Murph

You can make out the name on the kite left 'Firestorm' ...middle is a 'Mamba' and right is 'Thor's Hammer' Photo credit to John Chilese Hope thats of some help. Chris

Cool stuff John!!!! Never seen anyone else attempt it before ...been doing something similar myself for the last few years (not the 360's bit) Am just talking about flying from a stationary point and using the tall posts of lamp, rugby or football posts ...sorta like putting (but not) 'folds' in the wind window as it were. And when wind is blowing at an angle to the goal posts it makes it a little easier to fly the kite in behind one post through from behind out the front and around the opposite post ...in so doing, bending the lines around both post, I know I know, can't be the best for your lines but I generally use my beater 100' lines, just in case there is any potential for unseen snagging spots on the posts. Gets you thinking tough, would love to see a 4 kite 'goal post' routine ...say that would look pretty cool, especially viewing from just below the posts, to see kite lines bending and kites coming out at all sorts of weird angles ...pretty interesting altogether. BTW found rough bark of trees to obviously snag the lines something awful, not to mention those little wind socks they put on top of football posts in the US ...on more than one occasion I've nearly come a cropper hehe! As kite flyers sure who doesn't love thinking about stuff like this, the potential of whats possible and expanding in that direction ...and inspiring others to follow suit. Chris

Oh another good one I forgot to mention (on the Rev forum) do check out kitemap.org (a worthy Kitelife initiative to get behind) ...might help find other kiters, a place to fly or with any hope both hehe! Chris

Fan-bloomin'-tastic!!!! great flying both of you. Will we look forward to the Powerblast 4-8 video where you's pull the seadoo side/backwards up and down the river!? LOL Chris

Thanks Reef Runner and Jeepster ..yep thats the stuff 'Blenderm' surgical tape. Seriously for those of you with splits, tares or punctures in your sails ...a roll of this stuff in your bag does the trick. I will say ...I've started to use one of those small printers rollers when applying the tape to the kite, rather than rubbing the tape over with your fingers. Give it a go ...especially if you don't have a kite store nearby ...everywhere has a drugstore! Chris

Goes without saving of course ...Johns' and Guidos' videos are invaluable resources, both. Beginner right though to advanced ...still find myself going back to them from time to time. If you take a look at both their videos on the move, you'll notice both of them have relaxed arms and take note of their handle position too. In that inverted slide the handles are more 'flat' than they might be when flying right way up. I think John covers the subject of the kite wanting to turn as it traverses across the window very well. In the video he is 'giggling it for effect' or over exaggerating (says it himself) for demonstration purposes, 'adjust the trim' to prevent the kite from 'sliding up' ...it must be the way my own brain works but I always think no amount of words can suggest, better to see and then try it for yourself ...with time you'll develop your own style sure at the moment when I fly I might as well have my left handle in my front pocket and right in my back pocket when sliding right to left LOL But yeah low hands and flat-ish handles, whilst correcting the trim with the 'following' handle ...it'll come in time. Inverted and regular (right side up) side slide ...when learning to get to grips with the Rev, I had found that I got the inverted slide long before I got the regular slide. But with that little bit more wind I started to get more comfortable doing the regular side slide ...not I can do either anywhere in the window on most wind strengths. Definitely those choppy wind is not going to help ...but as ever if you learn or can side slide in those conditions, then when it comes to those smooth stuff you'll be inverted sliding with your eyes closed just an inch over the waters surfaces BTW LOL 'JB-ness' ...where can we get that T-shirt!? Chris

The tape route, I think is best. Blenderm ...thats the stuff I've been using. Rolls come in a variety of widths too. Its a surgical tape so you'll find it in any drugstore/pharmacy. Its virtually invisible when applied to the sail. I've used it on the back of my printed Rev, running from top to bottom, the whole length under both vertical spars ..the icarex seems to have got a little thin from rubbing against the race rods. Since my sail is predominantly white, any repair I did had to be near invisible. Also where I've been unlucky enough to suffer a punctured sail too ...especially on some of my taut single line and dualie sails, I've used a patch of tape on the back and one on the front too, sandwiching the puncture spot nicely. You'd be hard push to spot the repairs by eye or by running your hand across the sails. As suggested by others, if you do follow us down the tape route, do round off those corners or it'll start to lift eventually ...and sure if it does you get another chance to apply a fresh piece of tape. Do follow up and let us all know how the repair goes!? Chris

