Paul LaMasters

we all "steal" from each other, those that are best at most things spend the most time working on it or around others doing so. I'm a good flyer in crap conditions 'cause we have 'em more other than most people. (the weather forecast for instance? Take that offered wind reading and divide it by THREE for the local area) I know good technique in construction 'cause I'm surrounded by impressive builders, even though it's too much time commitment for me, doesn't mean my bride isn't willing to pay someone to do it my way if requested. Fly with the masters and see what you can incorporate as your own, '..... yeah it won't look like "theirs" for years, maybe e never! But it ain't NASCAR, nobody is hiding anything (under a tarp except Lam!). They show you how to do it, offer their device for you to try and encourage you towards your own flavor of success. Figuring it out on. your own is cool, but seeing it done perfectly right in front of you is okay too. We learn differently just as instructions are given differently towards the same goal. Nothing beats practice hours, but if you only did so under the watchful eyes of a master?,... in a couple of months you'd be completely unrecognizable!

concrete set-up for me is kinda' not very helpful, even my indoor kites have magic sticks

Tuning is just insuring everything is right for you, whatever flavor that happens to be today. If the lines, leaders and handles all "fetch up tight" to a single well placed stake you may then affix onto the kite's bridle. Never done it this way? Sight down the strings (tops 1st~with the handles in the opposite hands too). Pull back tight against the stake or fencepost and then slowly give slack, the longer line will show itself (best done directly downwind or up wind). The handles must be held in perfect alignment thru-out this exercise, tops and bottoms held uniformly aligned!!!! Now repeat the exercise again for the bottoms leaders. ADJUST whatever you want to make this perfect alignment left to right (handles are still in opposite hands). If you can't make these tiny adjustments then your set-up is seriously flawed. (analogy time, driving in the Walmart parking lot you might not notice a front mis-alignment in a school bus, but fire up the supercharger on your supercar motoring the autobahn at 200 KPH?. Oh!, now you're gonna feel a sixteenth of inch out so fast! Want to make modification decisions,.... then the line, leaders and handles better be all add up to being a non-factor! Now you can affix lines to the kite, with the kite inverted,.... does it back-up?, if not tune/adjust knots until it does so, that is the reason there are four lines. Can you leaders make small incremental adjustments? Why not? Not a half an inch but a tiny moment, both sides evenly? this is the personal part, where you hold the handles affects your tuning decisions. I flick long throw handles generally, so my grip is very high, above the foam, right at the leader/handle junction (if I want to go forward), whereas if I were drawing the "reverse Octogon" I would slid my grip lower until my pinkie finger was at the bottom of the foam handle. If I need a burst of pure forward drive instantly I'll wrap my "traffic control finger" around the leaders and pinch more tops thereby shorting that leader temporarily. Just as a keyboardist flicks his hands up and down those ivory keys on a baby grand. My tuning is highly personalized, just as my kites are, basically for a couple of purposes, one I usually fly in no wind and two I want all my kites to fly the same, like a set of matched golf clubs. I maintain handles and lines for all the different purposes I routinely face, all set and ready to go, carrying kites from indoors to very high wind with 'em. I've been doing this for literally decades so the cost and time aren't even a factor anymore, I breath this sh*t!!! My strongest piece of advice? "Take the best, dump the rest"

I guess I'm unusual, but I just wind-up onto the handles directly & unrolling to an anchor point before affixing to the kite's bridle, always! If using a winder I'll wind two strands "figure eight" and the other two on top as "straight overhand" winds. Takes longer to set-up but never a tangle or nesting situation, wet sand, grass or heavy dew on the sidewalks. I usually leave the lines on specific handles until they need replacement, but spend hours insuring they align perfectly. Tuning is one sticking point I have a hard time overlooking!

Travel to a point and meet other fliers, it is WORTH that time and expense,.... feel the flight dynamics and see if it's love at first touch, get their advise and " keep the best, dump the rest!" (Take the best stuff from each pilot you meet and make it your own)

the first rule of parts ordering?,...... if you need 2 pieces order two dozen, they may be discontinued soon! oversized is "taped up" and undersized is "drilled out", you'll seldom get exactly what you want and you certainly need to explain to your retailer or supplier NO SUBSTITUTIONS if you don't have what was ordered Put it in writing!

Jeff Howard's "wren"?

