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bartman

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Blog Entries posted by bartman

  1. bartman
    It may be the weather (endless rain, cold howling wind or no wind) or it may be exhaustion (on-going basement renovation, garage being built and more landscaping using up every spare minute of my days) but lately I've found it extremely difficult to even work up the desire to put a kite in the air let alone actually do it.
    I went out once in the usual crappy breeze for about an hour and really felt no love for it. I was just doing the motions, in a swarm of mosquitoes, planning what I had to do next when I got home.
    Our local kite festival is coming up in days. It's normally my favourite local event. This year it feels like an obstacle in the way of more important tasks and I'm already planning how I can minimize time there to maximize time elsewhere.
    WSIKF is a real dilemma for me. It is 11 days out of my life when travel time is accounted for and it's just two months away. Even worse than sticking to my plans and going is going only to find I'm there is body only, not spirit or mind. I could easily end up resenting the whole festival especially if a perfect storm situation evolves with bad weather and general lack of enthusiasm from me. That is not a winning combination.
    Am I alone feeling this way? Does anyone else ever get to this state? What do you do? I must assume rolling up the kite bag and shoving it to the back of the closet is not the answer or you wouldn't be reading this in the first place.
    For me flying is 90% a solo activity. I've beat the drum to death trying to get even one more local person interested in flying. It's not going to happen and I've accepted that if I continue I will need to continue doing this by myself.
    Yes, there are the two festivals a year I had counted on as a boost, but at the end of the day I'm still out standing in a park on my own with horrid winds. Not very social and not a whole lot of fun after having a taste of team flying and good winds the previous two years.
    So sadly this may be the end of it for me. The sport is on life support. I'm not sure how much time to give it before pulling the plug. Maybe I'm not a kite guy anymore or maybe I never was to begin with.
    Bart
  2. bartman
    The "Tumble" or "Cartwheel" but more accurately called the "Travelling Bicycle" kite maneuver is an interesting thing to wrap my head around. This blog is more for my own mental clarification of the goal than to "teach" anyone anything or relate and interesting story. It gives some insight into how my mind works for those who care to know.
    It looks like it should be simple. I've found it to be the most difficult move I've tried to learn since the inverted hover which I swore was the hardest thing to learn ever with the kite. In retrospect the inverted hover was a piece of cake! The "Traveling Bicycle" is the first move I have felt compelled to actually go out and attempt over and over to the exclusion of all other flying as I try to program my arms and hands in the necessary dexterity to make this work. Is my more focused practice working or is it a case of over doing it?
    I think it is working in-so-much that the rough pattern has appeared and I've been able to repeat it in both directions whereas a week ago I could only manage one direction by fluke alone. I had no idea why it would work when it did work and no idea why it wasn't working either. I have improved on that somewhat since then.
    I like to know why the kite does what it does – it helps me learn. When I hover inverted then slide left or right I understand the physics of why the kite is behaving in that particular way at that particular time based on what my arms and hands are doing. When I do a stationary bicycle spin I understand how the sail is changing the hover orientation, based on my carefully timed inputs, in a balance that keeps it from wandering and essentially pinned in place as a bicycle wheel on its axle. Okay, it is pinned for a handful of skilled people and most of the rest of us contend with it being close to pinned but that's another blog entry for later.
    With the travelling bicycle I'm missing most of the "why" but able to achieve some basic success on feel and existing skill alone. My brain isn't too happy not knowing it all though!
    So for my non-kiting friends who are reading this (A few do, God only knows why) the trick here is to take that nice, rotating in place kite and move it, like a wheel, left or right while still rotating so it looks exactly like a wheel rolling along the ground. On the most basic level it combines the horizontal slide with the stationary spin.
    In my mind, there are three obstacles:
    Obstacle number 1 – both of those moves require different inputs on the controls. The inputs do have similarities, however, so this move is technically possible. Obviously it is being done!
    Obstacle number 2 – timing. With the stationary spin timing is everything both to keep the kite in the air and to pin it in place, but not so much with the horizontal slide. Either way, combining the two requires considerable timing ultimately needing to be done on strictly muscle memory. There is no time to think out each control position even for the best of the best.
    Obstacle number 3 – visually to look correct and good two of the dynamics must be reasonably bang on. The first is the rotation speed vs. the travel distance (the distance cannot be much more or less than the circumference of the total number of spins or the wheel will appear to be slipping or stuck) and second the centre point of the kite cannot wander much from parallel to the ground or the travel will look bumpy. Errors on either also mess with the smooth flow which is messes with the visual requirement.
    As I work on this very cool, but elusive move I find, as mentioned, that I can pull off a rough version of it and works most of the time. Most of the time means I do not need to reset my position or drive the kite into the ground. It does not mean that it meets the visual requirements all the time and usually it works better in one direction only such as left to right over right to left.
    My hands haven't sorted out the inputs yet to smooth it out and sometimes I'll simply end up spinning in place or pulling the kite out of the sky for a bit of a bump on the ground. I had the same problem when trying to learn the stationary bicycle. My timing was off 180 degrees at times which had the affect of negating the hover and replacing it with driving towards the ground!
    I find that sometimes it is easier to start with a stationary spin then add the horizontal movement. With my hands already pedaling properly the extra input to travel slips in a bit easier. Sometimes it is easier to start on the left and move right and other times the reverse is true. I'm beginning to think that the wind direction and speed plays a factor in that regard. I have had similar issues with the inverted slide working better in one direction over the other only to find the next time the opposite is true.
    I also have noticed that most times my travelling has reverted back to a stationary spin is when the kite reaches the centre of the wind window. It has been easier to achieve the proper look while doing it off centre just to the right or left. I must also factor in being right handed as most flyers report that one side is always "weaker" than the other in their moves. All the more reason to double up on the weak side practice!
    I haven't spent much time thinking about the third obstacle. I believe that just like my originally wobbly inverted hover things do smooth out with time and practice or even just general flying. All those little refinements make their way in without conscience effort on the flyers part all the time.
    Now that I am at the rough stage of the move I can trust my existing knowledge will get me through the rest of it. Every successful pass will build the muscle memory further. Quite possibly one day will be a "Eureka" moment when I realize that somewhere along the line it all came together without me knowing it!
    This is a new way of learning for me. I've always been able to think out the moves in advance and work with that knowledge. Not this time. I've had to use the already programmed basic building blocks on which all kite movements are based to puzzle my way through to this stage. I've had about five different opinions on how others do it however no one method has been the magic bullet for me. No instant "Eureka" moment on this one only more practice. Yeah, yeah, I get fully get the statement now, "Fly more. Think less."
