting into and out of wrapped mode flying. Today I wrapped the lines around the LEs by accident more than one time. This kite seems to ask for yo-yo tricks and I should learn howto get out of the LE wrapped line flying. The end of session disassembly turned out to be more profound than intended. The connector pin sitting in one of the DT-15 spreaders had glue residues on it. This caused the centre-T to hold it tight. When removing that LS the centre pin remained in centre-T and then detached from the LS. "OK I'll glue it back ageing then" was my initial thought, but then I realised that the area around the centre-T could be made stronger by instead gluing the connector pin to the other LS than it was originally glued to. The reason why I thought that I could make it stronger was that the LS that didn't have the pin was not very symmetric. Gluing the pin to it should make it stronger. The LS connector pin that came lose and the cross section of the two LS. One of the LS had a non constant wall thickness. ¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤ Conclusions from the period September 17th to October 1st I've had a good low wind experiences and also had too much wind, but there is no point in denying it any longer, with the right kite in somewhat hard wind kite spanking is fun. More no wind flying after the at least somewhat successful flying with the 4D or get another kite (which will certainly be applauded by my wife and family) even more adopted for indoor and no wind flying. Or try what @John Barresi wrote in http://kitelife.com/forum/topic/6520-4d/?do=findComment&comment=51676 "continuing a backwards stroll from the kite" (meaning always in the direction of the lines?). Lazy Susans - continue to look for the right moment to exit the turtle. Try to do the rotations with no time in between so I get a true multi lazy. Look for an opportunity to practice the un-turtling with the 4D, so that I can add lazies to the 4D tricks. Practice basics and make it shine and work an many kites and conditions: Flat axels -let them sink down with the nose and back with the wing to be pulled. Go on doing the ground work - make the belly landing and take off efficient and effortless in any condition - can this be turned into something that looks like a bouncing kite? Yes, do the rest of the accessible ground work really controlled - cart wheels, coin tosses, wing tip stands... Do side slides and be aware of the sideways fling of the downwards turn. Can I fling the kite against the wind as well? Can the side slide be started from different incoming angles of the kite and not only when going parallel to the ground to the end of the wind window. Finally and obviously - get to know the two new kites, the Kymera and the Hydra. All work and no play... Well ahh... disregard that last statement of the previous image text. (Local wind direction wasn't any good anyhow.) Fighting the biological diversity in this hedge (the intended mono culture is some kind of Laburnum/"golden chain" and the invading species is some kind of wild rose with dense thorns that managed to escape from it's restricted area). As Christopher Lambert said in the (preferably) first Highlander movie: "There can only be one!".
    3 points
  10. Second Week... this time it was my son's turn to spend some time on the beach with Dad... Mick is 8.5 years old, and he said (after watching a KL video) that he wanted to learn to fly like that. He's held the quad handles before, but this was his first solo flight. Oh, my poor MV ! No idea what abuse it's about to endure ! Working on his control with some ground passes... also learning the wind window. He got some inverted hover practice in, the biggest challenge is learning to keep those hands in front, in control, at this point... Another launch... too bad the sun is setting so early. we could've been out there for another couple of hours. OMG... hands in front ! Yeah, the patience level required with an 8 YO is much greater than with an adult... Another ground pass. I think he might've done better than I did my first time out with a quad. My poor MV had it's roughest outing, EVER. Totally worth the price of admission, and really, no visible damage to the kite after countless hits. The endcaps did not want to come off the spars when we packed up, that was the worst thing that happened...
    3 points
  11. Here's an image I tried to take of all the Revs. Sort of a kite tunnel. Spent some time assembling them & then trying to stage the picture. I then stood on the stairway trying to get the angle right. The Rev collection has grown a bit since then. I need to do a new group image. Last Christmas I decided to shoot an image with the tree. This may become a tradition. SHBKF
    3 points
  12. Fun. Try shifting your point of focus while flying, just as an experiment... Instead of "flying the kite", consider the idea of "flying the center panel". This mental shift gradually moves your point of control inside the engine of the kite part of the time, and has a tendency to both make your inputs more efficient and cause the kite to fly straighter when doing straight lines.
    3 points
  13. It is interesting to read about revisiting kites with the memories that go along with them. On my way home in the evening yesterday I stopped to fly at an abandoned soft ball field. It's not a great place to fly but when the wind is out of the west it is at least possible. So I opened the trunk, pulled out my original Zephyr & gave it a go. Wind was the usual choppy gusty variable mix of three to eighteen measured just above my head. Did I make progress toward advanced flying? Not hardly. But I did enjoy myself & remembered my early flights with that very kite in many different locations as it was my only decent kite for some time. Only flew for thirty minutes & stopped before I broke it. I have used up a number of spares on the old Z in the past. Sun was going down & the wind died as I left. Got my kite fix, had a marvelous time. SHBKF
    3 points
  14. Great music to accompany great flying. Loved it. Can't remember the last time I actually sat through an 8+ minute Youtube vid! Frank
    3 points
  15. Estimated crowd of 30,000 over 2 days at KOLM last September, packed like sardines! The crowd is what makes the show, they are the inspiration and the end product. Congrats on you debut -- good show.
