thercman Posted April 26, 2008 Report Share Posted April 26, 2008 Hey Everyone! I have an old Black Rainbow Jam that has been a great kite but it is hard to trick on and is starting to show its age. At first I thought a Prism E2 might work but after some reading it seems it will probably be more compairable to it than an upgrade. I have also been interseted in the Jumping Jack Flash, EVO, Cavalier du Ciel Shiva, and a couple L'Atelier kites. I really need some direction. As far as tricks go I basically am a beginner. But I have been flying for many years on and off for fun. Will a slightly lighter wind kite typically trick easier? Say 2 - 18mph rather than a kite with a 5 -25 mph range? Knowing this will help me narrow it down as well. Thanks in advance. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windofchange Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 I have a couple of suggestions for you but like all the posts about kite suggestions you will get a ton of answers. Kinda like asking which color is prettiest. For price I would suggest the Silver Fox series from Flying Wings. These kites are awesome and capable of tricking extremely well. For the price it is hard to beat these. The Jumping Jack Flash is a beauty, can't say enough about that one for sure. You won't regret the JJF at all and the Silver Fox or the JJF would be an improvement over the Jam. If price isn't a problem then the Widow Maker from Skyburner kites is an absolute dream to fly. It will work in your 2 to 18 mph winds very nicely. Strange that this kite works so well in the lighter winds (sub 5mph) as good as it does for a full sized wing but it does and very well. I personally haven't flown a better tricking/flying kite and the Widow Maker has improved my flying skills (or at least made me look a lot better). The WM is a better kite than I am a flyer. Made totally in the U.S. and well worth the money. It is also now available in an UL version too. Since getting my WM, my Deepspace, Quantum Pro and the rest of my kite bag haven't seen much sunlight at all. If price is a concern then you may want to test drive the "Widow" from Premier. This is a licensed version of the Skyburner Widow Maker that is mass produced in China for Premier; and although it is not quite the kite as the original U.S. version, it flies and tricks absolutely awesome. It is framed in Skyshark p-series rods (not the black diamond nitro's like the WM) and the sail has french seams like the original but it is made from ripstop nylon instead of PC31 Icarex and the "Widow" costs about half that of the original Widow Maker. Your local shop should have all of these kites in stock for you or they should be able to get you one fairly quickly. Again just some other suggestions to add to your list. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HMK07 Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 I agree with every thing windofchance posted yesterday, for the price though the Silver Fox STD 2.5 is the best deal out there. I actually had my SF out yesterday in about 10mph winds and it flew marvelous. The SF comes factory set on the brindle called 3 points mode, but it is also set up with color coded beads for adjusting to what SF calls Turbo Mode. Turbo is for more tricks, and is very easy to change over to. I hope this helps!! High Mountain Kites!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted April 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Price a factor? Ummm, sort of. Since I am a beginner at stunts I can't justify spending almost $300 for something I probably won't get the most out of. So until I get really good at tricks I may hold off on those. I am also looking at getting a smaller power kite (like a Sting) to add to my quiver. So I need cash for that too. :-) My 5m Haka is great fun but sometimes I would like something a little less intense. Back to stunt kites. The silver fox looks like it may be a great replacement for my Jam. Thanks for the help guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RobB Posted April 27, 2008 Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Hey there... I have more than 30 dual line kites, and I find myself flying my Prism Zephyr the most. It's not a bad deal when you consider it comes with two quality linesets, and a cool hard sided case that fits one more kite and lineset on the inside, and one on the outside. It has a 1-17mph windrange, and tricks with the best of them. ~Rob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted April 27, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 27, 2008 Yeah that is a nice looking kite! Anyone try the new MyOne from Level One Kites? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted April 28, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 If I go with the Silver Fox which size would be optimal? The 2.3 or 2.5? Std or UL? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windofchange Posted April 28, 2008 Report Share Posted April 28, 2008 I forgot to add in the Prism Zephyr, awesome kite for sure and the case with the two linesets rock. Can't go wrong with one of those either. For the Silver Fox I would suggest the 2.5 but I am bias towards the larger wings. I just feel they are more forgiving when learning to trick and smoother to fly. As for the STD or UL that would depend on your winds. If you find that most of the time your winds are 10 mph and less then the UL might be a better option. Especially if your average wind speed is around 5 mph mark or less. If your winds are averaging 8-10 mph with occasional 10+ then the standard might be the better one to get. If your winds are 12+ mph average up to 20 mph then vented. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted April 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted April 29, 2008 Sweet thanks! Probably the UL will be a good option in 2.5. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted May 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 Hey All! Thanks for the help. Today I ordered a Silver Fox 2.5 UL in silver. I will probably get it sometime next week and I am looking forward to it...... :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean750 Posted May 14, 2008 Report Share Posted May 14, 2008 I call it the Box of Fix. It's called the Box of Tricks. But if you really wanna learn the trickin part of flying, I don't see it being beat. You can literally yank a line, step forward and the kite self recovers. When I tried changing the bridle it became the box of fix. Stock you'll never snag a line, and it'll make a beginner look pro. And it's a cheap kite to buy. With 8 to 10 mph your in the sweet spot for this kite. LOL just don't change the bridle if you get it at some point Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted May 20, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2008 Well, my Silver Fox 2.5 UL showed up on Satuday. I was pretty impressed with Fun With Wind. I ordered it late Wednesday. They didn't mess around getting it shipped. They kite does seem well made and I love the wrapped carbon frame. The little plastic balls on the harness was new to me but seems as though it would make changing the set up easy. The only thing I found wrong with the kite was one of the knocks were not glued in. So I just added some medium super glue. Was easy enough to fix. It has been fairly windy so I have not flown it yet. My 5m Haka has been the kite of choice lately. :-) I am looking forward to flying it.... Thanks for the advice everyone! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
windofchange Posted May 21, 2008 Report Share Posted May 21, 2008 The little balls on the bridle are part of the TBS system. This is a setup that allows you to change the bridle from a 3 point to a turbo with ease. Just change the connection points at each color bead from red to blue and you can switch between the two bridle settings. I have actually taken the beads off of my Fox's because I didn't like the clacking noise while I was tricking. I just colored each area with a red or blue sharpie and then used a pair of pliers to crack the beads off. Just a personal thing really and doesn't need to be done. I actually like the turbo bridle setting a bit better and haven't changed back for quite some time now. Great kite, you're gonna love it!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thercman Posted May 22, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 22, 2008 That is a great idea! I'll try both settings but I will probably favor the turbo as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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