    In the meantime my mind needs to quiet itself and accept that it won't get to know first how to do this. Hmmm, it didn't even like commanding my fingers to type that!
    Bart
  3. bartman
    Summary:
    It's been just under three weeks now since WSIKF finished up for 2011 and I've had lots of time to let everything sink in.
    Like hearing too much about a blockbuster movie and having all sorts of expectations only to be disappointed by the final film is sort of how I felt things may go this year. I'd been looking forward to this trip for months (it is not just a kite festival, it's also my only get-away vacation of the year so it must be worth it for me) and I am happy to say that it didn't disappoint!
    I was better prepared for the weather and thankfully other than one day which was way too ugly for my liking I was able to manage short sleeves and sandals through most of the week. Much better conditions than last year even if the winds did get a tad high at times.
    Most days I was able to make the pilgrimage to the main area to walk vendor row and see some activity in field "A". I'm on the fence regarding the position of the Rev field this year. It was nice to be closer to the activity but the hike through the sand was long and it seemed to get longer each day when moving equipment back and forth. In the end I don't think I felt any more part of the festival being closer as I did last year being far off. At least last year the parking lot was near as were the washrooms not to mention having our own demos when it suited teams. I missed the spontaneity of a "private" show that a lot of times seemed to be just as much for fellow pilots as it was for any spectators that happened along. In the end I probably lean to liking the location better in 2010.
    I had so much fun! It really did feel like I was part of the Rev family and a number of us just fell back into step as if a year had not passed since last seeing each other. I met even more new people and was happy to coax at least a couple into the fold and get them involved in some group flying and pushing their envelope just a little bit. Based on the smiles I'd say they liked it even though they did protest just a little.
    It was also exciting to see at least one flyer, who didn't feel he was prepared to get into a grid last year, in a grid this year and a couple new flyers take a crack at the 6 x 6 grid (largest this year) and succeed. I say again that the basic grid only requires basic skills so if you are doubting your ability please rethink it because you may have the skills to do this. Of course the grid was "old hat" to many of us and many of us (well maybe just me) felt a little cocky going into it but honestly it went up, moved and morphed and came down so easily this year that the talent of all the flyers on the line was immediately apparent.
    Almost every day I would go down to the surf each morning to fly. The wind was always different (I thought better most times) than further up the beach and it is something that I don't get to do here – tempt fate and play around the water. It was also a nice break from walking on loose sand all day!
    Did I mention I had so much fun yet? I actually lost track of the days at one point which is a good indicator or my relaxed level. I could have easily stayed another week if everyone would have been up for it too!
    Many thanks to many people. To my roommates, Wayne, Amy and Connor at various times during the week because this trip needed to stay affordable and I couldn't have done it without you. To Mark and his family for feeding and sheltering our rag-tag crew at the midway points there and back as well as doing some driving for me. To Paul, Candace and Joe for making the trip and splitting travel costs and shuttling me to and from the beach. I'm happy that it all worked out in the end that we could all make the trip from Canada again. To Mike and his family for giving me a bed and keeping my truck safe for the time I was gone. To all the flyers that I did fly with, challenge our abilities, tangle and crash with – you know who you are – a big thanks for the fun! To John, Steve, Rich and Watty who just had to harass my kite in the air. That is one thing I still have trouble with - the feeling on the lines while someone else messes with my kite with their own. I almost always end up losing tension and come down. Hard to practice this sort of thing without someone actually doing it to get the feel of it. All good fun and I can hardly wait to practice the same with any newbies here!
    And, of course, to the organizers of WSIKF and the volunteers without which there would be no festival.
    Hope to see you all again in 2012.
    Day 7:
    Better late then never!
    More fog and mist this morning, but warmer than one would expect with the overcast. I could start the day with my Xtra-Vent but finished with a STD sail when the wind diminished to near nothing by mid-afternoon.
    A number of us went down to the water edge first thing to fly. While there we cornered another flyer who was too timid to try any kind of group flying. He was more than capable just didn't want to take the chance of damaging someone else's kite. So, who better to get in a group with him than my friend Paul! He should be cured now…
    I tried to surf my kite along one of the larger tidal pools but found it difficult to not want to lift the kite off the water surface shortly after it touched. I'm still nervous about completely dunking it even if the pool was only knee deep. Paul measured it personally after a mishap between his "grasshopper" kite and Candy's purple flames when he waded in to retrieve his.
    A lot of pilots were at the water today. Some flying team and some solo playing in the water. With the mist blowing in an interesting visual was formed. Too bad no recording device could really capture it as well as the human eye.
    As was so common this festival time moved quickly while having fun. When I finally got back to the main Rev field I was surprised to see we'd been at the water for almost four hours!
    I took a break to walk to the main area for lunch and one last look around. The breeze was dying fast and by the time I got back to the camp a lot of people had already left or were in the process of packing up. There would be no more flying for me this day.
    No one really wanted to go and good-byes were stretched out as far as possible until all but a couple flyers were left on the beach to close it out.
    Really seemed hard to believe the week went by so quickly.
    Day 6:
    Wow, what a day! So much seemed to happen today that I am losing track. Honestly I had to ask someone what day of the week we were in and for me to lose track of time like that suggests I'm in full vacation mode and having a good time.
    A lot of high wind flying with full vents and xtra-vents in many cases. No where near as cold as yesterday and mostly clear skies with no clouds.
    Met two new friends first thing in the morning. Brett and his wife Bri and we hit it off first thing. We had our own group fly down by the water along with a couple other pilots. Took more photos of kites above the water and kites in the water and I christened my Xtra-vent with a wing tip dip in the ocean. It was Brett's idea so we all went along with it. They all need a washing anyway so what the heck, might as well have even more fun tempting fate and playing in the surf.
    Time flew past down by the water and soon it was noon. Immediately after lunch I had to get my full vent set up to participate in the grid. We were 36 strong and that included at least two or three people who had never flown in a grid before and had just nicely started group flying this week. What an excellent job by everyone involved! The grid was not only tighter but it went up fast, transitioned very nicely between patterns and came down quick. The columns were straighter, the threads in time and the balls more round. Clearly everyone has improved since last year especially those of us who were terrified last year of the thing. I loved to hear from people who said that last year they could only watch and this year they got to be part of it. That was special.
    The rest of the day was spend doing more group flys with friends and exercising some new found skills in those flies. Despite the high wind day this was one of the best for spending a lot of time in the air and just having a blast.
    I can honestly say I started feeling depressed just with the knowledge that there would be only one more day before heading home.
