Dave’s Kites

Forget the power kites, more fun can be had with trick kites! Before the power wave swept the world the main buzz in the kite community was around trick flying or freestyle. Take a look at the video above and I’m sure that you’ll agree that what can be done is cool. But don’t be fooled, the tricks are extremely hard to perform! If you have never tried this before I suggest you take a look on the Fractured Axel forum for some tips. You can pick up a cheap second hand kite there as well to get you going. If you have some more cash take a look at the Benson site. A great DVD showing you how to do the latest tricks is available called Trick or Treat.

Kiteboarders Louis Tapper and Alistair Quinn are making the first ever bid to cross the notoriously treacherous Cook Strait by kite, and raise money for the Wellington-based Westpac Rescue Helicopter while they’re doing it. Chopper rescue services can mean the difference between life and death for thousands of New Zealanders every year. And you can’t get more deserving than that.

Read the rest of this entry »

While scouring the web for some good kite news this afternoon I stumbled upon the following extract, which has to be the most ridiculous one ever! I always thought kite flying was good, but this article makes me think!!:

Satan Spotted Flying Kite

George Tambov and his friends Nathan Horn and Jerry Lillo of South Carolina were enjoying a warm fall day, throwing a football around in what was usually a deserted field, when they saw something rather unexpected.

“I had just caught a pass when out of the corner of my eye, I saw an enormous red, hooved, horned man laughing and giggling as he flew a kite across the field,” said George of his encounter.

The other two friends confirmed the story and were very certain the man they saw was Satan himself.

“Satan’s a hard guy to miss, there aren’t too many other giant red men with horns on their heads that cause everything around them to wilt and die,” said George.

Upon realizing that he was being watched, a horrified Satan fled into the nearby woods. Afraid to incur his wraith, the three friends did not follow.

Flying a kite is a clean, fun activity, often times enjoyed between elder family members and their children. This starkly contrasts the activities Satan is most often associated with, activities such as torture, torture, more torture, and Celine Deon concerts. Being associated with kite flying could be a huge hit on Satan’s reputation.

“It’s hard to fear and respect a man who is giddy about flying a kite,” said historian Rob Anderson of the South Caroline Museum of Modern Evil.

Source: http://www.smthop.com

David Sheridan was out riding the waves on Valla Beach in New South Wales, Australia last month when he had a close encounter with something in the water. But unlike other stories you’ve heard before, this one wasn’t a shark.

Instead, the 42-year-old kite surfing high school teacher ran over a whale that had apparently been submerged right underneath him. He realized he was in trouble when he saw a giant shadow in the water but there was no way he could get out of the way in time.

“At first I thought it was the shadow from my kite,” he remembers. “But I quickly realized it was a whale.  The whale kept coming up. … I did not know what to expect and I went over its back just past its fin.

“Next thing I felt was its tail come up and hit me on the back of the head.”

Sheridan was alone at the time of the incident and feared that the sudden blow would knock him off his perch or leave him unconscious in the open water. Instead, he wound up shaken and dazed but still in possession of his senses.

They told him to get out of there, pronto.

“Soon after the initial impact the tremendous force subsided and I kite-surfed away with my legs shaking, hooting and yelling filled with excitement and relief,” he recalls.

It’s not that unusual for whales to be in the waters off Australia’s east coast at this time of year, since they migrate north from the Antarctic with their offspring. But it’s rare that man and Moby come together in the middle of that sea of blue.

Sheridan has become something of a local celebrity after his whale of a tale, but some people still think his story is kind of fishy.

“It’s unfortunate that my mates weren’t close enough to witness the action,” he laments nearly a month after it happened. “I don’t think they really believed my story at the time.”

Source: CityNews

Ozone have just released another land kite. So if you are in the market for something to pull you in a buggy, on a board or just haul you around a field or beach I suggest you take a look at this. Ozone quality is second to none and I personally think they are one of the most experienced foil designers due to their paragliding roots. If you want to purchase one I suggest you take a look here. Take a look at the blurb from their site:

Although accessible to novices, particularly in the smaller 2 and 3m sizes, the Flow is a unique kite that is more than capable of meeting the demands and capturing the imagination of any seasoned kiter.
2m2 The 2 is about as much fun as you can hope to have with a small kite. Massive top end wind range for high-speed balls out buggy runs and just the right amount of challenge for anyone with ambition. Try flying on a bar as the kite boarding trainer of choice.
3m2 The 3 is the ideal entry point in the range for the land locked kiter generating power early on in the wind range while always being easy to control. Quite possibly the perfect introduction to land boarding.
4m2 The 4 has the bottom end power needed in the lighter winds likely to be encountered by novice snow kiters and is a great mid-range buggy engine or land board motor.
5m2 The 5 is the one to beat in is this category, with light wind performance for effortless traction and an upper limit the pros will just keep pushing.