Where do you live, maybe someone can offer you a mailed pkg FREE? I would ship some bridle line your way, might even with knots inserted if in the states. my advise is to spend inordinate amounts of time insuring your lines are even.... affix all 4 independent lines to handles and pull tightly against a single fence post or well-placed tent stake, a screwdriver. Now you will undoubtedly find them less than perfect. I adjust on the leaders, not caring if they (the string strands) are different themselves. Sight down the top of the handles, ( both perfectly aligned in your grasp) like shooting an arrow, towards the stake (insure you are directly downwind or upwind),.... slowly give slack and the longer line will droop showing itself. Bridle line can be untied and tied again (easily!), I only use knots in one strand, but each attachment point has the bridle line doubled, so if you needed a knot between two existing ones you could insert it perfectly in the virgin strand. When the tops are perfect you'll rotate the handles and work on the bottom leaders. this process is a front end alignment to your car before you begin a road-race, you don't want that machine jumping around randomly without your commands, right? i identify which handle goes into which hand with colored electrical vinyl tape. Now do your tuning of leaders with the handles in the wrong hand, in case one side is dominate. do this religiously and remove a big variable..... you know your lines on the handles are ready and perfect, whatever is wrong "it ain't that I do this frequently and recommend it to masters and newbies equally. It ha nothing to do with the wind or your kite, it's location immune. knots should be close together, two show across my thumb nail in fact, on tops and bottoms. MY hands are not large!

Doubtful a consumer will part with black race rods, particularly the ones w/o a green label but good luck and I'll take any spares you don't require personally

Practice 180 degree turns one inch above the ground, you're after "raising(backing up) the bottom wing" instead of driving the top wing forward. When this is second nature and you don't think about it, your turns or spins will never descend ever again driving the top wing forward is a two string technique, used to power back towards the center of the wind window, quads need no such assistance, remember your practice sessions, an inch above the ground?

Lot of work to strip away the best gliding design feature, why take this modification on? Don't you turn the elastic knots and washer under the sail to create a 3D shaped airfoil over the leading edge sleeve,........ curious, unless you want a killer Falling Leaf trick it seems counterproductive at least to a no wind flailer

Your value of the history is all the matters, fly that thing to within an inch of its life! Materials and techniques have vastly improved since intro, when you've worn this one out, then the next will seem like a fantasy come true. Dont wait get out and spank it ASAP

Ha, didn't test it, actually had em run over by the park service in DC I bent in pipe bender, so all of the curvature is up higher,.... lots of stock handles have two slight bends where you hand fits between. I prefer a bend like the indoor handles, less curvature placed higher up towards the top. This are super weird feeling to most pilots but I have literally thousands of hours of practice(not flying with intent for me)s,.... hey some folks drive almost fully reclined! You have to find your own perfection. If I were to offer advise, tightly pack the tube with wet sand, tightly, so it does not fold if severe angles are desired,... I didn't do it and mine came out fine. the foam (Glenn haynes) wore out so I had custom wooden handles crafted to fit those titanium tubes... shaped like pistol grips, anatomically correct for fingers and palm grip in each hand, complete overkill!,! when first made, late nineties the weight with a 120feet of 100# skybond wrapped around is less than stock rev handles alone, heavier now with the wood handles(mike van meers when first made, leaders were attached old school method(recDOTkites- a nail thru the handle wall and string larksheaded to it) now I use the plastic wall mount molly insert and a trumpet- headed drywall screw

I've released a quad freely many times (to demonstrate glide and field recovery),... would that count? the kite, properly tuned doesn't even need you to flyit downwind under control! the point is: don't say you can't get back to your starting area as you've backed-up all over the field. it should be done with the leading edge facing down, as high as possible in the window and centered. 120 feet of string might get 80 feet of elevation, utterly releasing should net 240 feet of field recovery (glide down wind). If it does this all by itself~ imagine what you can add by holding the handles and accompanying the kite!!!~ Feel that float, use the glide

mine are like that, much more "throw" makes dramatic slack and refilling with power easier,... there's another side to that coin though, long throws also torque your wrists, so best in low wind or for a quick demo in brisk powered winds. 19 inch grade five titanium tubes, 3/8ths of an inch in diameter, super light weight (less mass equals a quicker redirection, flicking it!), strong enough that they have been run over by a squad car w/o deformation. My advice, whenever possible,... well actually two things: 1st "Take the best, dump the rest", (lots of folks will offer advise, own what fits you, steal their best stuff, make art your own, dump everything that doesn't fit YOU. It's a journey that matters, enjoying the ride not getting to the destination. (which is perfect control at all times) #2, form your own opinion, trust no one when it comes to "feel", did it feel better to you? The seat belt and steering wheel in every car can move, why 'cause the facortry designers and builders couldn't get it right? No because you make the care "your own" where do the controls feel best to you? Have ya tried options? What if a bunch of friends gathered together and you got to fly everyone else toys and compare the feel? The more personal experiences you can call upon, the more unique your flights will become. You'll have your own style, recognized by others if they met you for long previously.

HEY, a Shook mesh 40% is completely worthy in five to twenty MPH, changing nothing along the way. Totally true, dare I say,.. almost warranted!!!~!!!! Not a reach, just the facts. A friend, James Fletch flies the 135% Shook mesh model is single digit winds, it would go to 30 MPH easily. The Shook mesh kites cost more "because you get the wind range of almost two kites" all built into one, also in your colors and no one else's design may match your selection. A totally unique kite specifically made for you. It's lighter weight (no mesh material supporting the openings in the sail) so you get the low wind range numbers, and uniformly vented for smoothness and comfort when the wind is howling or swirling. Getting what you want is always possible, getting it all thrown in for free,... not so much. Itnl shipping is only a Visa card away, BAZZER is the "land down under" he makes a killer kite design, the equal of anything available. There are many choices now compared to when I entered this activity years ago.