    Day 5:
    Holy cow they obviously get their forecast here from someone living under a rock. Was supposed to be warm and sunny today but instead was overcast and foggy and bitter high wind to boot.
    Sorry folks, I didn't even touch a kite today. This festival is a week long and there have already been 4 excellent days to fly so taking a break on one of them (the crappy one) is not a big deal. I used the time to enjoy the Kite Museum (first time I have went there), wander a bit of the "downtown" area and watch other flyers who were braver than I fly around instead.
    Not to say at least a couple things didn't happen today that were great. I watched iQuad, Rev Riders and a few other pilots play in the sky today then realized one of them was Paul's eight year old son Joe on the line between John and Steve of iQuad holding the 2nd position. I hadn't even noticed - the flying was THAT GOOD.
    Katrina and Mark got C.J. out into an empty field near the end of the day to get some group flying under his belt. He was ironing out the figure 8s just before I left as well as showing noticeable improvement in his inverted hovers. They even got him to do a passable inverted slide. Hopefully tomorrow we can up the number of people on that line and get him into some longer trains and a few other exercises to send him home with.
    These stories about pilots like Jim and C.J. really demonstrate, in a good way, how much faster one can learn when there are others around you to help along the learning curve. I know C.J. liked it too. The mile wide grin gives it all away.
    The night fly and fireworks went on during the fog. I call them "pastel fireworks" due to the muted colours through the fog bank. iQuad flew in the foreground throughout it all which made for a very cool display.
    Hoping for clear skys and warm for the rest of the festival. Still so many things to do and only two days left to do them.
    Day 4:
    The hump day. The day that I start to wonder, "Is this week too long?", "Do I want to take a break?", "Why am I doing this again?" and "Do I want to do this next year?"
    After today, though, I was reminded again of just how much fun this is when the breeze is perfect, the day is warm and good friends are near. Mark and I walked down to the water line and played in some really nice wind for most of the morning before coming back to the Rev field for the rest of the day.
    A few more flyers arrived today. The fun level goes up another notch.
    A grid of 16 was put up twice today. In both grids flyers who had not participated last year were able to be involved. From what I saw they loved it. One thing that was immediately noticeable this year was how quickly a grid could be set up and how the execution of moves was much smoother and faster. Threads were cleaner, balls were rounder and even some simple line wrap moves (Benefits) were thrown into the mix this time out too.
    Boy, it feels so much nicer to have last year under my belt before getting into these again. Makes for a much nicer and stress free experience. I was even able to carry on a conversation while flying between John and Steve and contending with their antics. My kite will never be the same again!
    Mark, Katrina and myself flew together again today and worked on our "routine". We have a couple signature moves with various code names to dazzle and amaze! Watch out for us. We just need a team name now!
    Tomorrow the plan is to get at least one new flyer involved in some group flying. If you are reading this and have been too scared to try it now is the chance. Find me on Friday. I met another flyer today - Steve - who did very well in the grid and follow for a first time and he was nervous about it all too.
    This evening I caught most of the indoor demos which was a first for me. I can say that I appreciate the talent needed to fly indoors but it is not something I will be doing. It will take me the rest of my life to accomplish even 50% of what is possible with the Rev so adding another discipline to the mix is not in the cards.
    It's late and the roommates are starting to drift off. See you on the beach Friday morning.
    Day 3:
    Weather alert! The howling NW wind hit first thing this morning. It was a cold wind and I had to break out the wind jacket for the first time this trip and wear shoes to the beach. I set up the Xtra-Vent down by the sea for some new photos of it and ended up with some kind of locked in wrap which took two of us 30 minutes to sort out. In that time the wind dropped to a mid-vent level and by the time I got back from visiting Theresa at the Kite Shoppe it was a steady standard sail and shirt sleeve weather for the rest of the afternoon. From my perspective, the best weather yet this trip and one of the best days ever between last year and this year.
    I started out the day by hiking the, what seemed like, width of the Sahara Desert to the "old" Rev field on the south end. The end we did the mega-grid in. I had to find Jim who had commented on my blog that he was, shall we say, apprehensive about coming to the main Rev field so he was hiding far away. He had all the excuses as to why he "couldn't" be in the field (I know them all 'cause I had those and more last year) and after I rejected all of those he agreed to come over. I think he would have got there on his own either way but maybe I sped up the process a tiny bit.
    We managed about four or five others to get involved in a simple group fly to introduce Jim to the concept. Katrina led figure 8s and after a few false starts and some position changes in the line we were doing multiple passes with no problems and Jim was doing just great! You could see it on his face too. I think he liked it! I know how he felt - we had so much fun for a couple hours this afternoon as we tried a few different patterns without the assistance of one of the pros. At the end of the day we did a four pilot, vertical benefits and it looked good. After we had run through it a couple of times we learned that it was the first time Mark had done it so that made it extra special for him!
    I had the chance to fly a B2 today on 50 foot lines. While I don't think it would ever replace the 1.5 versions for me there was certainly something to be said about it's speed and handling. Really it is like a half size version of the 1.5 and whatever you can do with the 1.5 you can do with the B2 it just happens faster. It makes for a good kite for those days when you want to just zip around the sky by yourself or feel like more speed is in order. I may need to leave the festival with one despite my vow to buy no more new kites for at least a couple years. Problem is, it just seems wrong to be at a major kite festival and never buy a new kite.
    God give me strength to resist temptation…
    Day 2:
    Daily weather report - more wind earlier in the day than yesterday and high winds again by the afternoon. Most people used full vents and many decided to pack it in early instead of do battle with the elements for extended periods of time.
    As I over did it yesterday I had to take things a bit slower today. I did get in on another six person practice doing some simple spacing and speed control exercises. Generally went well and we learned some of the potential problems of standing too close to each other and/or not staggered enough. We had a few line snags due to these problems and flying with our hands at all different levels. Happy to say, though, that no one came out of the sky as a result and everyone involved could recover quickly. One more thing to file away for future flying with others.
    My roommate for part of the week is Stroke Victim (Wayne) from the forum and last year he didn't feel confident enough to fly with anyone in the same air space. This year he was planted in the middle of the pack and had a chance to get involved at this festival. Just another success story and demonstration that Rev pilots are always anxious to get everyone involved in the fun. Wayne said he understood now what I experienced last year being thrust into the action and how terrifying, yet fun and exhilarating, it can be.
    A few more flyers arrived today and a few more arriving again tomorrow. John thinks we could see 50 by the weekend. There has been no grids of any size yet this year and no talk of any springing up although I would bet that by the weekend at least one big one will go up. Most people in attendance were also here last year for the 8 x 8 so getting one in the air would not be a huge undertaking.
