RobB

We will have to meet up and fly the DC sometime soon before it gets too cold...

Flying in Riverhead... go behind Riverhead raceway, that's where I've flown. Reasonably open field, you just have to drive to the back lot... a little bit of off-roading, but nothing you need 4WD for !

Good to see you here, Rob. I know you're trying to confuse everyone... yes there are two Robs from Port Jefferson. 'Rob the Kite Guy' puts my car kite stash to shame, it's like a rolling kite store !

Nice score, Elmo ! Karma knew that I already had a nice Rainbow Rev, and chose someone who needed this kite more than me...

Keep your eyes on the prize... the Prophecy is by far the kite to get your hands on. I wouldn't spend more than $200 on either the Illusion or I2K. They are both novelties to fly, but in my hands, they just don't hold my interest very long. I do like the original Illusion better than the I2K, but the I2K is fun in higher winds with the Spoilerz installed. In fact, that is the only way I fly the I2K. The Illusion vent is also a sweet ride, but good luck finding one of those, I think you'll find it easier to find a Prophecy. The Proph will also be more useful in a low wind area like Atlanta. Because of it's size, it can fly in 2-3mph wind pretty easily. I wish you luck in your quest !

I'm in... what a pretty kite !

Bobby was a friend to many of us, he was a frequent chat-head on the GWTW forum. I got a lot of great advice from him, swapped flying stories, and he remembered the compliments that I gave him on the WidowMaker Spider. He contacted me out of the blue, years later, and asked me if I wanted it. The kids enjoy flying, but I don't push them on it. I let them ask, and it seems that if one is flying, the other two will want to join in. I kind of let the kites sell themselves...

Make your way over to LBI on the first weekend of October. There will be plenty of people there to help you get those kites flying ! Kiting is definitely a lesson in patience, but so worth it !

Wow, I can't believe it's been so long since I have posted anything here. I have been consumed by work & life over the last few months, without much if any time to get the kites out. Not a huge deal, as this is the off-season for kite flying where I live (at least in my book.). I have had a few brief moments to get out and fly on the way home from work. Quick, half hour sessions do a stressed mind a world of good. Recently, a friend of ours in the kiting community passed away (BobbyB) and I took a little time at the end of my day to fly one of his kites and think about things. Just a picture perfect day with lab-grade winds... couldn't ask for anything more, other than having not heard of the passing of a friend earlier in the day. Anyway, here's Bobby's kite basking in the late day sun... Most of my free time is spent keeping the 3 kids busy, enjoying summertime activities. We recently took a day trip out to Montauk, and I brought the KAP backpack, hoping to get some shots of the cliffs & the lighthouse. Unfortunately, the wind was low & iffy, so I was lucky to get the kite alone in the air for a little while... The girls are at the age that they enjoy the SLKs still... We took turns flying the Ultrafoil 15... We took a long weekend trip up to Vermont a couple weeks ago. Vermont ? Sounds like a terrible place to fly a kite, right ? You just have to have the right kinda kite ! The Plutz3 was awesome in the lack of wind in the mountains & woods. I flew that Plutz in one weekend more than I had ever flown it. The girls also learned how to fly a glider & had a great time ! Yes, I fly gliders with a wand. That's how I learned & don't really get how people fly them on a loose line without tripping over it & getting all knotted up... So, hopefully there will be a lot more flying to report next time, as Kite Season will be officially underway around here in about 10 days. Looking forward to that LBI kite festival, too, this year will be the 3rd Annual.

Now re-visit the other kites. It will seem like they learned some stuff sitting in the bag while you were flying the Black Dog. Dodd does design some nice kites, I have a bag full of his designs. He's a nice guy, too.

I fly kites for my own enjoyment. I don't fly much during the summer months (less than 2 hours since May) because there are too many people at the beach. 20 people are too many, because of the issues mentioned above. I like the days when I see maybe 5 people in the few hours that I'll spend flying. If you're out there to entertain the public, for the most part, it's a losing battle. Their iPhones are more interesting than kites. Let's face it, there are maybe a few thousand people in the world with the same passion & interests as ours, the rest don't get it...

Glad to hear you sold it, it was tempting me. Moonies don't last long, there aren't a lot of them...

My Moonie UL Exile is different colors... I think Ken made all the same colors per model of Moonies.

I think he was wondering which model Blue Moon kite that is... Exile, Mantis, Mongoose... Sent from my LG-K330 using KiteLife mobile app

Glad to see you here, Anthony. Sent from my LG-K330 using KiteLife mobile app

Hard to believe that there are kites more radical than the Gemini. I feel that I am still not ready for the Gemini. I have to get them out and see, I guess. Sorry to hear that Crantock isn't happening anymore, that looked like an amazing gathering.

Little story... I got a second-hand Gemini from a fellow Kitelifer years ago (I'm sure he'll recognize it from the picture), an original, before the ones with roll-bars. I couldn't figure out the wingtip lashings, so I sent a message to Tim Benson. Within hours he replied, not just with text, but he shot a little video as well. Such an awesome guy. I felt that if he took the time and effort to support his kite to a second-hand owner, that I almost had to buy a modern Gemini to go along with it. So, I did... Yes, I might be spoiled, but unfortunately, he set the bar pretty high for what I expect from a top kite manufacturer. Prism lost my respect, although I still love flying their kites. Rev lost my respect just recently, but I still love flying the B's that I have.

I don't feel that the mesh tears were my fault. My Full Vent, yeah... the mesh tears got MUCH worse when I flew it in & out of icy salt water, but the midvent ? No, I treated that kite with care & flew it maybe a quarter the time the FV had in the air. It's the folding of the kite & putting it in the bag that wore it out, even though I was careful with both. I might fly more than the average Joe, but hell, if you dump a few hundred on a kite, I think you might not be the average Joe. I've talked with passerby's on the beach, and their eyes bug if I tell them I spent 75 bucks on a kite...

Yes, with modifications, it seems that the kites will last much longer. I became grumpy with Rev when the leading edge mesh ripped in my Full Vent (after ~4-5 years in rough conditions) and my MidVent (after only 2-3 years of gentle use). I tried to contact Rev multiple times, with no response. I finally had them repaired by Eliot Schook, and it looks like the two will last for many more years. Single investment for a lifetime of use. NO. If I didn't know people and have Kitelife at my back, I would've had to buy new kites, or give it up.

I was kind of getting at the fact that the kites only last for a few years not a lifetime. I agree with only needing four revs that's how many I have. I do feel the need for an extra vent but I don't think it will be a REV. Sent from my LG-K330 using KiteLife mobile app

The latest Rev ad that I saw kinda wrinkled my brow... A little misleading to someone buying their first Rev.

Those look super-cool... I'm feeling weak.

I really didn't have time to think... It was totally unexpected that the cleat would come free and the spool would start freespooling. I should've really transferred my 500# line over onto a windbreaker, I wouldn't have had this problem, but no, the line is still on the large spool. Anyway, I was on soft sand, so I don't know if stepping on it would've slowed the line. Once the kite is up, and line is cleated off, I take the gloves off, unless it's cold out, but it wasn't. I have to rethink my way of cleating the line when flying with a spool. Any suggestions ? BTW... this is what the stringburn looks like a few days later...