A French adventurer set sail from San Franciso to Polynesia on Tuesday in a bid to become the first person to make a kite-powered crossing of the Pacific Ocean, her spokeswoman said.

“Anne Quemere left San Francisco at 10:32 am (1732 GMT) under sustained winds,” the spokeswoman said.

Quemere, 42, the only woman to have rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean in both directions without assistance, was steering “Oceankite” a 5.5-meter (18 foot) vessel some 7,000 kilometers (4,350 miles) to French Polynesia.

The voyage to Tahiti is expected to take around three months.

It was her second attempt to set sail. On October 24, she returned to port shortly after sailing as the winds were too weak to impel her out of San Francisco Bay.

In 2002, Quemere set a new record after traversing the South Atlantic in 56 days in a rowing boat. Two years later she took 87 days to row across the North Atlantic.

Quemere, in her record-setting attempt to cross the Pacific, must be at the control of Oceankite’s sail nearly all day, with only a two-hour break for sleep.

Kite surfing is a sport that uses wind power to pull a rider through the water on a small surfboard. Quemere will be using a canopy to power her, but will be in a small vessel rather than on a surfboard.

Source: AFP

Having spent a small fortune on the ‘high end’ trick kites from the likes of Tim Benson I stumbled across the Temptation and Firefly manufactured by Gomberg Kites. The two kites are of identical design but have a differing sail design. The best bit is they are only $90!! The kites are designed by Kevin Sanders of Australia and are all-round freestyle sport kites that provide easy, predictable control, precise, responsive flight, and advanced trick capability in a wide wind range.

I ordered one a while back, but have still not tried it. The postal charge was only $30 for International priority post. I also got a few small single liners. In comparison to my Benson Deep Space there are few differences. The kite has all the latest features including roll bars and an active bridle. It looks like a winner. Check out the following video for a taster of what it is capable of:

I have followed the development of Peter Lynn power kites since the introduction of the Peel in 1991. I remeber seeing my first large foil of about 10m squared. At the time this size of foil was unknown - it was a monster!! Nowadays a 10m kite is relatively small. It is amazing how people have got used to flying huge kites. I would have never even considered using a 14m - now I need that kind of size to get going in the sea. The development of the the PL foils has seen may itteration from the peel to n-gen to the newer range of bridleless arcs. The Hornet is the latest ‘bridled foil’ from the lynn think tank. These are no-longer the sole development of the master but still seem to show steady improvements year on year. Here is the latest blurb:

Read the rest of this entry »

Here is another strange story from the land of fighters:

The kite-flying activity during Sankranti festival has claimed lives of 218 pigeons while another 500 pigeons were injured, according to a release from Sahayog Organisation on Monday. Read the rest of this entry »

Here is a press release for this years premier UK festival. In my opinion the best!!:

The 22nd annual Bristol International Festival of Kites & Air Creations will take place this August in Ashton Court Estate.

Organizers are promising an action packed aerial extravaganza featuring spectacular flying displays, kite fighting battles, breathtaking synchronised routines flown to music and awesome power kites as well as colourful ground-based inflatables and air sculptures of all shapes and sizes.

International guests will be winging their way from across the world to join flyers and enthusiasts from the UK and Europe.

This year the Festival will also host the 20th birthday celebration of Revolution quad line kites, and the world’s top teams will be demonstrating over the weekend.

Festival highlights will include: a 30 metre long multi-coloured manta ray and a gaggle of geckos designed and made in New Zealand by festival favourite Peter Lynn

the brute power of vast man-lifting kite surf wings and the thrills and spills of kite-propelled buggies and land boards

spectacular and colourful sea-themed kites including swirling octopi, a flying scuba diver, a giant mermaid and Roly the mega killer whale

aerial combat with traditional Japanese fighting kites each vying to be the last one in the sky

free children’s kite-making workshops

The Festival programme runs on Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st August from 11.00am to 5.00pm.

All the information can be found on the Festivals new website, (edit - not working today!!) which will be updated throughout the year.