    I'm enjoying the no pressure flying I've been doing thus far. I incorporate some of what I want to work on with some messing around with some sitting back and watching others fly.
    It's good.
    Day 1:
    Started out with very low winds, but by 11 it had changed to mid-vent and by mid-afternoon a lot of flyers were using full-vents. It was warm enough for me to leave the jacket off most of the day and I even managed sandals for the day.
    I think I over did it 'cause I am dragging my butt around tonight.
    I spent a good portion of the day in the air reacquainting myself with those sweet ocean winds. They were just like I remembered!
    My friend Mark and I flew together through most of it. We compared notes on what we had been learning and what we have currently been working on. Later Brad from Island Quad led a few of us through some new patterns (we worked on one called "matrix" a lot) and gave us more valuable tips on smoothing out turns. We tried to do "the fountain" which started out great but ended badly when too many people started to notice the line twist that was building and fell out of the air with some twist anxiety. Maybe next time.
    I spent only a short time along the vendor row today. There were a number of arches and trains up all over the place and a few bigger inflatable kites were up. I expect the kite numbers will build daily now in preparation for the busier weekend.
    I grabbed a program and was happy to see some photos from last year's mega-grid! Also very cool to see my kite was visible in these photos.
    Rev pilots were scattered all over the beach today with the largest concentrations in field B and C. By Wednesday we'll only have field C to use or the public flying areas outside the roped off designated areas. We are considerably closer to the action this year and it feels like we are part of the festival not a group of renegades on the far side of the field. To be fair to the organizers in 2010 we did ask to be out of the way to have the space to work on the mega-grid. There were no grid attempts today.
    I'm beat! Tomorrow I'm going to slow it down and remember I have all week to play. I still need to work on the bicycle move and take a B2 for a spin and maybe a SUL but there is plenty of time for all of that.
    Prologue
    It's the evening before the festival starts. I'm alone in my motel room thinking about last year vs. this year. What a difference a year makes!
    Last year when we rolled in we were faced with rain/mist/fog and cold. It was horrible. I felt sick. This year, absolutely beautiful sunny, warm and clear. I feel good.
    Last year I was dreading getting up Monday morning and wondered where the nearest bus depot was and the Greyhound home. This year I can hardly wait to get to the field Monday morning and see old friends and make some new ones.
    The pressure is off. I know this festival now. I know what the weather can do. I know how to ignore the sand in everything. I can immediately appreciate the ocean breeze and how it validates my abilities learned with inland winds. I can jump in on a group fly and not hide half a mile down the beach. I can even be cocky (and maybe get away with it?) about any grid attempts now that I'm "old hand" with all that "stuff".
    I feel like I belong here.
    Last year I was on the verge of an anxiety attack when I got to the field on day one. None of that pressure is there now. There is so much more to absorb. So much more to learn and perfect. So much more fun to be had with these crazy friends of mine on the beach…
    Bring it on, it will be one hell of a week!
    Bart
  4. bartman
    Wow, what a festival!
    June 25 and 26 in mostly 30 - 50 kph winds both days. Saturday was sunny with partial clouds whereas Sunday was mostly cloudy with a couple rain storms moving through and cold winds. As someone said, as everyone huddled in a shelter during one one of the wind/rain storms, "Better more wind than no wind."
    Saturday probably saw the greatest number of big kites in the air that I've ever seen at this festival with many new ones to us locals - whales, sea horses and dragons to name a few.
    The organizers flew in a record number of celebrity flyers this year - 22 from the US, France and Germany, making for another festival record. Windscape is becoming a truly full international kite festival and I can hardly wait to see where they can take this event in the future. Frankly, it just gets bigger and better every year. Attendance was over 6000 people even with the less than ideal Sunday weather conditions. Had it been a sunny and warm day there would have easily been a lot more folks out to see the kites.
    As I am Rev focused I was primarily interested in the who's who in the Rev world that would be here and this year we were fortunate to have many "A" list pilots:
    Amy and Connor Doran. Scott Weider, Rich Comras, Stephen Rovida and Lisa Willoughby from the Rev Riders. Spencer "Watty" Watson. Edith Lacombe and Stephane Dery who were primarily here to do dual line routines, but they brought along their Revs too and Jeff Burka who was here with his big kites, but also had his Rev's along. When the numbers were crunched to include those of us who may be considered more "local" flyers, and less celebrity flyers - Paul and Candace Loranger and myself - we had 13 Revs in the air for a second new record for Windscape. Sixteen could have been possible, but three people did not feel comfortable enough to join in. Maybe next year. Two new Rev owners are local to me if I can just convince them to fly more often.
    The mega-fly on Saturday went extremely well. No real mishaps, good trains and nice formations. The first time I had tried this in 2009 the balls looked more like potatoes and the follows had a few kites on the ground as us newbies tended to run over each other on the pass. Scott and Rich did an exceptional job of leading the mega-fly and unlike past years a lot of the commands were being publicly addressed so the audience was a lot more involved in what they were seeing. We also set up Don King (the official announcer the last few years) with some history of the mega-fly in relation to the new world record achieved at WSIKF in 2010.
    The mega-fly on Sunday was another matter. Overall it went well, but almost everyone on the line had at least one issue that would take his/her kite out for a bit or his/her kite and three others along with it. I'd like to blame the more drastic wind patterns on Sunday for a portion of the problems.
    To add to the general flight problems just when everything was back on track, late in the day everyone had to get their kites on the ground when both Scott and Watty felt static discharge on the tops of their handles. We had no lightening, but there was enough static building up in the storms around us to cause concern.
    Without a doubt the mega-flys are improving here with each passing year. I even think the organizers have eyes to one day break the mega-fly world record right here. Now wouldn't that be interesting...
    Individual/team performances were exceptional and inspiring as usual. Amy brought her Charlie Chaplin routine which was a real crowd please. Connor, as one of the finalists on AGT last year had his share of stardom as well. Rev Riders put on great shows and those were with Scott leading with a broken arm! Watty wowed people with some incredible flying and snappy flic-flacs. My friend Ken couldn't get enough of watching Watty's routine. Everyone did a fantastic job in our weird winds. I'm sure some of them have never experienced anything quite like it at times.
    Great Canadian Kite Co. and myself had one of his exclusive "Oh Canada" red and white Rev's in the silent auction. Ken, no doubt still inspired by Spencer, stuck to that auction like glue and came away with the kite. He claims he'll learn to fly it. God knows I've been bugging him for the last couple of years to just try! We let him stand in the "Rev tent" at the end of the day when he had his new kite in hand. After a full weekend of teasing him about flying his foil it seemed like the right thing to do!
