Kick turn

[Breezin]

Kick turn makes more sense to me than 1/2 axle because of the kites behavior.This is one of the 1st tricks I learned. Went through a spell where I lost it but it's back pretty consistent. My moves start with a small pop on bottom push on top and snap for rotation. Yesterday didn't fly enough to really get zoned in. Winds were really low and struggled to keep my Tekken sul aloft 1/2 the time. Another flier with a lot of experience and kites to envy showed me the one hand top wing move. Seen it in videos.In the beginning shied away from it because I couldn't move forward fast enough.So I went more the Mama74 route.Fella doesn't fly duals in very high winds. That's why he buggies and has quads I would guess LOL.His opinion is the trick is to be performed low to the ground at the window edge just as kite stalls. They're beautiful when he does it and seems just about effortless moving to the cascade.Disagree that the edge is where the trick is to be performed. If you can stall the kite the trick can be executed.1/2 axle can be done center window in 20 mph doing the the 2 handed method. I believe it's a trick I need to master any where in the window up to 25 mph but thats me.Talked to Lam only once but a couple things still resonate. He'd just came back from a trip to asia where winds were running 40. Took me a couple months to figure out that was KPH not MPH. Still some pretty high winds to trick in. The fliers were paid to perform and were expected to put on a great show. No matter the conditions if folks came to watch the show must go on.Think there are a lot of fliers can 1/2 axle center window in 25 mph. Lam is one.The epiphany for me was the one handed makes the comete smoother and easier to catch. I'll see later today but I think the Slot and Taz will still be easier using the 2 handed method.I still struggle with the comete.On a good day I won't succeed even 25% of the time. Broke more parts learning it then the going across the window doing cartwheels.Think today the Comete is finally going to start to come into focus. Got a very nice lecture by the 2 fellas yesterday on the need to fly with purpose. Think I've heard that from EVERYBODY with experience LOL. Going to really try today but this stuff is so much gosh darn fun most times I just go willy nilly laughing and grinning till my face hurts.Patience my burro.IF YA CAN'T DO IT AT LEAST FAKE IT!!! .

[RobB]

Wow... it took me YEARS to learn the 1/2 Axel. I'm not sure still if I'm even doing it right. Forget about the Slot and the Taz, I've only done those by accident. Maybe. I've never flown with an 'instructor' (not true, I've flown with some very well respected fliers, but never for instruction, just fun), so I am just imitating what I see on uToob. 

Glad to hear that stuff is 'clicking' for you !

[Breezin]

