windofchange

There is some extremly valuable information in this thread, very nicely put Dorsal. My only suggestion is that you contact your LOCAL kite store in person or on the phone. If the kite store is serious about flying then they should have demo kites that you can try before you buy. Stunts/slack line is really an extension of your personality and like people, kites too have many different personalities and characteristics of their own. Many times I have had customers who will try a certain kite and one will love it, the other will hate it. Same kite, same wind, same conditions....different flying personalities. With one the kite clashes, with the other the kite merges perfectly. Reading reviews from other pilots is a good way to know what the kite is capable of doing and the flying characteristics....but it all depends on the hands that are controlling it. Myself, I like a lot of kite feel when I fly, thus I usually do best with a larger wing with a very heavy feel (I contribute that to power kites). Other pilots love a kite that takes very little input and rely on the wind to do most of the control. Again just different personalities. The only real way you are going to be able to find a kite that molds with you perfectly is to either fork out tons of money on tons of different kites until you find the perfect one...or talk with your local retailer and test fly many of the kites they have there and purchase the one that you like. Your local retailer may be slightly more expensive than that other online shop, but in the end you will end up paying a lot less and will be guaranteed to end up with a kite that will do what you want it to. And lets not get into spar parts and service.....again, your local retailer is the best bet. Many retailers are also capable of ordering in just about any kite your heart desires...even if it isn't one of the brands that they normally carry....all you have to do is talk to them and get to know them, they will work with you to get you what you want. There are also a ton of questions you can ask your retailer to help narrow down the large assortment of kites on the market. Questions like wind ranges, bridle adjustments, features (yo yo stops, trick lines, weights), how well it tracks, how well it tricks, easiest trick the kite can do, how sturdy is the kite, how strong is the frame, UL versions, SUL versions, vented versions, material and weight, and do you have spar parts for this type of kite?....many of these questions will help you narrow down your possible selections. Know exactly what you are wanting from your kite and try to find one that will fit that criteria. If you don't know what you want from your kite, your retailer will be able to help you find out and will be able to get you a kite that you will love. As I have said many times...fly before you buy if you possibly can. Unfortunately there are many people who do not have local retailers in their area but like Dorsal has mentioned, if you call a shop and talk direclty to them then you are going to have a much better chance ending up with a winning kite that fits your personality. Hope this helps.

Hey Penny, We spent the entire week out here at the NABX buggying. Joe Hadzecki and I were flying the Power Blast 4-8's and having an awesome time with them. Not many on the field could even keep up. Had quite a few runs well over the 50mph mark. The Power Blasts are fantastic buggy kites, only real drawback is that you have to have some pretty good Rev experience to get the most out of them. We had 100+ kiters on the lake bed on Friday/Saturday doing everything from landboards, buggies, a few land sailers, and even some off road roller blades (doom wheels). The "Pimp your buggy" contest was also a fun event and brought out some really neat ideas. I especially liked the matching tandem buggy setup with the "In Helmet" walkie-talkie system - sweet! Peter Lynn was there showing his new Kite Kat (kite boat) as well as the new Venom twin skin power kites. Some of those guys were getting some pretty awesome air on them as well as some great speed in the buggies. The Kite Kat had a couple runs out on Lake Mojave earlier in the week and did fairly well. Got some pretty strange looks sitting on the dry lake bed with no water within 75 miles. Brian and Heather from Windzup were there with plenty of demo's on all of the Ozone gear as well as a ton of team riders from all the power kite brands. Winds were excellent, weather was excellent, company was excellent....all in all a very wonderful time. I should be getting some pics back from the event soon. When I do I will try to post some of them for anyone who is interested. You'll have to get up here one of these times to do some buggying on the lake beds. It is really a treat. Still get amazed every time I pull the Power Blasts out of the bag. What a rush of a week!