    On a strictly personal note it is always fun for me to have a local festival. I've been able to meet, and become friends with, many great people and when coupled with my trip to WSIKF last year it was almost like a family reunion.
    Despite the crazy, at times, winds I still managed to do my first "blender" on Saturday and again on Sunday during the "lawn chair fly" that Rich, Connor, Watty and myself participated in. That was a challenge for me. I didn't realize how much I move around when I fly until I was firmly planted in a chair and had to rely on a minimal movement set to accomplish the same thing. As Connor said later, "Who cares about how hard the wind was blowing and bad the weather was, that was a blast."
    So where will it all go? Even though I do not get involved with the organizing portion, and am grateful others will handle that job, I'd like to see the festival expand to three or maybe even four days to run fully in conjunction with the Long Days Night music festival held each evening. I could foresee a scaled down festival for the Thursday and Friday that could include clinics and/or lessons, minimal demos, but more casual team flying, workshops, general reduction in other on site activities to keep in scale for smaller weekday crowds, kite boarding on the nearby pond and an indoor element (I'm not sure if the organizers were fully aware of the number of award winning indoor flyers they had attend this year and most did not see the hotel lobby demos by Lisa, Watty and Connor before the post festival wrap-up party).
    Then, come the weekend, continue to pull out all the stops. To be sure I will offer these suggestions to the organizers and I encourage others in attendance to do the same regarding what they liked and didn't like and where it could be expanded on. It's only with constructive feedback the festival will grow and continue to improve. Windscape is a great festival and one of the largest in Canada so why not go as big as possible?
    My friend Mike has an open photo gallery on Facebook of this year's festival. I encourage you to check it out. This year he is selling a disc of the full, high resolution photos, for personal use, for 20 bucks. I'm grabbing one!
    I'm already counting the days to next year! Be there June 23 and 24, 2012!
    Bart
    Links referenced in this blog:
    Mike Stobb's photos on Facebook
    Great Canadian Kite Co.
    WSIKF
    Windscape
    Long Day's Night Music Festival
  5. bartman
    My season starts, ideally, in March but realistically, and lately, in May. This year was the worst start yet with weather (read snow and torrential rain well above normal amounts) that did not suit my fair-weather flying. We didn't really see the rain slow down until the day before our Windscape festival which is mid June! All in all I had only a couple hours to shake off the cobwebs and make sure I could still fly a kite before the first day of the festival.
    A few of those hours were in May during the Taber Fun Fly that Great Canadian Kite Company puts on. A rather light wind day, but always fun to get together with friends for an afternoon.
    Windscape experienced two full days of sun and variable winds the entire weekend. The Friday night-fly had strong winds, but the official festival weekend had mostly light winds which did keep everyone grounded from time to time. There was no wind for a Saturday night fly, but it was a perfect evening for my annual BBQ for my Rev flying friends and a few other flyers I've got to know over the years. The previous eight weeks of poor weather did lead to a record festival crowd both days as spectators were looking for any excuse to get outside and soak up some blue sky and sun. Good for the festival!
    The featured Rev team at this year's festival was 180Go! and what a great bunch of guys they are! When not doing their own demos they generally ensured there would be something in the sky for people to see and/or helped the rest of us learn a few more techniques to improve our own game that weekend. Mike Kory also led the available Rev flyers (about 9 this year) for our own little "mega-fly" on the Sunday. I'd like to see a minimum of 16 for the mega-fly in 2011 so if you are nearby or want to make a little trip to the largest festival in Western Canada please make plans! We'd love to have you. If you are an accomplished flyer why not contact the Windscape organizers and perhaps you can be an invited guest?
    Unfortunately the weather for the rest of the summer was still mostly uncooperative with rain or wind extremes from still to storms, but not a lot in the flying range. I was able to get a few evenings with cleaner and usable winds, but total hours in the sky really was not even comparable to 2009. With my first ever trip to WSIKF (Washington State International Kite Festival for anyone reading not familiar with it) on the horizon I was getting concerned about my proficiency not being up to par to fly anywhere near other pilots many of which would be world class experts and performers.
    Time marched quickly on and suddenly the big trip to WSIKF was here. It had been only a year since my bud Paul called me with his grand plan for the 2010 festival and now suddenly I found myself on a two day/20 hour road trip with Kite Cowboy and his family. He never had totally sold me on this idea (a week long kite festival?? Is this a joke?? Live together for more than a week in a small motel room?? I can't stand on a beach for a week flying a kite. I'll be bored out of my mind by day three!) and I'm not sure if it was the relentless pressure (or was that threats?) Paul exerted to wear me down or some force of nature that made me agree to it but I did find myself in the van, one wet August morning, heading to the west coast. There would be no turning back now – both literally (and figuratively which I didn't suspect at that time). To me this was always going to be a one-hit-wonder type of trip - I'll do it once, but that's it.
    We arrived at Long Beach to find fog and cold. My worst fear was realized. I knew the weather at LB could be a mixed bag, but I had just come from months of rain and was not prepared for more of the same. I was not a happy camper and was wondering how I could survive a single day of "damp cold" which, in itself, was a new level of discomfort for me let alone an entire week of the stuff! Where was the bus station?
    Thankfully I was quickly whisked away to fly which kick started the week despite the first couple days of dreary weather. In short, since you can read my daily WSIKF blog for the nitty-gritty details, it was a great week and not at all like I expected it to be. I never got bored and, in fact, ran out of time most days to see everything there was to see. Above all else, though, I learned a lot in the way of technique and tips and met some great people who were very giving of their time and patience.
    I came back home to deal with more poor weather and it did appear my kiting season would be cut short which was disappointing. I was hoping to put to use what I had learned at WSIKF before I lost everything I had learned but it didn't look like that would happen. Thankfully the whacky weather this year, once again, did a turn around and the shaky start to fall turned into a month of above normal temperatures with mostly decent winds. I spent as much time as I could in the evenings, after work and weekends exercising that new knowledge and adapting it to my local conditions. Participating in WSIKF and having that chance to fly in close proximity to others gave me a huge confidence boost and the kick in the pants I needed to try harder. Granted the Rev kite does have a steep learning curve at the beginning, but not so much that I couldn't have been a lot further along by year four if I pushed myself harder.