    3 points
  16. Some video ? Yes, I had the GoPro, but unfortunately didn't have enough battery for the xtra low wind flying over the water at the end. I was so disappointed when I downloaded it, that was the best part of the day. The rest of these clips are just pretty much me struggling to keep the kites flying in the dying wind. If you skip to the last minute (or can stand to watch it that far), you'll be able to see how narrow this little spit of land is. It would be pretty easy to accidentally back up into the water while flying !
    3 points
  17. You have inspired, guided, helped & encouraged me many times. Thank you, SHBKF
    3 points
  18. Who needs a man cave, when you have a kite dungeon
    3 points
  19. hi Riff, As a future improvement to consider,.... The Down Spar end-caps on top should be flush along the leading edge, sticking up is sure tangle point some day when you are all slack lined and spankin' it. and maybe a little more curvature built into the leading edge (seems pretty laser straight in the video compared to other kites shown) so it "cups air" better. Try a couple of inches (2) down from the center (on each wing-tip) so the curve is built into the leading edge sleeve without a set of sticks inserted, your kites look good in the sunlight, editing could take out JH in the foreground, Ha!
    2 points
  20. Interesting! No one I know that flies indoors, uses "handles". They usually make loops out of bridle line and either thread it on like sleeving or just larkshead the lines to them. A very few use finger straps. A tip: as your kite goes overhead and starts down, be sure to turn with it and step back to maintain tension in the lines. Good length to start is 10' - 12', shorter as you get better. Full disclosure: I am NOT a very good dualie pilot indoors. Just never connected with it. Just a little more effort than my old body wants to give. That said - I do try one at times and can reasonably get it to do what I want. Quads and gliders are a different thing altogether!!! PS: I get the use of an indoor soccer center.
    2 points
  21. Some insight only. Flying such a thing myself? - No way José! I prefer to have both my feet on the ground (and don't really like, putting it mildly, any form of roller coasters e.t.c. that my daughters would find at least acceptable). The truly adventurous genes must have skipped one generation. Did try small jumps with a hanglider though a long time ago and permanently decided that it was not for me. Although the feeling (even from these much limited attempts) was out of the ordinary, the risks can never make it worth for me (and it seems to come with large investments and to be much time consuming as well). Come on, I think you might put the threshold too high. Things that are everyday for one person are completely new to another. Things tends to be larger when written down than perceived by oneself during a brief thought. Also consider many people involved in (fictional) arts and literature. The degree of seriousness and attention to details can go over the top there. Why should fragments of real life stories be of less value? Sounds like a civilized rule (shoreline) and a sensible counter action (remote area un-authorized mushroom/wild berry picking...) IMHO. It is neither illegal for a Swedish elk or a Canadian moose to eat huge amounts of blue berries- a few berries in a little basket during a Sunday picnic can't be that terrible. Compared to kiting it was a higher share of preparation and looking forward to the result. You also need to fix things (build mostly) even though you have not broken them first as is often the case in kiting (if you are not into kite building i.e.). (Obvious reflections - yes) Not really - he was more general in areas like this, but not into kiting. Also at the age when I flew my first dual (eighties) it was a small bonus that it was something that my father didn't do. Take yachts for an example, during summers this was the most common thing to do. It was so frequent and natural thing as a child so that it didn't occupy much thought. Sailing yachts and Stockholm's (inner) achipelago can't wow me even today - even though the nature there can be nice (I have already changed my mind; large and strangely shaped rocks far out in the archipelago in any weather and sunsets in red and yellow with water appearing to have a higher viscosity than usual is something extra). And then sailing also required (non-sailing) efforts - maintaining, taking it into and out of the water and occasionally be guarding the boat club during nights. I'm today boat owning FREE allowing my spare time to be less tied up. Perhaps I'm giving room for my daughters to one day find sailing exotic (though we have rented sailing dinghys a couple of times to at least give them some start)? Good luck with this! If it works out this could be a source of OPKs on generous terms.