I have done a dive stop with my 6.8 Razor.....bout sprained my wrists doing it but it can be done. After the dive stop the kite did collapse and drop on the ground in a pile of ripstop and spectra....have to work on that reverse flight (maybe I will just stick to my Rev's for that). I must say that Rev stunts on a foil are not nearly as fun or as impressive. IN MY OPINION.....I think that a person who learns to master a Rev will become a better foil pilot because of the skills that are learned on the Rev. Most all quad line foils can be flown like a Rev...er, make that a sloppy Rev. The precision is definatly not there. The advantage is that once you learn that the brake lines can be used to increase the turning speed of the kite...or even used to slow the kite down and back the kite deeper into the window, you can get more performance out of your foil than a pilot who has never learned these subtle maneuvers. Most of the better buggy pilots in our area own or have flown Rev's. Maybe it is coincidence, maybe not. But it is hard to not argue that the Rev pilots do have better control of their foils during turns and landings. Just my two cents....Oh, and I have yet to find a foil that can side slide...maybe a vertical side slide timed exactly when the wind drops out of the kite....have to think on that - can you say bridle tangle? Larger foils will require a lot more input to get the same response as the smaller ones. You need to pull on the handle as well as use your wrist to get the best performance, wrist or pulling motion alone will not be nearly as responsive. So as far as the original question goes I would have to put my vote on the "Hybird" type of control - especially when talking about the larger sized foils. Smaller foils can turn pretty quick on wrist movements alone but again will be emphasized when used in combination with pulling. If you are looking for a quad type kite that flies like a Rev but has a good amount of power like a foil, check out the Blast or Power Blast. Rev control with enough power to do some serious beach dragging. Packs down just like a Rev....oh yea, it is a Rev.

Have to agree with Mike on the list, all of them are very good kites that are stable and easy to fly, easy to set up, easy to pack away in a small sack. If I had to pick only one kite from that list I would recommend the Ozone LD Stunt 1.5 or the slightly larger Little Devil 2.1 meter (if you want a little more power). Both of these kites will fly very well, extremly stable and are nearly impossible to bowtie or fold up except for the nastiest of winds. Ozone quality is one of the highest in the industry as well, these kites will take a tremendous beating without sustaining severe damage. Also as Mike has stated, start slow and cautious....I have buggied well over 40+ mph with a LD Stunt on the lake beds and when the wind is nukin' these small kites can seriously spank you if you let them. In the lighter winds they are very fun to fly and will provide only moderate amount of pull. Your best bet would be to contact your local kite shop or local kiting group to test fly these kites before you buy to make sure that you are getting a kite that will fit your flying requirements. Today's power kites are far advanced over the kites of yesteryear and even the smallest of sizes can give substantial power in the proper wind ranges....after all, that's what they are designed to do. Your local shop should have demo kites that you can try out, flying the kite is the only way you will be able to see if it will work for you....asking how a certain kite flies is like asking someone what gum tastes like, you will get a ton of opinions but without flying it yourself you will never really know. Hope this helps.

El Mirage dry lake bed is between Victorville and Palmdale. Great place to ride and should only be a couple hours drive for you depending on traffic. Check the weather as well before you head up that way to make sure the lake bed is still dry. We have been getting a very unusual amount of rain up here in Vegas the last few months (more than we have had the entire last year) and the dry lake beds are not dry...maybe pull out a surf board and fire up the new Venom's for a mud run??? Hope they dry out soon! Getting buggy fever really bad!

Where in California are you at? El Mirage is one of the ultimate buggy locations in the west, only thing better that I have found is Ivanpah on the Cali/Nevada line. You can get as much speed as your kite and guts are capable of on either one of these two places. For directions, check out www.nabx.net.

Not sure if you got my private message. You can contact me at my store 702-736-1476 m-f or you can e-mail me your information and I can contact you about shipping and payment options. I am really excited to get such a wonderful kite. Thanks!!

Well, lets go up to 300.00 for such a fine looking kite.

If the cody is still available, then awesome, if not then I understand the situation and know that someone got a really beautiful kite for a great deal. Either way I am glad that I was able to help raise the funds for this great cause.