    I made dreaded "practice" just another part of the fun. My weak points, for a long time, have been over control in reverse and transitioning hover orientation without needing the whole sky to do it so I gave special attention to those areas each time out. I read more and more on the forum and asked a few key questions of expert flyers which led to noticeable improvements in those areas. I started using the most brake I could get away with and still fly forward which, by necessity, translated into easing up on the reverse controls to keep the wing-tips from flipping which in turn translated into more stable inverted hovers and climbing up the window in reverse. Trying to keep an upright hover with all that brake was very difficult so I learned how to do short "pumps" as I rotated the kite through hover orientations which led to the beginning basics of the clockwork move. I read, and agreed with, a theory that tip turns were a key element to many team moves so I added those to the practice list. Don't get me wrong, a lot of this practice is still in a very rough stage, but the basic building blocks are all there.
    In fact, I would say that by the end of my season I realized another "Eureka" moment that had been made up of a number little achievements through the year. It came as I did an inverted slide three inches above the ground where before I would be lucky to get it under two feet and keep it stable. My trick? Bend over and put the handles closer to the ground. It may not be that correct way, but for me it was an illustration of how to re-think the problem. It then occurred to me that I have all the skills to duplicate 90% of what I see other accomplished flyers do. I cannot do them as cleanly and perfect as some YET, but I will with more practice flying. One should never think of perfecting flying skills as "practice" – it's just another form of flying so enjoy refining your skills in between doing your thing.
    My skills are there now just not refined. I think that learning curve has finally started to level out!
    Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
    Bart
    Reference links:
    Windscape Kite Festival - June 25 and 26, 2011
    WSIKF - August 15-21, 2011
    180Go!
    My YouTube Channel - new videos added Dec/10
    Great Canadian Kite Company
  6. bartman
    Was it something or someone that got you into this Revolution obsession or did you pick it up on your own and just love it? Let's hear your story!
    My story was long in the making with my initial exposure to the Rev based strictly on seeing an ad in some magazine (maybe Kitelines?) when I was still flurting with my short lived interest in dual line kites. A four line kite sounded interesting so without much thought I ordered a black and lime Rev I. Seems to me it had 90 foot lines that seemed as thick as nylon rope compared to what is used today.
    This was all back in the days before the Internet was in widespread use so the only regular kiting information I would receive came from magazines or books I could find on the subject. Getting any kind of personal help with learning to fly, while living in the middle of no where, was an impossibility. If I couldn't cypher it from what I read it didn't happen with the kite. Sadly, this lead to general frustration and between that, life getting in the way of life and other interests consuming all my time the Rev I was shelved.
    Flash forward to 2006 (yes it really was a long dry spell) to the Windscape Kite Festival held here. One of the celebrity flyers had a Rev and he was doing some pretty cool stuff. I think it may have been Lam Hoac, but I was only at the festival for a couple hours and I don't even know if I brought a kite along. I was impressed, but was still heavily involved in other interests to do anything about it.
    Then in 2007 I saw an article in the local paper regarding the upcoming Windscape Festival and the featured photo was of four Rev kites and some team called iQuad. I decided that this would be the year I would make more time to attend the festival. I had just bought my first house in the city earlier that year and was looking for entertainment that wouldn't cost a bunch of money and the festival seemed like the ideal, low cost distraction. I even planned to take my Rev out of the closet and try to fly it again after so long a break from it.
    I did not expect to see what I saw when the event organizer thanked everyone for coming and gave the signal for iQuad to open the festival. In two words, I was blown away! I never would have imagined what these kites could do as a group when experienced pilots got behind the controls. This was light years beyond anything in that Rev I VHS training tape I had! The world of kites passed me by years ago!
    So, I did the logical thing and took my kite as far away as possible to try and fly it. I didn't fly much. I was embarassed. I spent the majority of the time watching everyone else and leaving the kite parked.
    At the end of the day, when the majority of people had left, I was spending a bit more time with my kite and letting one of the festival organizers take a turn with it when we were interrupted by John Barresi and Steve de Rooy (of iQuad for those reading from my Facebook page who may not know these guys www.teamiquad.com) who made their way over to me to ask if they could fly that Rev I. John said they had been admiring it from across the field all day since it was the first Rev they had learned on as well. Admiring my kite?!
    Of course I was honoured that these guys would want to have a go on my Rev I and quickly turned over the handles and watched them do things with my kite that it had never done before. John wanted to know if it was okay for him to make some tuning adjustments. Sure... I don't think I was able to fly it again afterwards! I'm not sure what the adjustments were anymore, but I am guessing John gave it more brake because I couldn't get it off the ground!
    Those who know me personally know that I am actually quite shy until I get to know someone so I would never have approached any of iQuad on my own. Thankfully John and Steve are more outgoing and came to me. The next day I felt somewhat more comfortable to ask John more questions and learn more about the new (to me) "1.5 Revs" that iQuad was flying. I left the field at the end of the festival thinking three things all related to what I couldn't do. In my mind I was most wowed by the inverted slide and the bicycle. Those were the first two, "if I could only do that" mentality. The third was flying with others in some type of controlled fashion which I considered more "pie in the sky" mentality than reachable.
    I did exchange a few emails with John after that. I was debating upgrading to the new B-Series that John told me about, but with the recent house purchase cash was tight. To fund the new kite I sold my Rev I (big mistake, but that's another story) and my dual line kite and accessories.
    So begun my new journey. It was (and still is) not without its bumps and it still took until 2009 for me to start seeing progress in my flying, but things have been so much better this time with the Internet to connect with others for encouragement when things go wrong.
    As for the three things I just wanted to do? Well, I can now do a reasonably good inverted slide and I can do a reasonable looking bicycle and I have flown with others, but what is really special now happens in less than a month, when I throw shyness to the wind and stand with other pilots (the majority of which far outweigh me in skill) from around the world at WSIKF.
    I'll see John and Steve again (the first time since first meeting them) and more than likely will have a chance to fly with them. What a change right there from me hiding away from the world in 2007 to this.
    So, for me, John and Steve were my inspiration to "get back into it" and put work into it this time so I could reach those three things I wanted to do and more.
    I can't help but wonder what I may have been doing during this years WSIKF week instead had John and Steve not walked across that field to fly my kite. That simple gesture openned up a world to me of new friends and new adventures I had never considered or knew existed.
    Bart
  7. bartman
    "The universe is uncanny at serving up what we need the most, in the guise of things we fear the most."
    A friend of mine told me this (you all know him as JB) during a private discussion regarding WSIKF. This blog will be a bit different than what I normally would write about. A little bit more personal and a bit less about Rev flying per se but related none-the-less.
    I'm not prone to mind and emotion gripping panic attacks, but recent posts on the 100 kite mega-fly thread did push me over one edge, of the fence I've been sitting on, for some time regarding the Washington trip.