NOTHING beats a direct comparison, ideally each kite on identical line and handle combinations,... what about "common framing" btwn versions

You can do as many others have, adjust the leaders on the kite's bridle "to match" your handle/leader combinations,.... so for me that equals an extension on the bottom of the Djinn & Reflex (4") and a removal on the Zen (tops this time, again 4"). why so different? My top leaders go all the way across the handle's gap, as long as possible, so when I reach out there to jerk the lines, it is muscle memory kicking in. Longer handles get a longer top leader, so tuning adjustments take place on the bottoms, no sleeving either, (just another tangle point) line lengths are adjusted by shortening the attachment loops, no untying bare spectra, no tangled up sleeves when flying w/both handles in one hand. so now, every and any handle I own goes with any kite, no significant changes between models, sizes, or brands,.... initial adjustments are made at the kite end on the bridle leaders upon receipt i own enough handle sets that the string is seldom removed once established, so lines may be uneven as a set, but tuning is absolutely as perfect as possible from me, done frequently to a single, well-placed stake or fence post. leader knots are spaced very close together and only one of the two stands has any of the knots in it, so "splitting the difference" is exceptionally easy, just insert the needed knot into the unused accompanying strand. Neutral tuning is essential for comparisons and testing purposes!

Feel is experience, how does it feel to you? It's the only real question needing a reply, better or worse? spending more time fiddling with stuff to get your exact expected feel (than actually flying) is tuning for personal preference, ~ every single time I've flown, since 1999 when the stock bridle was judged inferior and lighter overall weight became a necessity, I like checking out variables and fooling around as do my local peers, many excellent builders, grand national champs even are members of our club. sharing your learned experiences with people is how we expand the activity together, standing near me will get handles slapped into your palm every time, and at no cost your greatest solution may not fit my feeling needs at all, it is still a personal experience, no need for discussion on why or what, it doesn't matter if my feel is missing! The best builders understand my variance and are themselves willing to change their final approved designs to fit my expectations,.. not for free and not with a warranty if I don't like it! But I and you too, can get it exactly as desired if we demand it. I have pushed the best builders way out onto a limp for my needs, the designs you currently buy have some of my requirements sewn in now as standards. I want to know " how many friends ask you to take their kites home and make 'em fly just like yours?" That is tuning and it is what I do better than you, not bragging just a fact. some begin prototyping can be done with tyvek and wooden dowels, where it breaks points out where to reinforce, venting can de done with a hot cutter or cigar on site, I have done this twice in competitions, once as builder and another time as a flight pilot. adjustable and active venting are also topics which our kite club president (Dave Ashworth) is vastly knowledgeable about, heck in 2 decades he's only flown kites he built, designs that are amazingly innovative not copies of stuff seen by others. Our club makes fliers want no wind, we practice when others go home or refused to come out at all, own the crap wind, quadheads never get the good field anyway, get used to it! Learn long lines, smooth and graceful, anyone can spank 25 footers for lines done a few minutes to SRV, what about alll day theres not one way and one kite to find your feel, variety is the spice of life,

Super glue is brittle, a sharp bang will release it,.... 5 minute epoxy is more flexible, it gives under a sharp impact as opposed to outright failure, same application procedures for either item,.... do you want "keep fixing it?"

Evolution for me, I've grown to prefer the ferrules on the outer tubes,instead of the middle one, breaks down to a shorter overall length and can't reach a slipped inside ferrule is now impossible, just push it out from other side! i actually prefer travel frames, to vary and position stiffness for conditions

midvent, travel framed, with enough components to "stiffen the full sail, and lighten the vented sail" so the framing can cross over each other more in wind ranges. if you can swing it, a Shook Masterpiece, crafted just for you, 75% (it's in-between a mid-vent and a full vent). It's almost always "the right kite" if there's any kind of wind blowing at all. some framing options between your two kites increases versatility, you can tune the wing for todays' conditions! (Which ever sail you prefer). Want flex, where, want a tight stiff throw-arounder instead? It's tons of fun to fiddle and tune your kite, what happens "IF", quads are easy to "put back to stock" if IF didn't work out, think about your objective,.... whatever t might be. If you want to flail around, go to short lines, if you want it all smooth and graceful, go longer, just make the next one "different enough" but comparably feeling (not too many variables btwn 'em). Challenging and expanding, whilst still adding to existing skills enjoying the comparison between two kites is powerful medicine! Eventually you will have a few kites in the 1point5 sized Rev format, this can be the first of them.

Try to share OPKs with someone nearby, best part? the kite comes with coach and tuned properly!

try to hook up with David Ashworth (Mclen,VA) if you need assistance

Longer lines are a mission, at some point you'll catch lengths that cannot be thrown back out that far,..... so it goes halfway and waits for me to walk out the slack. With proper technique you can "arch" the angle instead of directly overhead pulling downward.