John Barresi

*dice roll* Our winner this time around is @meshellesharples! Congrats Meshelle, I'll send you a note about shipping details shortly. Thanks all, I'll get a new prize up asap!

Warmest welcome to our most recent subscribers. 1343 - @Jeffrey Speers 1344 - @Jonpearce 1345 - @Colin

Sorry for the heavy delay guys, took a friend to the airport this morning and got sidetracked on family stuff. On it now, stand by while I reconcile our subscriber list and I'll be back in a few with our lucky name of the day! Apologies, and thanks...

Just waiting on @elmo264 to post his new prize for everyone, I'm excited too.

Looks like there is also TAKO (The Alamo Kiteflyers Unit)... https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/SATAKO/conversations/messages/276 No activity there since 2013, but they are still listed on the AKA Region 8 resource page... The Alamo Kiteflyers Outfit 3306 Triola Dr San Antonio, TX 78230-3342 US Main Phone: 210-690-1962 Hope you're able to find somebody out that way!

Other than a general web search, this is usually the first place I look... http://kite.org/community/merchant-members/ Sadly, nothing listed for San Antonio... Are you trying to find something specific, or just a store tour? Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

Nope, most subscriber prizes are totally covered (even outside the US)... On unusually large or long packages, we may ask for a 50/50 split on shipping but it's been a long time since that's come up. Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

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I have heard similar stories from quite a few people. Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

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Also take turbulence into account... Anything upwind of you creates a shadows or bumps in the wind, sometimes enough to actually stall or turn your kite even in the face of good control. Any location is worth a try, but ideal rule of thumb is 1/2 mile of flat land upwind of (behind) you so that the wind has a chance to stabilize - which is why lake and ocean venues are so popular. Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

Nope, I do my best to stay out of retail or manufacturing - I'm a flier first, good leaders (specs and material) are something that I was *perpetually* tying for folks so it only made sense for us to do it right. Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

The leaders we sell are 11" on top, I've never needed more if the lines are even. The factory B-Series leaders are too short, probably around 6" or so. Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

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Aye, should be a MUCH lighter ride. Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

Decent size, fairly heavy - I'd be hesitant to try a patch due to the potential torque and the possibility of a broken spar punching through your sail. If you absolutely must, you could approach it like wrapping thread and resin around a fishing rod... Basically add layers of strapping around the outside of the split rod - no guarantee of safety, but probably your best bet. Not exactly it, but you get the idea... The "backwoods" version might be done with packing tape but again, this is NOT an ideal solution (like relaxing the rod altogether). Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

Not a worry. Also, make sure she keeps her hands and arms in the "fighter's zone", try to avoid waving arms around... Fists in front of the torso (side by side), one fist forward (toward the kite) one back (away from the kite) to steer, then back to normal - horizontal / vertical movement of the hands does very little for control. Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app

Had to look up the kite... It's your standard beginner affair, should be pretty forgiving and durable in crashes. One thing that is often overlooked, make sure both lines are the same length, some equalization may be required... Uneven line lengths are about the worst thing you can suffer through without even knowing it. For starter 2-line tutorials, you might check out Prism Kites or Dodd Gross's Flight School (below) - a few are found on YouTube, and sometimes you can come up with a DVD. Stalls, tight spins and tricks are likely to be harder with a beginner kite like the Bolero... Key with a beginner kite like that is to focus on control, picking spots in the sky and flying to/through them, exploring all edges of the window and recoveries while working up toward basic shapes and landings. 2 cents, anyway.

Also, how big is the kite? The amount of torque it gets also affects how much you can "patch" it until you get a replacement. Pics (break area and kite) would help.

Easy enough to upgrade small bits later - Nexus will be a good start, do keep us posted on your progress. Also, periodically make sure your lines are the same length by staking off one end and drawing them tight - poly line will be a little stretchy, but do your best to average it out - even length lines means even control. Sent from my iPhone using KiteLife mobile app