    The thing is, I'm still not convinced a week-long festival in another country is really "my thing". I read and hear about other people's experiences that week and it sounds like fun… mostly… but a solid week? I come from the land of two day festivals. I have never flown for more than two consecutive days. I'm not sure I even want to. Yes, there is the argument that there is a lot more to see and do besides fly, but really it is almost entirely kite focused (Duh, it is a kite festival). Where is the variety for someone like me who thrives on destinations that offer many different activities (can you say Las Vegas)? How may kite vendor tents can I really look at before I get bored? How much standing on sand can I do and not have back problems later? Can I manage a 16 hour, one way, car ride? Can I live with three other people, for more than a week, in a little motel room? What if the weather is ugly that whole week and I am decidedly a fair weather flyer? What if…? What if? You get the point.
    My friend Paul (Kite Cowbly) says I'm not a real "kiter" because I have such a narrow interest range in kites. I do not disagree with him. I admit freely that he is right. I can appreciate many kinds of kites, however do not feel particularly attached to watching all of them ad nauseam. No offense to anyone, I'm just into Revs. Each to his own.
    Yes, the logical solution is to only go for two or three days, but to make it affordable it pretty much is an all or nothing deal so I'm faced with a tough decision. Do I go or do I stay?
    So how does John's quote, really quite profound I think, play into this? I will say it has given me pause to consider the bigger picture.
    Without a doubt the idea of participating in a mega-fly of any size scares me to death. I do not want to be the guy who takes out another flyer or two or three or 100 in the process. The mega-fly is not a compulsory drill for admission, but it really is hard to go there without pressure to fly in it. Say what you will, there is pressure to do this if one is there. Take that pressure, and all my other concerns about this kind of trip, and it does feel like fear. It feels easier on my nerves to just not go.
    So all this preamble boils down to this for me…
    Why have these negative factors (as I perceive them) added up to wanting to pull the plug on the trip? There is nothing so awful with any one aspect that, by itself, is insurmountable. What created this perfect storm? It's not like I want to feel this way over something that is fun for 99.9999% of the people there. I want to be excited, not dreading it. Is it because I'm just not as into it as everyone else?
    If John is right, I wonder what the universe wants to serve me, that I need but do not recognize, that scares the hell outta me?
    I felt writing this all down may ultimately help.
    Bart
  8. bartman
    I guess I get the purpose of them, but don't think I will have much use for them myself.
    I bought a set of 50 foot this past winter. My idea was to use them if the wind was too light for anything else and to give me a couple more options for flying spots. Today I felt I had the perfect conditions so gave 'em a go.
    Basically, it was like learning everything all over again. I had more wing flips than I could count and it was impossible to figure out that level of brake the kite would be happy with for more than a minute. I spent half the time just adjusting the top leaders trying to figure out what would keep it in the air the longest. Overall, more frustrating than fun which is not where I want to go with my flying.
    In the end the wind ended up being dead and I discovered their best feature... quick to wind up. Some days it is better just to not go out I think.
  9. bartman
    Summary:
    Wow. I had considered this festival and this trip more of a,"I'll do it once for the experience, but that's it" sort of deal. I didn't realize how many emotions and levels of thought with new ideas and new friends would be invoked. Frankly, it is difficult to even put it all into words without just saying, "You had to be there to appreciate it."
    If you read this blog from the beginning you know it didn't start out well for me. What you don't know is I was on the edge of an anxiety attack on the Monday morning brought on from two long days of travel, lack of sleep and being far outside my comfort level both in terms of climate and variables to deal with. I am shy, or reserved as one of my new friends decided, in a lot of respects around new people and even knowing a good number of people on the beach that morning I felt totally unprepared for what was to come and my only thought was how I could make a quick exit and get back home before anyone took notice.
    Thankfully I was approached by a member here who seldom posts, but reads a lot (let's call him user rmesm or Mark) and he was looking for someone to fly with around his same ability level. He had decided I might be the guy based on what I blabber on about. Little did he know that he really threw me a life line and a perfect way to vacate to another area before I had a melt down.
    The rest is history and I won't go into all those details again save for a few key elements and people I feel the need to extend special props to.
    JB who suggested three years ago that I needed to get myself to a beach and a big festival. I guess this qualifies. At the time I said I would never set foot on a beach since I hate beaches. I still hate beaches, but can't deny that wind! I felt that he took me under his wing quite a bit this week to personally ensure I felt like I belonged there and not an outsider.
    Felix who brought all the Decorators down the beach to come to me to make good on his promise to fly beside me. What an honor to share the air space with these guys. I never would have imagined it possible.
    Stephen who had me doing real line wraps by day 2 and spent a lot of time dealing with my fears of multiple kites near mine. Coming from the land of one Rev flyer both the wraps and kites near my kite are alien and a troublesome thought. Flying along side The Flying Squad! Who would have imagined!
    Paul who started working on convincing me to make the trip a full year ago. He was right about everything. I hope he doesn't read that...
    Mark who, as I mentioned, threw me a life line without even realizing it.
    Everyone who flew with me that took the time to impart new information and technique to me. I will try hard to put it to good use moving forward.
    Of course thank you to everyone who, as a group, made it a great week on the beach! The sheer number of Revs in the air alone was impressive as was the other end of the beach that was covered by a hundred kites at a time hanging in the air. I met so many of the forum members and I'm terrible with names so if you flew with me and have tried to friend me on Facebook please shoot me a reminder of who you are again.
    The mega-fly or mega-grid. Wow. I didn't think I could handle it, but I did and it felt good to have done it with so many friends!
    I come from the middle of no where and while we do have a kite festival it lasts only a single weekend and the crowds are very light in comparison to this one. I'm not sure how any festival could top WSIKF now. Lots of space, lots of kites (and I'm told there used to be many more) and an incredible smooth wind. I'd been told about the wind and how good it is. I didn't imagine it could be that good though!
    In that clean wind I discovered that I could do a lot of things far better than I had ever believed possible. I guess my muscle memory had it right I just needed smooth winds to see it in action. On the flip side the clean wind also demonstrated my problem areas. If it looks bad in Long Beach wind you can bet it looks bad in my choppy wind!
    By mid week I had almost resolved the whole weather and sand issue. Initially I had been trying not to get sand into everything, but that was hopeless. Once I accepted the sand would be everywhere regardless I spent less time dealing with it and learned to tolerate it. The weather also improved so seeing the sun again also improved my mood (a touch of S.A.D.). I was still not as warm as I prefer however I was able to start shedding the larger jacket on occasion.
