Zuul

Deep space is not built for pattern flying. There is no comparison. If those are your goals, the Mamba is better by a mile.

Normally, a trip to Kinko’s would get you nice full size prints for a few bucks. Current circumstances might make that trip less desirable. Adobe Illustrator, maybe Acrobat, and all page layout programs (like InDesign and Quark) have an option to print “tiled pages” which is what you got for the Quartz, I believe. The free program Inkscape may have that ability, too, but I’m not sure.

Lead tape. Golf or Tennis department of every sports store .... and Amazon, of course.

Can you elaborate? I’m always looking for more insight into how specific design choices effect flight characteristics.

Has there ever been a kite with a feature to improve dead launches? I can imagine a roll-bar-like feature that bows forward between the upper spreader and nose. That would lift the nose a few inches allowing it to scoop air. It would also (probably?) give the kite a 3-point stance between the bow and wingtips that minimized wear on other bits. I’m not sure what the negatives might be. It could be over-engineering for a problem that isn’t much of a problem as you become a more proficient pilot. Still, dead-launch to lazy is a pretty cool maneuver, so....... 😄

Some kites dead launch better than others. Typically, strongly curved leading edges help, so if you are flying something recent it may be an uphill battle. I normally don’t even try because of the field I fly on. No nice soft grass for me.

You won’t have to pay import duties on a kite from Europe to the US. I ordered an R-Sky not long ago. No fees. No trouble.

Well, parking is no longer the biggest problem at Shoreline. The golf cart guy came by today to let me know that you can now only fly from the grass. PG&E doesn’t want kites in their lines and threatened the park with ... I don’t know what. So, forget finding space between the Costco kites on weekends. I don’t know what’s going to happen to the buggy and board guys. They won’t be welcome there at all anymore. Is there anyplace else in the South Bay to fly?

Oh. It didn't used to be. They must have switched it up after COVID screwed the world over.

And crossing the street is the best answer. Park in the large lot outside the gate and walk in.

There aren’t many tricks a quantum won’t do. That doesn’t mean it will be easy. It will certainly backflip, though.

Oops. I took too long writing the novel. Glad to hear things are looking legit on the ‘Vana.

First, that sucks. I hope it’s just a fluke. That said, your list of alternatives is a seriously broad swath. Ignore the BMK videos you see. His kites are, first and foremost, precise and competition oriented. Whoever is flying that Tsuru is a god. Ken builds some of the finest kites you can buy. They are beautifully designed and built. They are not freestyle kites that give away tricks, though. (I have a Mamba and a Mako) Benson is the other end of the spectrum. They are made to be tossed around and the tricks are all there, ready to flow from one to the next. With the exception of the Gemini, they can cut a descent corner, but that’s not the goal. They are possibly the BEST made kites. Tim doesn’t miss a stitch. Every detail is right. (I have Minigem and a Deep Space) R-Sky, particularly the Nirvana, will try to do it all. Not as graceful as a BMK, not as tricky as a Benson. And you didn’t hear it from me, but not as well made as either. They are good kites, but lack the craftsmanship of the other builders. (I have OG Frenezy and Krystal FX Std and LW) I’ve only ever touched one Sky Sport offering. I have an ATM, which is Lam’s working man’s model. He doesn’t make them himself. (rumor I heard was they are built by a friend of his back in Viet Nam ... may or may not be true) it’s a super fun kite, though, and does a great job at being really precise and still crazy trickable. I really click with it. Does that help?

When I see that flying at shoreline, there won’t be any question who’s on the lines! Totally unique.

Oh, so your one of those guys. 😁 Maybe you should check out Magic Sticks. Their very popular on the other coast, I’ve heard. (I don’t remember where I heard ... I don’t think I was dreaming?) https://www.flyingsmileskites.com/wordpress/2013/06/22/magic-stick-for-revs/

Enjoying the pavement they call dirt at shoreline, eh? I’ve given up on using a stake. With care you can “walk back” your lines with slight tension so the kite stays put. It’s not nearly as convenient, but you don’t need to carry a hammer.

What I’ve read is that the Mongoose prefers short, punchy inputs rather than large, sweeping inputs. That appeals to me. I have a beautiful custom Mamba in the bag. 1st gen, I guess you’d say. Ken said that he was experimenting with updating old sails to M3 spec, but didn’t commit to it, and it didn’t sound like a priority.

Ken’s new Tsuru has me thinking about Blue Moons. Many of his more trick oriented models were released during my flying sabbatical, so I never had a chance to fly any of them. Based on what I’ve read, the Mongoose ticks a lot of boxes. Anybody here know much about it? My Mako is worn-through. I’m trying to decide if I should refurb the sail or look for another gently used Blue Moon to fill its spot .... maybe a Mongoose if I could find one.

Hard to go wrong with the standard if you only get one. It does pretty well in lower winds. The UL goes up with a couple mph less, but has a smaller range, so you would be reaching for another kite more often. If you are looking to learn tricks, I wouldn’t get the vented. When the wind is up, that makes tricks harder. The vents slow the kite down, but you still need to maintain slack. When you are a little more experienced the vent would be great for higher wind days, but those are they days you do fewer tricks not learn new ones.

None are built to a higher standard than Benson. I would put the Deep Space at the top of your list. It is just great at everything, and no bad habits. The SuperFly is probably more radical, and so I would think a better future purchase.

Look for something 7' or smaller. Six foot kites are normally very quick, but there aren't many good ones out there at the moment. Slightly higher aspect can be an indicator, too. Benson Superfly and Deep Space, R-Sky KFX (a fave, but most in their "freestyle" category) and Level One Reloaded are all options. It's unusual for a kite listed as pure freestyle or trick to be slow in anything but the lowest winds. The tricky but slow kites are often classified "polyvalent", and this has been a popular category for a while now.

Read this. You are venturing into the black arts of bridal tuning..... andy Wardley’s Bridle Design Pages

I think you would find that it doesn’t compare favorably. Maybe LP-Sport level? Maybe.

There seams to be a strong preference for LPG with quad flyers, and you are among lots of quad flyers here. I find Skybond is more often the choice for dual flyers. All anecdotal, of course. Me? I miss my Berry Blue line sets. 😝

No, I wouldn’t say that. I’ve had my LPG a long time, so they’ve seen a lot of use. I only recently picked up the Skybond, but I like it a lot.