If the auction is still going on, I am still interested in the Cody. I offer 270.

I just recently started flying a Rev Indoor for two reasons, was tired of sitting in no wind waiting, and I wanted to have a broader knowledge of indoor/SUL kites to help others who were inquiring (well, a third reason is that Penny has soo much darn fun with it). Just recently we were able to attend the KTAI show here in Nevada. I was really looking forward to the fly day on Thursday morning because the wind has been excellent all week long. To many peoples disappointment, the fly day came and the wind didn’t. If you can picture about 75+ people all standing around in a parking lot, kites set up, anticipation running high, excitement and smiles, but nothing would fly.......except the SUL kites. PKC and AVIA put on a light wind demonstration for the entire morning. Sure there were a couple other attempts at putting something in the air but they all failed miserably or were very short lived. The SUL kites were in the air until the pilots wore themselves out and decided to put them down. Everyone stood and watched and I am sure many felt the same frustration that I was feeling, a feeling of being cheated, not being able to fly, not being able to enjoy the same passion that they were obviously relishing in. They had the entire flying field all to themselves while they displayed the abilities they have mastered and the kites they have created (and did so with 75 or so spectators for an audience). I was amazed as much as I was flustered. Some kites may perform better than others, but each kite will have its own personality and like people, some personalities will always clash with others. Don’t be to quick to blame the kite if it doesn’t perform the way you want it to. It might just be you. Last year I watched Mark from Prism do things with his E2 that I could only dream of doing...and even flying the same kite with his help right behind me I still couldn’t do most of them (got some priceless pointers tho). I can honestly say that the E2 can do any trick in the book and will do them smoothly and flawlessly (but only with the right pilot at the controls). Maybe the kite didn’t like me, maybe there is another kite out there that would fall in love with me and make me look good? Maybe I will improve enough that the E2 will be more tolerable of me. Either way I am sure I will be enjoying the learning process. As John as mentioned above, it sounds like someone is in love, they have found a kite that matches their flying style and are enjoying it to the fullest. It’s not about having the best kite, not about doing the most awesome routine, not about flawless tricks being performed in massive repetition without flaws....its all about letting the rest of the world fade away into a distant memory as you become the only person on earth flying your kite. Jaybett, sorry you had to come back to reality when the sun went down but I know that you will be gone again the next chance you get.

Broke into my kids penny bank and hawked my EX wifes wedding ring. Can now bid 250.00.

Very nice kite for sure. I would like to up the bid to 200.00. Keep me posted.

Where is it and when?

I don't know of any "official" event planned for Ivanpah on the 16th but have heard that there will be several who will be out there all weekend. I am planning on being out on the lakebed that weekend (weather permitting, it is raining at the moment). The KTAI officially ends on Friday so if you wish to hit the lakebed on Saturday let me know and I will keep an eye out for ya.

Have to agree with everyone on this topic. The 1.5 is the optimal kite for someone looking to move to quad line. That said...I LOVE my Supersonic, what a fun kite to fly. I usually won't even bother getting it out of the bag unless the winds are above 12 mph, under that the kite is difficult to fly and precision is very poor. I also have the 1.5, EXP, Rev I, blast, powerblast 2-4 and powerblast 4-8. My most used rev is the 1.5, owned it for over 5 years now and I haven't outgrown it yet. There is always something that I can try to improve on. It is an excellent kite to fly for fun, easy for beginners to learn on and advanced enough for you to never stop learning on. The 1.5 is our best seller out of all the Rev's and we have never had one complaint from anyone who has bought one. Precision is awesome, control is incredible, speed is great, not nearly as much pull as the Sonic or Shockwave, just an all-around fun kite to fly. The Sonic will be much harder for you to learn on and can be very difficult to fly in lighter winds and will give some serious pull in the stronger winds (as well as tremendous speeds). I have snapped 6 leading edges on my Sonic between my own flying and trying to teach others to control it. The 1.5 gets 100 times the flight time with many more beginners and I can't remember the last time I had to replace a leading edge. I would highly suggest the 1.5 for your first rev, don't worry to much about the Sonic tho, if you get the Rev bug like the rest of us you will eventually own the Sonic too (as well as a few other models).

