Cot51stState

That was my first reaction as well. But, considering the source, I thought it highly unlikely that this was a joke. Thanks again to @Yoyoing_p for paying it forward. 🤙🤙

There are KiteLife subscriptions available. The money goes to support the site/site content. The giveaways are but one benefit of being a subscriber 👍.

I stumbled across that familiar plastic tube in a toy store at an outlet mall in Myrtle Beach, SC around '87-88. Went in the store shopping for my 2yo daughter and ended up buying them on impulse not having any idea what a stunt kite was. Rick Kligman discovered me set up on the beach near his store and gave me the back story on the kite and why the company was no longer in business. The fact that I was using a six pack of Rainbows to learn how to fly must have left an impression since he gave me a part time job flying for the shop. I give the credit to Steve Edeiken though, because those kites came with incredibly detailed directions and I studied them religiously.

Once I win, can you wait until Wednesday to ship? I'll be on vacation next week and, with my luck, porch pirates would get it 😁

I wouldn't catagorize much of what I do while flying as "normal". You're new, so I won't take offense 😁. And yes, the CXL are a fine rod for what I do. The P2X also seem like they'll work well in my newly acquired quad sails. I started flying when the kites were called stunt kites. I'm neither an artist nor a competitor. 30 plus years ago I discovered the more serious I became with my flying, the less I enjoyed it. So, up until a couple of years ago, I just didn't fly any more. It was with an eye towards retirement that I took flying back up again. Now I will fly what I want, when I want, and (generally) where I want... all while not taking myself very seriously. No one else should take me 'very seriously' either.

I frequently fly in confined "urban" settings. The breakage was occuring when I flew into immovable objects (brick walls, columns, concrete stairs). Thankfully my control has improved. My 3Wind SUL still has its original frame and sail. Bungee, end caps, and bridles seem to be more consumable type items 🤭.

My daughters bought me the 150 and 250 quad frames for Father's Day a couple of years ago. Once I found a T-connector that I could use for my leading edge fitting, I've enjoyed them. They seem to break like a Rev Black Race rod when subjected to similar impact 🤭.

Without a spreader, it looks like it may flex in the middle and lose lift. I have a Banshee Kites Scimitar dual line kite that I chose specifically because there were no spreaders (I was looking at the characteristics one would want in a show kite to be flown behind a boat). Its max wingspan is set by a "bowstring" that attaches to each wingtip. Increased sail pressure causes the leading edge to bow inward dumping wind while flying faster. It made use of battens to manage airflow across the sail and a curved spine to create a constant pocket at the nose for lift.

It's okay @Bunduki Vlieger, purple is more in my color pallet. So I'll take this one 😉.

I had attempted to purchase a spare with my Djinn. John explained that the complete bridle is not available, just the links (as you saw on the website) to attach it to the frame.

Great prize! Although 90# is heavier than I've become accustomed to flying on, at 120 feet I could make 8 of my 13 foot line sets out of this. #FunAt4Meters (No, I would not really do that to this set of team lines.)

https://www.kittyhawk.com/event/wright-kite-festival/

Wow, the Sky Spy brings back memories. A nearby convenience store carried them and, amongst my friends, someone came up with the idea of trying to 'fight' with them. I remember placing duct tape along the leading edge of the keel so I could place multiple attach points to vary the angle of attack. Thank you for sharing that link. I haven't thought of Gayla kites in years.

Thank you for the information. My standoffs match those dimensions exactly 🤔 It has to be fun to be able to pick the brains of the builder in person. I first spoke with Jon over the phone when I was needing to replace a Fulcrum standard frame outer rod and decided to also get a full replacement set of standoffs. It was then that he mentioned shortening the back standoffs in order to take some stress off the outer rod. He also mentioned a new Fulcrum release in a smaller form factor. Since then I've seen (possibly Carl Robertshaw's Instagram?) a reference to a ".85" Fulcrum. Any mention of a new release?

Just the look of that kite was enough to spark an interest. After seeing video of it in the hands of either of the Robertshaws, I pulled the trigger on buying the one that had been sitting a few years in my 'local' kite store. I imagine yours is the newest iteration... would you mind posting the length of your standoffs? It was my understanding that they may have been shortened since mine was made. May you have fair weather and an enjoyable maiden flight. The Fulcrum always seems to put a smile on my face each time I pull it out.

You can also add a little footwork to the inverted side slide. If you were to walk parallel to the kite and in the same direction of the slide, that keeps the kite closer to the center of the wind window and a consistent amount of pressure in the sail. Once while flying, a song came up in my playlist and the lyrics asked, "How long, how long will I slide?" Using the technique described above I easily traversed the width of a soccer field 😁

I would submit that a Fulcrum would be difficult to bowtie as well 😉