    2 points
  22. When new to (serious) kiting in the end of nineties I got some (25min?) initial advice there (in the LKS in Stockholm at the time), but found out that the Prism kites then offered was slightly to expensive for me then (I then chose to honor kite selling shops on the Swedish west coast selling HQ kites instead). Life got periods when getting the bacon on the table is the main focus and others when the focus can be more of not to miss out on what life has to offer*. When I started over again with kiting I bought three old kite models (kites that I had drooled over in the past but now could get to a very good price) and one new (4D). After the Stockholm city situated shop closed I've only bought smaller stuff like a Prism tube-tail, The advanced way to fly DVD, higher quality yo-yo for me and as gifts... But would I ever look for a Zephyr (which seem to be highly rated by members in KL) I know where I would go. B.t.w. today I saw that they still offer an Alien according to their web site. I remember when I went there to by a Prophecy at close to 50% discount. He went to the shelf where the kites were kind of inserted, searched and the retracted the hand empty. He said: "Ohh.. it looks like we have sold the last sample unfortunately" He then paused and then looked at me while appearing to picture something for himself and said with a lowered voice: "But it is a fantastic kite" To say that I was disappointed is an understatement . Don't misunderstand me, the shop owner is a very helpful and patient person. However, whenever there is a video with a Prophecy in it, I still prefer to peer hard to make the vision blurry so that I can pretend that instead that there is an Illusion being shown. That was also the kite I ended up buying that day. A few months later, when asked, he never hesitated selling me the three last remaining spare (brittle and discontinued) LLEs (even though the Illusion was the shop owners own favorite) - he just said: "Yes, you may." * What things cost is kind of funny. Today I was at the dentist's because one of my teeth is ruined and that needed a crown/implant (the previous "budget" fix was broken). After 20min (of total 1:45 exhausting hours) they said ohh... we need a pillar as well that is 1500SEK (~150USD) extra. Discussing the matter is hard with lots of stuff in your mouth. This extra sum would correspond to an Echo kite and the total sum, I fear, might correspond to almost two Fazer XXLs (has anyone done this sort of multi kiting?)! There have been occasions when I have had way more fun for my money than I've had today. Also they said until the next visit in three weeks, only eat soft food like porridge and soup. Could this be a way to financially compensate this since porridge is cheap food? Thumbs up for your LKS support SHBKF!
    2 points
  23. Great advice, I'm taking it now in fact. We had our move-out inspection today which went very well but it took tonnes of scrubbing and we got rid of so much junk right up til the wire. I'm taking the rest of today and tomorrow off from unpacking and am going to just relax, hopefully fly a bit, and plan the next month. I'm glad you like them! I find they feel really satisfying when I actually pull them off. I originally started doing them so I could get to the middle of the window in a stall while in higher wind (so that the fade would be more stable) but now I find they are a great way to try FAs at different points in the window consistently without having to also work on super accurate snap-stalls. Thanks! I'm so glad I entered! It was a great way to meet a bunch of amazing flyers, plus I learned so much trying to film those 1:30 clips. I learned lots while critically watching everyone's videos too. The dual-line flying community isn't very dense geographically which makes the turnout for these online events are all the more rewarding. P.S. you got so close in the draw! I was rooting for you (though I think everyone was super deserving of the prize
    2 points
  24. I thought a lot about this entry over the past couple weeks while I've been moving into a new house (yay for not being renters anymore!) thanks for giving me so much to think about while lugging boxes! I love how you had chances to be both the source of knowledge for an excited dual-line flyer and to learn more about paragliding yourself! I've lived on Vancouver Island pretty much all my life but I've moved far enough around on the island to have a few clusters of nostalgic sites like this. I had few memories of Clover Point before last year when I started flying. My only notable memory was finding a peregrine falcon on a rather windy day. I got a picture that we were able to use to read the (upside down) band and log a proper report! "Allemans rätten" seems like a great way to encourage a respect for the productivity of natural spaces. In Canada we at least technically can't privately own the shoreline, but even in government parks you usually aren't supposed to pick anything without various licenses (though people often ignore this) I love the idea of combining rockets and kites! My BF used to play with rockets when he was younger but I never got into them. A quick look on Youtube seems to show the combination hasn't been well explored at all. The competition you described sounds like it would foster some serious creativity! It sounds like your father was a real pioneer in the kiting world! It must have been inspirational. I remember trying to fly single line kites (probably the lame duck drugstore variety) with my family once when I was a child but I don't think anyone in my family knew much about flying. I'm starting to get my dad interested in learning though Can't wait to hear more comparisons between the Hydra and the Kymera! They both look beautiful.