http://vimeo.com/67584361 Every sunny weekend from April to October, Frank - The Kite Man of Central Park, can be found at the park flying one of his kites. From simple fighter kites to the majestic snake kites, Frank has built an amazing array of flying wonders including a replica of a moth with a 10-foot wingspan. Frank's biggest project, however, is yet to come to fruition. by Felicia Jamieson Excellent video this one. Enjoy! Chris

http://vimeo.com/64884556 'Carlos Simoes is the president of the Wind Climbers Kite Club. The club is based in Cambridge Ontario and has members from around Waterloo Region. Simoes has been fascinated by kites since he first flew a stunt kite on a Florida beach when he was in his early 20s.' Thanks to Mathew McCarthy for producing the video, do check out the other videos in his 'A reason for being' series. -- Hi all, Been neglecting my kitelife account of recent ...life gets in the way and all that malarky. Anyways I just stumbled across this wonderful piece video above. Its from newspaper multimedia journalist, Mathew McCarthy. It pretty much gave me some pause for thought ...not that it needs any analyzing, why we care so passionately about, this obsession we all undoubtedly have for kiting. Whether it be the sense of freedom we get, all those people we get to meet, being able to put our daily worries aside or just getting outdoors for that blast of sunshine vitamins. All of the above and more. So here's to the coming season and all that sail in her, Chris

An octopus kite gets snagged on the Bliss Dancer sculpture on San Franciscos Treasure Island. Nice video ....looks pretty cool, not for the kiter though Chris

A slightly better angle of that 'Chris Vs Richard' video ....certainly some hi-octane action. Chris

Was on my youtube RSS feed this morning ...thought I share it out. A very nice little film by Mike Smith with music by Wayne Vejraska. Chris

Snowflake kites in Starbucks seasonal ad. Nice idea, nice song .....and of course nice kites BTW that song Enjoy! Chris

Oh yeah, loved that single line flying .....especially where kite was doing its own flying Chris

Excellent Steven.....sterling stuff! Although I would've thought that the SUL was much lighter than the B-series...... is this the pro or the std BTW?! Looks though my measurement of 183g might be a little off going by that then. I think I better get me a proper scales..... this cheap piece of s*!# I got in Aldi has seen better days. Anyone else got a printed SUL that they want to pop on the scales?! Tell you wot though.....I'd be interested in what 'The Flying Squads' print SUL come in at.....since they've got a ripstop leading edge instead of dacron. As far as the Zen goes....isn't it the sail area to weight ratio is what counts, in its defense. Chris

Live to fly.....I, kite therefore I am. Woooo! Some gaff that!!!! My house here is about the same size as your garage .....only one problem you've no excuses now, living on top of the beach like that, you'll have to be out flying everyday Best of luck! Chris

Listening to a recent episode of 'This American life' titled 'Right to remain silent'.....act one a bit scary, just brought it to mind here. You've got to be careful of what you say online ....but that careful!? Woooo! Chris

From that Prism DVD that comes with their 'Hypnotist' and upwards. Tis very well put together. Well worth getting your hands on. Chris

Ta very much Howard, nice of you to say so. Music wise....thought it was a nice tune, the band 'WhoMadeWho' from Denmark and the track is called 'Shake your boat'. Kinda surprised Youtubes media recognition software didn't flag it and display the name as a 'Buy this now' ..seems to do all to well nowadays Of course of course....my flying (nothing special), the missus on the camera (of course very special), the kite (SUL, when nothing else will fly) and music (always makes a difference)......and location (noting like a beautiful beach/surroundings) If you're trying it.... I would forgo the ample picnic lunch and two bottles of beer I had before attempting the 360 finale....hicupp! burp! oh pardon me Chris

Now do keep in mind that this is a printed Rev so doesn't have a lot of stitching, glue etc., not that that counts for anything but there must be something. So just taken out all the RR and weighed them altogether (out of sail), came to 75g......supposedly weighs on rods can vary by .5g -/+ by batch So 183 - 75 = 108 grams for the sail alone. I'd be interested to what a stock SUL sail on its own weighs?! Hope thats some help to you or even somebody else. Chris

You got me thinking there...got my printed 1.5 SUL out and weigh it, coming in at 183 grams, race rods of course. And that flies great in 0 - 2 mph, on 50ft 50lbs line. This was my second time flying too..... I'd like to make another line set up at around 35ft, like you're saying you have Chris

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3V_Hfx1Pd9s