I seen on the Registration information for the upcoming KTAI that they have an Indoor event scheduled. Anyone have any more info on this? Penny? Anyone?

I have set up a page on the basics of bridle adjustments that you may want to read through. It should help you understand the different adjustments and what effect they will have on the kite. The Quantum should be alive and well in that wind range. bridle adjustment Hope this helps you out.

I love the colors and patterns in the sock, very nice work you have done there. Well done!

The PKD's come with an adjustable bridle setting. This is a series of knots that is located on the bridle attachment points of the kite. The settings are there to change the curvature of the kite for different wind/flying conditions. If your kite was new, it should have come with a manual that will tell you what the different settings are for and how to change it. If you didn't get a manual, check back with your kite shop to see if they have one. If you can't find a manual or get info, let me know and I will be able to get you something and maybe post it here. Also, check your brake line adjustments to make sure they are not too tight, most of the time you will be flying directly off of the upper lines, not using the brake (bottom) lines at all and they will appear to be very slack and drooping. An easy way to keep the pressure on the upper lines is to take your first finger (pointer finger) and place it above the upper flying line. The flying line will run through your pointer finger and your index finger. This should give you better control of the upper lines and still provide with adequate control for braking.

Here's a picture of the basket for anyone who hasn't already seen it. Penny, you did a fantastic job on this thing. I am glad I was able to help, anyone would be very blessed to end up with a prize like this.

Speaking of magicians...I have had the opportunity to meet with Lance Burton here in Vegas on quite a few occasions back before he hit the big time with his HBO specials and the Monte Carlo. Never have I seen such awesome slide-of-hand magic before, the man is simply amazing with what he can do...and he has one of the most down to earth personalities that will surprise you. IMO, he is one of the best magicians I have ever had the opportunity to see. Back when he was doing a small time show at the long-gone Hacienda hotel, after the show he would invite anyone who would like to see to come down to his magic shop after the show and would teach anyone who was interested how to perform many of the items he was selling. Most of the time you would be able to stand in front of the glass counter across from him while he went through the trick for you or you would be sitting right next to him around a small 6 chair table as he amazed you with one trick after another. A lot of respect for him going from a stage performer to a "behind the counter" salesman in his shop. Now he has his multi-million deal with the Monte Carlo but still runs his magic shop on the side. Copperfield is also amazing and it is always difficult to get tickets to his show when he is in town. Funny enough, his warehouse and offices are only a block away from our shop. The Amazing Jonathan has been in town for quite a while now and although his magic is not much to write home about, he will pull your insides out with laughter. Hillarious show.

Will do so, thanks for the links.

Progcraft hit the nail on the head. There is no real standard length for lines for any given kite, it all falls down to personality and pilot skills. The kite will perform pretty much the same on all lengths of line, the skills needed to perform those tricks at different lengths will vary. Some pilots love longer lines others will swear on shorter lines. There is no real manufacturers recomended line lenght. Try different lengths until you find a length that seems to click with your flying style. A good starting point would be around 75-85 ft. and then go from there and note the difference you feel while flying. As Penny mentioned, wind strength will also make a difference in the kites performance per line length, try different lengths in the same wind if possible to get a good feel for the difference each length will have. In heavier winds - if the kite is too fast you may want to get longer lines to help slow down the response of the kite. In lighter winds if you find your lines are causing too much drag on the kite and the kite feels "spongy" try some shorter lines to get a little more performance from it. It all comes down to personal preference. A little playing and you will find a length that seems to fit in perfectly with your kite and your personality.

Very impressed with your description and layout. I think your entire page would make an awesome kitelife article. Very nicely done!!! Looks like I have a fun project to play with for the next couple weeks now, thanks!!!