    2 points
  25. For Victoria lately, the wind is either "Kite won't fly" or "Kite will shred".
    2 points
  26. Sorry the quoting feature didn't work, so I needed to use " > " to show the quotes today Happyspoon you have made a very organised and well documented account of where you are today! I'm sure others who are starting out can really use this to get inspiration and an idea of what hopefully awaits! > I’m pretty solid at holding a slide, but not at ‘pulling’ the kite past the middle of the window to keep sliding. I have pretty much no practice sliding from the center to the edge of the window. I can't either. However, to some extent, especially with my Tramontana, I can to some degree while sliding sometimes go a bit past the centre towards the other wind window end during the right conditions. This is what I try to do: have the arm connected to the trailing wing tip extended much and then move from the kite (but I think that you already doing/discovered that). My thoughts (for what it is worth) is that the sideways angle (one wing tip being closer than the other) drives the kite sideways and can also do that past the centre of the wind window, but all the way to the other wind window edge – no way for me. > I think the 'sharpness' of the pull makes much more of a difference than the intensity. I can axle with one finger no problem this way. On the other side, a longer pull almost always ends in a wingtip snag/wrap. Even when the tip doesn't wrap, long pulls rarely get the kite to rotate all the way around. Do you mean that a sharp pull is when you just make flick on a line and the intensity is how much momentum your arm/hand gets (and how much of that that gets transferred to the kite)? I wish to find a table or a definition list (preferably by someone well familiar with English), that describes/defines flick, pop, tug, lash... Would terminology be needed for pushing and giving slack as well? With this finger (flick?) axel there is no risk that the kite will turtle? What I'm thinking of here is when you initiate a turtle by flying high up in the window and make a short light quick tug downwards (and the kite should then tip on its back). > ...a well-executed FA. Flatter axles would help I haven't thought of this more than lets make a decent axel. I really should try this out (how the fade-init is affected by the axel)! Most of the time when initiating the fade I only tug on one line, but flatter axels might perhaps still help? > Half axles- phew, what a challenge still ... I tend to try and pull the kite right into a flare which I think means I'm pulling for too long. Did this part about pulling into a fade refer to the second tug? The problematic part for me is the quick pull on the wing that is on the top after the axel movement - i.e. the quick pull on the "new" top wing. So anything you learn about the timing and snappiness of the second tug I'd like to hear about. My ideal is to keep the arms low at all times during the tricking. My guess is that it would be easier to learn the movement with a high hand during the pull on the top wing after the axel - but more difficult to "unlearn". I also wonder if this second pull on the wing that is on top during the latter part of the half axle is the "kick" that gives the trick the alternative name - the "kick turn". Is it so that there can be no "kick turn" without it? As I said before I'm not really focusing on them now. However I've managed to make seven cycles of a half axel cascade on my Hydra consisting of most likely improper half axels without having the kite going on its back (rixeling?). But I think that this more tells something about the kite rather than about my ability to do a half axel cascade. > Cartwheels My current goal is to make calm, relaxed and minimal input cart wheels for high aspect ratio kites. Should try my 4D 6m lines set so that I get closer to the kite and see what happens. The risk of breaking the lines (25kg and noo sleeving on the kite side) should make me extra careful in minimising the input. > It might be that I'm always practicing in pretty low wind but I'm finding fade launches tricky. I suppose that you are already walking backwards. In very low wind with my 4D I need to do jogging backwards to maintain the fade (which I find tricky to combine with the fine inputs). > but for some reason didn't try half axles on it Somehow (not meaning to sound offensive) I don't think that that is so important. There are so many aspects of kiting to explore. Perfect an "old" trick or try it with varying inputs. So many kites to try out the different tricks on, so many tricks and so many possible whether conditions to examine "the moves" in. Seeing what you have achieved in a short time and how structured and persistent you have been I think that there will not be a very long time until you can do them as well. Also, not to forget, when doing advanced kite flying like this there is a need for just rehearsing as well - both more long term and also at the start of each session during the warming up. I've also had thoughts like "why on earth didn't I try this or that during my last session", but I tend to be slightly more relaxed lately. Even if you do active learning you can't do everything at once. > "provoking the kite" Failed tricks are one source of getting the kite provoked (~testing various inputs and be open regarding the usefulness of the outcome). To better understand trick descriptions (such as http://www.idemployee.id.tue.nl/p.j.f.peters/kites/basics/funcidx.frm.html ) it is of use to know possible movements and part of tricks I believe. Provoking the kite/testing out is a way of getting small building blocks of understanding and practice that then might be identified in or as tricks. As a beginner there is more random tugging/slacking and with time more targeted experimenting. The below are tricks/movements I have found out (and might continue to work on) by trying without knowing what the outcome could be or as a result of a failed trick: Snappy turtels The first time I saw one was in the promotional VHS that came along with my Jam Session (or was it in a promotional section of a trick video?). In a short sequence the Maestrale flew along the ground, making contact without stopping and then doing a short