Yesterday winds were a bit on the rollercoaster.8 to maybe 10 then 1 to 2. Stayed on the Zephyr for a few hours. Kite can get irritating to me cause it doesn't fly like anything else I got.Then I remember fly it like it wants to fly not like I think I want to and the good times return. Didn't do any slots and only did a few cascade starts.Taz is coming along and got some nice ones mostly left side. It's usually right so go figure. For me the purpose flying wasn't so bad for once. Get a little irked and do something else for a bit. Like the dreaded side slide. A year in and no matter the kite 1/2 the time  not sure how I pull one off. Such a seemingly easy trick and it feels so cool on the lines. Lifetime to master? Yeah I think so. The virtual contest this year has a prize for longest steady side slide. Master fliers will be entering so that's kind of a tell on that trick.Practiced the KT all over the window. In low wind the 1 hand pop worked okay. 8 center window not so much. A lot harder to stall the kite and get the slack for me. Thinking about what the other 2 guys were showing me. Think I'm just developing a pretty different style. When 1st warming up I was catching the wing tips pretty often. 1 or 2 wraps don't bother me so much anymore. If up high turn the 1 wrap into a insane and have fun. On the ground I can do some work and often get a 2 wrap undone. Few flips, tip stands and such. Guy commented about how I was catching the tips and tried to help. Not one to turn away from advice even if I don't use it. Might come in handy later. Both fliers push forward on upper wing as kite flattens pop the kite into rotation move forward then power the kite up moving backwards. As they hard pop the kite into rotation the hand they're using comes across the chest with lots of slack in the other. Great for a cascade but seems awkward to me for a Taz, Slot,Rixel or to flip the kite. Both fly with hands holding the loop(Dodd Gross). Said they thought if I flew that way I'd have more control. Uh absolutely no. Started that way so I could let go and maybe save a broken part. At 15 mph gets real hard on my hands. Someone said don't worry about hand position. Person will gravitate towards what works for them and no one is wrong.Pretty soon I was flying with a wrist wrap and gripping the handle. Now I fly wrist wrapped with forefinger extended(Chris Goff). Can control most moves with my wrists or finger using my arms for slack more often then control.Sometimes in high winds (20+)I find myself with 2 fingers extended without thought.If one thinks the loop gives more control fly a Micron in 15 mph. I can't.The higher the wind goes the faster I need to react and that takes as little movement as I can get away with.Above 10 mph the loop grip doesn't work for me so I never use it anymore.My favorite straps are becoming Peter Lynn branded made in Jamaica with a metal ring.Got 2 pair black and yellow cause Riff was building the Hive. Add in the colorizer thing and black and yellow was kinda stuck in my brain.Flew in 40 mph with them and a pair of jersey gloves with no discomfort.Got a pair of the thick padded Lynn straps but they are a little awkward. I find my fore finger at times inside the ring. Again without much thought. Before they showed me they're way I could never KT in low winds. Needed 4 at least. Was pretty amazed at how effortless they made the trick look in 1mph. Will keep practicing at the edge on the 1 hand to see where I go with it. Elsewhere in the window I gotta do the 2 hand.

[makatakam]

On 12/3/2018 at 11:10 AM, Breezin said:

Kick turn makes more sense to me than 1/2 axle because of the kites behavior.

And if you hit right you can pop a rixel.

[Breezin]

9 hours ago, makatakam said:

And if you hit right you can pop a rixel.

Got the rixel pretty early in. Blowing a KT and catching a rixel leads to all kinds of interesting what the heck was that stuff LOL.When going thru a couldn't catch a 1/2 axle for days phase at least the rixel was there. Practiced the one hand move on the Nighthawk a lot today. Took most the day but towards the end started catching on pretty good. Even started getting my arm across the chest like those guys were doing. Still only on the edge but think this new for me approach is going to get my cometes really going. The cynique still eludes me but I think it's going to help there too.Learning on my own and trying both ways I ended up doing it just 1 way. Didn't know what I was missing.Going to change some things for the better being able to do it both ways.

[makatakam]

I look at the names of dual tricks and wonder how many of them started out as "repeatable mistakes" that looked cool.

[Breezin]

On 12/3/2018 at 4:43 PM, RobB said:

Wow... it took me YEARS to learn the 1/2 Axel. I'm not sure still if I'm even doing it right. Forget about the Slot and the Taz, I've only done those by accident. Maybe. I've never flown with an 'instructor' (not true, I've flown with some very well respected fliers, but never for instruction, just fun), so I am just imitating what I see on uToob. 

Glad to hear that stuff is 'clicking' for you !

Lest one thinks perhaps I am gifted. Alas NO!! Hours and hours at this with many,many more to come. I have quite the advantage over most. Winds here are some of the best inland flying to be had. Short week for me is 15 hours. Most are 20+. 50 yards to my kite shed, then 75 to my flying field.Got a variety of kites for 2 mph to 40 mph. It is awful close to kite heaven I think. Yesterday flew the Widow in 8 to 12 in pretty steady winds. 14 degrees but it did warm up to a balmy 18 when I quit. The new move has already helped on the Cynique. Caught the best one ever center window in about 8. Then right foot started getting cold. Blew the dang side out of my boot. Frost is about gone and temps are warming nicely.Cmon Comete, Cascade and Cynique. Hope nothing breaks 😰.