RobB

Well, that gives a good idea what can be done with the NikNak. Devin certainly has the knack of getting SUL kites to do tricks that are normally reserved for heavier, standard kites. One word about that... SLACK. Don't forget to walk or run forward while trying these tricks...

THe first video is Devin flying his most awesome looking white ProDancer. He is the designer of the Aura & the Solus (one of my favorite kites). There should be some more videos of him tricking the ProDancer, too. I don't know how he gets it to fade & backspin, but there's proof that it can. It looks like the pilot in the second video is flying one in each hand... another trick that boggles the mind.

Rick, it's good to see you on Kitelife. Of course the PBSK Vanishing Point is a kite that would compete with the ProDancer for the low-wind... but the trick with that one would be to FIND one. The VP is a great kite, and is easier to squeeze some tricks out of, too. Bob, congratulations on pulling the trigger on the NikNak. I enjoyed mine, it kept me flying when nothing else would fly.

Three tricks the ProDancer can do aside from just flying in no wind... Side Slide, Axel, & 540. Well, that's all I can get it to do. I have seen Devin do more with his ProDancer, even indoors. Just search uToob for Skyburner... I will say that it is exceptionally difficult to get the ProDancer to do anything that resembles a trick, though.

The Randy G videos and the Mama74 videos were a huge help to me... another video that inspired me to learn tricks... There seem to be 3 different versions of this video, just too bad none are HD. (hint, hint...)

Since I usually fly in the colder months, heat caused by friction usually feels good. I've never noticed my hand (with thick glove) or even the carabiner getting too hot. BUT, the pulley is the best way I could think of doing it. Of course, it's just another thing to carry, and something else to get lost in the sand. I'm sure I'll find a pulley to use, though. It can't be good for the line to expose it repetitively to friction. Holding the full pull of the kite with a hoop spool is a mistake (even though they say 'unbreakable' right on them). I've seen pictures of hoop spools that have collapsed under load, and what a mess it makes of the line when they do ! Alan, your comment about 'not too much pull' with the mesh delta... IDK, the one in this video was pulling pretty hard, probably between 30-50 pounds of pull in 15mph wind. I thought it would be lighter on the line. The anchor is the biggest help that I've found. I just recently in the last few years started flying using an anchor, I used to hold my SLKs by hand, and crank them down hand over hand. Sometimes that's near impossible when the wind kicks up.

That's just too civilized, Nick !

Damn straight ! That line can cut the sh!t out of you hand or wrist. Never under-estimate the power of the wind... It's nice to have a pulley or carabiner to walk down the kite. I actually do have a carabiner on a strap to walk down the kite, but the pull on this one wasn't too hard, so just the leather glove did the trick.

Well, no wall or flagpole today... just a park bench. And a Mid-vent in a little too much wind ! Paste away ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdIy8XyO3jI

Hey All... Here's a first for me... a 'how to'. I use this method for dealing with a hard pulling Single Line Kite. This should cover every kite that's commercially available without a 'liability waiver'. It took me a while to figure all this out, hopefully it might save some of you some time. Of course, the sand anchor can be traded out for 'any immobile device'. I use a cargo strap to anchor to existing immobile objects, like a park bench or dock rail. Biggest thing I've got to say... be careful, don't underestimate the power of the wind ! ~Rob. As always, full screen & HD !

Rob & Ralph.... Thank you ! I learned all this by hanging around Kitelife ! If you want to fly tricks, just decide that you will & spend the time on the lines. I figure I'm about 1/2 the way to where I want to be... http://wardley.org/kites/movies/stoked.html I saw this when I was first trying to learn tricks, I would count this as my main inspiration. I want to be able to fly like this before I die. Check out the Oct. and Nov. videos...

Dogs aren't allowed on the beach (yeah, right... like they can read !) You can fly like that, too, Nick. You just have to put down your quad handles and practice your duallie skills for a while.

Well, this last weekend had the best wind that I've seen all Winter. At least for flying dual line kites. I was trying to get some footage to enter in the current round of Virtual Freestyle, but just couldn't get the requisite 90 seconds of in-frame flying that started from the ground. http://www.virtualfreestyle.com/ So, these are the highlights of what I brought back from the beach, I was flying the Tekken mid-vent because the wind was a little strong at times. It's a great kite, but I'm still learning it's ways. So if you have a few minutes... enjoy ! Thanks for watching, and don't forget to full-screen & hit the HD button. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4GM4jaVBhJ0

Some of my kites have long leaders built into the bridle. I never felt the need for them on my other kites, but I suppose they would make the lower spreaders and trailing edge of the kite last longer.

Who remembers the Bat kites with the bloodshot eyes ? Yeah, that was my first kite, in the 70s. Flew the wings off that one ! My first experience with 'real kites' was randomly walking into the Into the Wind store in Boulder in the mid-80s. I bought a Sun Oaks DC there, and something from their catalog just about every year since. I didn't get into controllable kites until around 2000, though, even though I had drooled after the excellent selection of them in the ITW catalog for years. Yeah, so it was all downhill from there...

I'd like to wish you both safe travels. Hopefully the stop at LSP means that you're planning on flying in the NYC area. Maybe even a clinic ? If you wander a little bit east of the city, look me up ! Good food & a place to rest...

IDK, I've had better luck with USPS than other carriers. Fast shipping, and never a complaint with the over 1,000 items that I sold on eBay. Those items were in boxes different from kite boxes, but the few kites that I've shipped USPS got where they were going without a problem. I guess it helps to toss your postal carrier a 50 at Christmas time !

Nice looking sail pattern. Seems to fly pretty good, too.

I agree that 55# sounds a little light. I flew my 1.2 in ballistic winds (over 20mph) with the stock lines, and no issues. Maybe Prism is packing the new ones with lighter lines, you know, to increase that profit margin. I'd call them & complain.

Kitelife is the first kite related thing that I support. If it's between sending $$$ to Kitelife or the AKA, I send my $$$ to Kitelife first, I think KL does more for the kite flying community.

Maybe a little f-u-r-t-h-e-r East, and some North, too...

I think this is the above mentioned Alden Miller Rev... This was taken at Wildwood last year, during 35mph winds.

CV, you must be tough on your hats... how do you wear one out ? My Tilley is only a couple years old, but I can't see it wearing out before I'm dead...

It might ship THROUGH NC, but it's headed a little further North !

I have attached a tail on the WM exactly where WA shows in his picture. Don't mess with the bungee, that's there to keep tension on the leech lines. Not that I do it much, but a 50' tail is fun once in a while.