snap turtle as a part of the ground pass. For my un-trained eye it looked like a dry leave driven forward by an autumn storm. Needless to say - this made an impression on me. However I had no idea on how a snap turtle was performed. Snap turtles didn't come as a result of a series of sessions of trying to do them, but more: "Hey what is this? This didn't tangle the line and it could be repeated and then refined." I then later realised that I did a part of that tumbling autumn leave sequence. Rixels (from failed half axel attempts) It was a long time ago I tried them, but something like this - do a sloppy half axel attempt and be somewhat heavy on the arm that you pull the half axel with (really think I ought to go out and attempt them before sharing how it should be performed since it was a while ago). Same thing here, I was already doing them at the time that I read the description. Notice that the failure of doing one trick (the half axel) lead to another trick (the rixel). A similar "turteling" trick (as above) but starting from a start of a downwards turn Once again I should try this out so that I could deliver a fresh description (but I won't now). The trick is similar to the rixel, but you initially fly upwards and begin to turn with one hand and then axel with a bit heavy arm (i.e. the other arm than the arm that you are pulling with when doing the turn) as you didn't really mean the axel. This trick is also not from attempting to perform it. Possibly it was from a failed axel attempt. The feeling of the trick (or rather in the arm) when pulling the kite on it's back is a bit like the weary feeling of a really long kiting session. When writing about the rixel and this trick I realise that I've been neglecting them when working on tricks that I learnt more recently. Axel or half axle into a flare and with the other hand investigate a second pull Vary this second input. What determines if the result is something like a half axel, rising half axel or a fade? Two kites that felt good doing these tests with were the Illusion and the Alien (should try ut on the more recent kites again). To get me into mode to investigate the effect of the second pull I start to think about the trick when the kite is already flared. I don't think so much on the axel part, but do only small movements on the hand that pulls the axel – possibly axel mainly by only angling the wrist from an inward position to a straight wrist position and back again. I hope that I one day will get useful results from this. In the above video "Getting closer to half axels..." I think that you already are investigating the second input. Sleeping beauty This is another example of a trick that I learned from testing without not really knowing what to expect in detail. As I wrote in a previous blog entry the unlikely incredible thing happened that this trick just worked the first time attempted (leaving me to figure out what happened and how it worked) and only failed once during the first session doing this trick. Funny, just commenting on your statement about "kite provoking" started/continued a lot of trick thought/planning. The above are some of the things a intend to continue to work on and evolve. > I went out a few times to try night kiting! You are so "kite-on"! I had the idea but I've never tried - for years. How is it? Would you say it is a nice thing to try or is it a valuable because that it offers more sessions during the darker time of the year. Do you learn as much from a session in the dark as from one in full daylight? Was it so dark that flying have been possible at all if it wouldn't have been for the lights during the session when you were out? About the night video I must say that it looks nice, giving you the kind of relaxed feeling of watching fish in an aquarium. >(RobB wrote) I have an Alien, too, but we don't get along, and it stays home. I like my Alien (though admittingly I've not used it much during the last six months). It can do double axels ( http://tricksparty.info/en/tricks-in-english/46-double-axel-group-4 ) without any input between the axels (haven't seen that in other kites that I have). It encourages you to try and toss it around. It gives you few line snags. In my opinion it is not so bad in low wind either if you trim it by moving the stand-offs inwards (can't remember if I did anything with the angle of attack as well). Finally and obviously – it is decent in high wind as well. Yes, it feels a bit different, but I have difficulties in describing it. Perhaps because I don't have many kites of that size (span-width 189cm) to compare it to. >(RobB wrote) Finally, about the weather watching... tell me that you can't drive past a flagpole without looking up to see which way the wind's blowing ?!? 8) I'm into tree top watching to get an idea of the wind, especially birches (with their long hanging twigs) when available. >I took your advice and did a bunch of prolonged fades on my Ozone yesterday! I'd would like to try that steering as well! This is silly, but that video (Faded fractured axels...) triggers something in me that resembles a competitive mode (Have been working with the FA fade stuff for 1.5 years and have not been thinking of that steering! More focused on start and maintaining it.). Funny, when playing tennis, the tennis matches are not the main thing, so I don't consider myself to be much competitive (well not that I mind the times when playing well or winning).
    2 points
  27. This works!! Thanks Exult, I can reliably turtle from horizontal flight now! Great feeling. It is much harder to maintain altitude in a turtle than in a fade hey? And I still can't get the kite to backspin or anything. But progress! Yeah, I think I was talking about the 'provoking the kite' stuff, not the slides. During "air recoveries" I am starting to get the feeling that each position the kite takes on has some combo of inputs that would turn it into a trick. Sorta like how those cruddy half axles have now turned into decent snap turtles! When talking about slides though I noticed I can point the kite straight downward at the edge of the window for quite awhile and still usually have enough momentum to slide. Hopefully this means the turn radius of your newer kites won't hinder your slides too too much!
