DaveH

I went out to fly early yesterday morning while a front was just hitting my area. The sky was really intense with the coming storm and I thought a bit of video might look cool. The Kite is my new Blue Moon Exile. Thanks for checking it out. Dave http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URNwAW8wy9I

Good point, and thank you. Since originally starting this thread, I've worked on my technique and timing and now I'm fairly consistent with the wrap during a JL with the QP. But then today I spent a few hours on my new Blue Moon Exile. Its like no problem at all! Very easy to get the wrap and hit the stoppers. I always felt the QP made it harder than it needed to be. The Exile is easy, quick and controlled in this and other pitch based moves. Really precise, too. For my money a different class of kite.

A bag Aqua QP Red QP Elixir Illusion BRAND NEW BLUE MOON EXILE!!!!!!! Ozone B bag Acrobatx JUngle E2 Ice E2 Fanatic Rev Shockwave Historic bag 2 Hawiian team kites Stranger 2 TOTL North Shore Extremes Stinger 1000 Rev 1 Rev2

I have a friend with the Vented. I've flown it a good deal. Nice kite. There are days when the breeze is fresh and the vented SF makes tricking much less work. Since they are so reasonable, it seems having all three is the way to go.

I fly whenever I can, as often as possible. I like to video my flying and watch it back to see what needs to be improved. Usually everything So when I can't fly, I like to edit and work on the videos. Adding music, just playing around.

Very Cool! I have a couple of Hawiian Team kites and used to fly my friend's standard Spinoff. Really fun kites! I didn't know Don ever released an ultralie version. What's it framed in? If I recall, Beaman was prety popular back then, and the Advantage wrapped spars Revs used. Of course, this is 20 year old memory talking so I could be way off. Nice to read of your success with the Spinoff! Dave

Sure! I used handles for years before straps became the clear way to go. My favorite were Sky Claws. Very easy to roll up the lines. Thing is, though, before you try flying two kites at once you're going to want to get pretty good at flying one. Yes, you can purchase or make handles. But why not just learn on the straps you have and then when you want to double up make the appropriate handles? I've never flown multiple kites. I find one is plenty hard enough. But I'm sure there are others on here who can help you with the type of setup you need. But seriously, get some experience and proficiency with one kite before doubling up. Gotta walk before you can run! Best of luck, Dave

thanks, John. Dave

After the lateral roll, or half backspin in a JL lots of folks throw in a wrap. I can do this only on some kites. With my Acrobatx it happens every time. But with my QP it takes a lot of work. Best results with that kite have been for me with the two pop method, which I find a bit slow. I'm wondering if its a technical issue. Can anyone help me with this? I've been throwing the backflip in just as the lateral roll comes level. Should I hesitate a second? I ask this because even with the QP I don't have any trouble getting a consistent wrap from a front flip, but in the middle of the JL its really hard to get it to go around. Unless of course I'm flying the Acrobatx. Thoughts? Thanks for any help! Dave

sorry, wrong forum. thought it said kite reviews, not reader reviews..... *sigh* Administrator should probably delete this one as I'll post it again in the proper forum.

That was a great article. I've never competed before and the whole concept is a bit scary. Know the rules is obviously important, but knowing what to do 6 months before your first try is really helpful. Great stuff. Dave

Got it to work! I just went to you tube first. My comuter must have issues. Anyway, hey! Great great flying! that's gotta be my next kite!!!! That was truly sweet! Dave

Hrm? what's that? Yeah, usually I can see stuff on you tube just fine. I'll keep trying. I saw your demo onthe Sea Devil. Looked like at Delta Park, and I really like your flying. I'm interested in the Silver Fox UL so I know if I saw you flying it I'd have to get it

aaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!! I keep getting error alerts every time I try and watch your vids. I really wanna see the SF! I checked your personal site, the link on GWTW and here and its all the same. *sigh* But the vids accessed from the comp vid page on here work fine.......

The QP can be pretty unforgiving in terms of inputs. I think in Prism kites the E2 is a much better kite for learning these "old school" tricks. The Zypher might be great too, but I haven't flown one.

This morning I made a little video, first time ever. Its all pretty basic stuff, 'cause that's all I can do. I'd appreciate any comments. thanks, Dave http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K2bPpqch-gM

You're right. Its no lightweight. I agree it has a bit of a heavy feel, especially in comparison to earlier Prism kites such as the Fanatic and Illusion. But that slightly heavy feel pays off in inertia, when it comes to pulling off more modern tricks. You're right. It doesn't float through wind lulls as well as other kites. Where I respectfully disagree is in ground recoveries. But we all find different kites work differently for each of us, so maybe its just personal preference. I own two of these and have found them very easy to recover on the ground and get back into flying position. Practicing launches such as leading edge launch, and what Prism calls the "sleeping beauty" can really help. A sleeping beauty type move to get the kite turned around for a standard launch works well, too. Before I got good at the pancake to fade launch, I used to pull from a pancake into the fade position and let the kite settle. Then I would pull one wing around ala "sleeping beauty" and get it into normal launch position. Dave

I live in Eastern Washington and am 8 hours from the coast. I just returned from a week on the beach and am all revved up (pardon the pun) to keep working on my flying. I can consistently do what they call old school tricks, Backspins, cascades, etc, and am now just developing some consistency in wrapping the kite up. Its still pretty new to me, though, and last week yeilded some great progress. So today I went to the local park and flew for about an hour. The wind was pretty strong. Still, I find it ok to practice tricks in stronger winds inland, because the wind just doesn't feel as heavy. The pockets, gusts and turbulence seem to make a doorway for trick flying as long as you're willing to do what the wind wants to do at any given time. Its kind of fun, too, because you have to be able to change gears in an instant to take advantage of whats available at the moment. Its not all great, though, because there are 4 colleges in the area which are a magnet for sports camps. So field space is hard to come by and you can't count on flying on your favorite field with the best wind. But anyway, I nailed some pretty cool wraps today and was able to practice repeating them. For me right now, its about wrap/unwrap, trying to develop consistency in these basic elements which make up more difficult tricks. I guess I just wanted to comment on how nice it is that kiters can make progress no matter where they live, and kiting doesn't begin and end at the coast. Dave

The E2 is a great kite to learn tricks on. Extremely capable and forgiving. It doesn't track as well as a QP but its a great value for the money.

What I like best about my OZ is the WAY it does a trick. Axles are soooo slow and smooth. It fades well too. If its going to be your main kite, however, it would be kind of like painting yourself into a corner. Good Luck! Dave

John, Thanks so much for keeping these magazines alive! I have many of these issues in my collection. Each is a valued treasure. I remember many happy hours of discovery, pouring over each issue to learn the latest techniques. I also remember calling all the kite shops I could find on the east coast asking "what's a turtle?" I can't remember what publication it was, but there was also an article called "rising star" on you. I think I still have it. Anyway, as far as this sport has come in the last decade, those happy days working in a Florida Kite shop by day (reading SKQ) and flying on the beach by night seem a lifetime ago. Yet each time I fly I still feel connected to the sport's heritage. Its nice to know others do too. Dave