    2 points
  28. It might be so that your hands already know a snappy turtle initiated from horisontal flight which could be used in harder wind. Consider your early attempt of a half axel http://kitelife.com/forum/blogs/entry/194-lunchtime-slides-stalls-and-a-bunch-of-half-axle-practice/ - you instead briefly went into a turtle. Perhaps continue to work on this snappy turtle work that you accidentally started? Another more obvious exercise would be to do a snap stall with conviction and, yes, snappiness while running downwind. I assume you would use the Quantum for this harder wind session? I've never tried one - but from the discussions it sounds like it would have a bit heavy frame which would help tricking in these winds. Finally, you don't need to develop strength. It is not strength as in power kiting. The inertia of your arms from a snappy movement can be enough to snap stall and turtle in higher wind. I'm not sure we are discussing the same thing - by the "fall over" I meant the 3/4 downwards turn of the start of the side slide which the Hydra does almost by itself (though I'd like to verify that during better conditions). (This is a behavior that is shared by all my kites designed during the nineties (with the possible exception of City Session). On the other hand the Infinity, Maestro 3 and 4D instead want to make a very wide turn when turned downwards at the edge of the wind window. Yes they can make sharp turns elsewhere and I should figure out if I can make (force) them to do the turn at the edge as well.) That thought (about separating the log dumps) has struck my mind recently. Originally I intended to make very short flight log entries - just a couple of lines, possibly not even full sentences everywhere. Well it didn't go that way. You need to test before you find "a working concept"/"your form"/"something that works well". Initially I chose between having a separate blog for the flight logs or doing it as now have implemented it (by including it all in a blog entry + comments). Perhaps this suggested third way of having a blog entry per log dump makes it easier to find the new log dumps and also makes the size of the blog entry manageable (though you miss out some organisation when the log dumps are not any longer bundled in to a blog entry). I think that I'll go that way (with a blog entry per dump) after "Autumn/Winter 2016" blog entry period is finished. To on the other hand change the existing (large) blog entry blog entry would be difficult. Splitting up the current blog entry into new blog entries corresponding the different log dumps and then include the comments without affecting the time stamps is not something an ordinary KL member can do. This was something that I came up with during the work with the hedge. A case of hands working and mind wandering. And I thought that I was original...
    2 points
  29. I started there (top of window) as well for the turtle. It is a good place because the turtle is easy to initiate - it might be sufficient with a small quick pull on one of the lines. It is not required to do a gigantic forward throw of the arms. The turtle can of course still be started (in the more standard way, but with respect to the high angle of your kite relative to the ground) by flinging your arms upwards/forwards with your hands almost starting from the ground. My suggestion is to wait with the fade since it is more difficult and instead start with flares (which can be turned into e.g. a belly landing) The part where you immediately ran backwards to recover from the turtle is not absolutely necessary. Try letting the kite just fall in a turtle all the way to the ground (leaving it in an easy start position if all went well). It will not harm the kite (there is not much tension in the lines during a turtle) and perhaps make you "stop worrying" (about the ground if that is still an issue). Also when you start practicing recoveries from the turtle you have several attempts to exit the turtle before the kite reaches the ground if you start from the top. I understand what you mean with hand and feet collaboration. When, I do a the "flip containing" trick, a flare after a vertical dive into a 540 deg horisontal spin I sometimes need to fight that urge to stop my feet when my arms are moving. It is not the part that starts the flare that wants to stop my feet, but the light quick pull on one line that initiates the rotation (or perhaps it is more that one arm suddenly stops it's forward movement (while the other continues) rather than arm do a quick pull). Would this idea of a kite-less step by step exercise be of any use to learn the flare?: 1. Learn the arm movement of a flare (pulling your arms back and then bounce into a forward arm throw) when standing still. 2. Then decide to do (and do) walking in a direction, forget about kiting initially. 3. While still being "out on a walk" start doing the arm movements. Hopefully your walking will not stop during this, even after throwing out your arms forward. (Was this your initial hand/feet problem b.t.w.?). 4. When this is working, start from standing still, start walking and at the same time do one cycle of the arm movements (slowly back, bounce and forward throw). 5. You could be finished here, but you could also prepare for a more windy day by increasing the speed primarily of your forward movement of yourself. You could even make your forward movement of yourself into a lunge coinciding with the movement of your arms going behind your back. Now you can practice kiting without wind, kite or field. If you have any unwelcome spectators while doing this, seek comfort in this quote: "Remember: Silly is a state of Mind, Stupid is a way of Life. -- Dave Butler". I'm glad if I manged to be inspirational. However your comment might make me become a megalomaniac . I hope that it is/was not too hard to find some time-off during your work related travelling (and that you are lucky with the wind). Some careful planning with a map before to find a suitable field/place in the limited time available?
    2 points
  30. Thanks Exult! Yeah I've managed to get the kite to flip into a turtle but only right at the top of the window and then I'm immediately running backward to try and take up slack on the lines. Watching some videos suggests it might be easier to both turtle and fade elsewhere in the window? I really like your instructions for these flips, I think they make a lot of sense. Especially the walking, I'm starting to feel like most of my difficulties still come from getting my hands and feet to collaborate. The "bounce" descriptions make a lot of sense too. Can't wait to try all this out! I got out once this week and found no wind at all on arrival and now I'm traveling for work but brought the quantum and will hopefully find a new spot to fly (thanks for your 'learning to fly in unfamiliar locations post
    2 points
  31. This is great! I just got some 50' (ish) lines from a kilter who broke and re-sleeved a set that I'm hoping will help me develop my Strangelove of ground work . I like flying near the ground as it is easier to see the kite (both for me and for the cameras), so it would be nice to feel better about taking advantage of it! Some of my favorite of Rob's videos have lots of ground contact in them and it looks like lots of fun. I'm going to have to watch that video about 10 more times The tip drag in it gives me confidence for sure. That ground roll is so dramatic, it is definitely something I'd like to work towards slowly. Tip stands are probably the scariest thing for me. I tried those cartwheels once or twice but the best I can manage is spinning the kite with the nose on the ground (looks dumb but at least I can fly out after it). I'm really hoping to try some turtles and flares next time I'm out as I don't think I understand what they are supposed to feel like yet. Maybe I'll make those belly landings a goal. I think I've seen Dodd Gross do them in his videos and they look graceful. Gotta look into coin tosses too as I have no idea how to set them up yet, not even in theory! Great point about obstacles, there is both a lamp post and a sign that could be pretty destructive if I walked too far forward my mistake.
    2 points
  32. Thank you, much glad that you liked it. I considered to make it a second blog with the dumps as separate blog entries, but if I would end up not maintaining that, I would have a petrified never changing blog remaining. If anyone would find any part of the structure (or as a whole) worth using I'd only see it as a positive thing. For ideal situation I think it is better to limit the current main things you practice to a few, but conditions vary and it is good to be prepared. On the other hand, one day, when the sun is shining or something, I'll try to figure out a longer sequence of many "moves". You really seem to be focused on technique and active learning, but perhaps you were speaking in a broader way about the many aspects of kiting in general?
    2 points
  33. About the sliding bridle line thing: Try moving the loop formed by the knot, to the bottom. The knot when pulled tight "locks" closed. You have it in the "open" position now. It takes a bit of practice to keep the loop down at the bottom of the knot, but it will prevent the moving issue. That is the red line in your pic. The loop is underneath in your pic. It should lock the white line in place. Also a bit of candle rubbed over the white line will give it some more purchase, if the locking loop doesn't hold. But I'm guessing that if you get the loop in the right place to form the knot correctly, you won't need it. So try to get that loop down to the bottom!
    2 points
  34. I have no problems doing a single Lazy with my Infinity and Maestro 3 in the matching wind for those kites. However trying to do it (in lighter wind) with my Illusion is a different matter. My addition to your Lazy suggestion is to try it out for different kites and winds. Actually, this applies for any trick. Learning it on one kite and transfer it to another. This may sound like bragging, but I have no fear. I almost always choose how hard ground contact I wish (and sometimes I wish for too much). But on the other side, running forward adds another step to an already complex movement and therefore makes things more difficult. I know that it does (from my head i.e.), My latest counter action is to train the hands to do an attempt on training the move in advance using only my hands (much like I do for tennis if I've found something that was successful - well actually I use my tennis racket then, but no tennis ball). Relax RobB, you have another slow snail on the other side of the Atlantic. Required time sounds similar to mine. Yes, yes, yes RobB - you are extracting my thoughts with gigantic tweezers! And Happyspoon ... feel no pressure...
    2 points
  35. You already seem to have started. Perhaps there is no need to refine the process further?: Photo document the session well. Photos on active siblings and ice-cream/pizza could be extra efficient. Wait for a calm non-kiting situation when the children are reasonably receptive/focused. "Happen" to show the kiting photos after some other photos. Tell your envy engineered story of the kiting session highlights. By no means suggest that they should join the next time (don't over do it). If it worked, do your best to live up to the contents of point #4.
    2 points
  36. Wow Exult, thanks for such thoughtful feedback! I'm glad you are enjoying watching as I learn, I'm super happy to share the process with both current and future flyers. I know I spent awhile before getting the Quantum looking for videos of beginners learning the basics! I think I know what you mean about "provoking" the kite. I noticed that I could really 'wobble' the kite going across the window with subtle movements. I saw some people talking about the "less is more" school of flying and I can see how awesome developing a real solid sense of how the kite is going to respond while 'unstable' would be! I heard the phrase flying with intent on the forum (and thought about it a lot out on the field) but didn't realize there was such a great article linked to it! I'm going to try some of that figure flying and build a couple of multi-component routines into my next session. It would be cool to have a 10min warm-up routine that I could try each time I come out. ReedDesigns has some cool stuff too! I've seen some of the trick animations on YouTube but didn't realize how many there were Thanks for the link and comments on trick difficulty! I think I should plan on trying a routine a few times then working on ground recoveries like the cart wheel next time. If I'm ambitious or if the wind isn't right for groundworks I might try an axle or two and turtles (think you are right about the fade by the way, I'm still not 100% on trick terminology)! I'd love to see these at some point! I'm flattered that some of my flying was a bit inspirational Finally, I couldn't imagine being out flying without a big grin on my face, it is too much fun. There aren't a lot of areas where repetitive practice itself is so rewarding!
    2 points
  37. You are serious kiter, the dungeon absolutely serious! With the many kites on display in your dungeon, don't you have any kites diffusing out from the dungeon and entering "normal" living indoor living areas? I've been thinking like this, if you have something that is beautiful, you like and is available and you had something like a party to decorate, why not use some strategically placed kites in the ceiling, above windows and on walls? Or, if the height to the ceiling is high enough, perhaps an arched inner kite ceiling above the dinner table? Or outdoors, a three kite large flower/parasol? No, I haven't done anything like this, mainly due to the boring reason: you typically don't do this. In a way, it shouldn't be so far fetched - for an out door party I've seen a tensioned sail as a party tent/cover before. Also compared to series of out door flags arranged on a string, a set of kites would be more interesting, even for people with very vague idea about kites. Is this hardcore or silly? I'm hardly objective and can't judge, but I know what I would prefer.
    2 points
  38. Sounds like a dancing 2 step - travel forward and down, moonwalk back and up! Then reverse!! Down and forward, up and back! Sounds like a challenge!!
    2 points
  39. Very sweet! SUL's, barely feeling the wind yet the kite feels empowered by it. The calmness of action, the impossibly s-l-o-w rotations. A feeling of oneness. I love flying my SUL most of all. I'm glad you like your own 'vana and look forward to hearing more.
    2 points
  40. End of the day, it's time on the lines, but nobody taught me this style of flying... I wanted to do more, wanted to fly when nobody else was able to fly, do things that no one else has done. That fires me up still... And now, I'm in the even more stimulated by showing others how to replicate this, to shorten the learning curve. I'm here to tell you, once you've got the "Rev 101" knowledge that I've discovered and assembled for my clinics and lessons, being able to whip out a Rev on 30' in the street in front of your house is something almost anyone can do without necessarily having to run around or even break a serious sweat. Half the time folks are actually handicapped before they even start due to tuning, lack of understanding of frame / flex dynamic, uneven lines, etc, etc... In most cases when I encounter a new student (novice or experienced), we go through a "strip down" to reset or refine these details - almost without fail, their experience is changed completely even without having learned new skills yet. Thanks for the props, glad to be paying it forward.
    2 points
  41. Really like the image showing three kites in a stormy sky. Looks like flying days I've enjoyed around here. Great to see a new blog getting started. Keep going, we are all interested in your thoughts & images. Blog on, SHBKF
    2 points
  42. Thanks Joanna. I have been eagerly awaiting this post. Great pictures & commentary of a really special event. Hope you post many more of your kite adventures. SHBKF
    2 points
  43. Your one-handed flying is getting pretty good Frankie, nice job.
    2 points
  44. Funky. Thanks Rob, I always love your flying.
    2 points
  45. Never alone. Our rationalizing is done at our kite shop. It's dangerous living near a kite shop.
    2 points
  46. Great debut. Looked like plenty of high jinx and fun was had by all. Many smiles in the pics. Well done.
    2 points
  47. I must say it was a great weekend. I am glad to see John bring a young team together. Team KiteLife did very well and the crowd was more than pleased. I look forward to see a even better kite fest next year. I will try and post a link to some of my pictures at a later date, they have not been edit and are to large to post here. Thanks some much to the team Mike S
    2 points
  48. Yes, it sounds like he may be getting ready to offer them for sale, too.
    2 points
  49. Short lines, a bit of wind, just enough light & adventure is open to inspired flight. I especially like your comment on the changing winds. It used to frustrate me but now I embrace the challenge. I haven't gone any shorter than a 30 foot line set but 20's are on the horizon. Some of my best, or maybe most enjoyable, sessions have been at night. Great pictures. Your custom car tag is so cool. SHBKF
    2 points
  50. Hey John, I wasn't complaining. Yes, I'm old, and I hate change, but evolution happens....... Not a problem, and I'm sure we'll all adapt Carry on my friend - carry on !
    2 points
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