    By the end of the week I was in full vacation/festival mode and didn't want it to end. I could have easily spent another couple days on the beach enjoying the wind and company of other flyers. Home calls though and it wouldn't be a special time if it lasted forever so the Monday after we were on our way with a little bit of sand in our shoes and a lot of happy memories.
    In a way this festival was like going from the pan to the fire. It is big. It is crowded (at the main end anyway). It is exciting. It is daunting. It is tiring. It is non-stop, multi-track entertainment!
    Pack clothing that wicks away moisture because it is humid. That's what I'm doing next year. Reserve a room early. My reservation is already made!
    See you all, my friends, in 2011.
    Day 7:
    Rain was in the forecast, but I think this was easily the warmest day with the clearest skies.
    I could even shed my my jacket for most of it! We were able to move in closer to the main festival today as we required less room. Not very many people left today.
    I got my chance to fly with The Flying Squad and learned the basics of a couple very cool moves. I hope I can retain a tenth of the information not only on the recent ones from Stephen, but also from the week in general. I also was offered to fly one of their printed kites which was like a feather compared to my std b-series. In the fading wind it was what I needed. I was, however, unable to make a straight across trade for it...
    I picked Watty's brain regarding an axle. This is very hard to watch him do and try to keep it straight because it happens so fast, so I asked him to break it down into smaller pieces. Now I understand the first part moving into it so perhaps I can work on that and then learn to move fast enough to complete it!
    I was involved in a very large following train which was super cool and always impressive to watch, but my crowning achievement of the day was getting into a 10 kite 360 pinwheel which made,of course, a major wrap line wrap. It felt okay, but then I looked at the wrap in the sky ahead of me and promptly fell out of the sky taking a few people along with me. I suppose one major flub in 7 days is not so bad. At least I didn't tear down part of the mega-grid which was my bigger fear all week!
    Seems hard to believe the week is over and I didn't have time to fully appreciate the big part of the festival or even get to the kite museum!
    A lot of good-byes, hand shakes and hugs. Some post kite festival depression setting in. Hopefully that won't hit too hard. I combated it by making a reservation at our motel for next year...
    Day 6:
    A really nice warm day, but really low winds that affected a number of people, myself included, staying in the air. No record breaker today. We were at 60 and with the light wind, the mega-grid barely stayed up for more than a couple minutes. Too bad because we had more crowd today. Hopefully they didn't walk away thinking they had just watched a pack of hacks (as in those of us who could be described as hacks). Hopefully most were there on Friday to see it.
    I had my chance to fly with Scott, Rich and Laura from the Rev Riders which was a ton of fun. Mario from Island Quad also was in that mix. They let me around the sky in very low winds (for me). JB offered a few more tips and made a correction on one of my lines that was a bit out. I'm told he also tried to stick his tongue in my ear so I'll need to find that photo on my camera. The man is far too friendly...
    During my time at the other end of the beach all of the big kites were on the ground, but I did see the Cody Kite mass ascension that lasted 20 seconds in no wind, but cool none-the-less. Paul and Candace had their "Cowdy" Cody in it. I said good-bye to the Decorators. I really am going to miss those guys. Had such fun with them and an honor to fly with them and learn. A lot of the people going home either tonight yet or tomorrow morning early so it really is winding down and I'm really feeling that post kite festival depression set it. I just remind myself one more day to enjoy it.
    Day 5:
    What is the day of the week again? I think it is Friday. They are sort of blurring together now.
    The big deal today was, of course, the grid. A new record of 64 and very stable with a good wind to keep it all together. I'm embedding the video of my point of view of it. Everyone should try this at least once!
    I've met so many new people that I have now completely lost track of all of their names. I try to fly with as many of the experienced people as I can and today one of them was Jim Foster. I don't fear kites near me anymore, but I'm still concerned about taking out someone else so get a little tense in that regard. Everyone is so supportive of each other though that it is just incredible. I feel especially connected with the guys from over the the big pond, though. Maybe it is the whole Commonwealth thing or maybe it is just because they are more reserved as I am, but I will miss them when they start to leave for home after tomorrow.
    The crowds are starting to get large right across the beach so it now seems like we are part of the festival not just doing our own thing.
    I was looking forward to the night fly even though we were just going to go play around the beach, not do anything as scary as a demo, but while the winds were nice for the kites we set up they didn't stay that way and by the time it started I felt like I was in a sand blaster! I had to pack up and just enjoy what the pros were up to and the fireworks.
    Tomorrow is the last mega-grid and the hope is still for another 8, at least, to fly it. We probably will have the largest crowd so we all have our fingers crossed that it goes well.


    Day 4:
    A sunny day with a great wind! Good thing as it made for a beautiful backdrop to the record making mega-grid of 56 kites! More today and Saturday I'm certain!
    The day started out with a flyer meeting and more mega grid practice. This is becoming routine and is paying big dividends as by the afternoon the mega-grid went up with 56 kites and only a couple minor crashes. The world record was broken two days early, my stress level has dropped back to normal levels! Lots of big grins, handshakes and hugs all around.
    It was exciting! I was thrilled to be part of it. JB kissed me... and that was before we even got off the ground. I'm worried now what he meant by, "Bart will be in all sorts of positions this weekend" that he mentioned at the flyers meeting that morning....
    Alden has been giving me new nicknames. May need to change my user ID...
    More kites on Friday!
    I made my daily hike to the other field to visit with my friends from Windjammers. They saw the grid from that side, but weren't sure if the record had been broken or not. More big kites today. Actually more appearing daily now so the festival doesn't seem to be a separate entity a mile away.
    Hoping to fly with the Rev Riders today at some point and maybe near the ocean for some photos too... Need some evidence I was here!
    Day 3:
    The wettest day yet. My OCD about sand and all things that get into all things will either get cured this trip or I'll end up in the padded white room!
    I learned today that I may not be totally crazy. The kites have been feeling "different" to me. Harder to control and almost like a brick in the air. Turns out it is the sand I'm taking along for the ride especially when it is damp out. I'll need to take that in account and try to adjust for it.
    I took a bit of a break from the Rev field today and walked to the other end to see the actual festival. I'll need to dot his daily since there is so much to see and it changes daily. It also allows for a break from the mega-grid which has been dominating my mind. My friends from Windjammers are here and flying all week and I'd like to see there show again.
    More demos today from all the teams currently there. This now also includes Rev Riders and Island Quad so we are treated to good shows throughout the day. I happaned to be on the same radio channel as iQuad when they flew theirs so very interesting to hear John making the calls and watching the results.
    We were up to 32 in the grid today and only a couple small mishaps that were quickly sorted out. I would suspect it could go up to 40 today easily, but I'm not sure where 100 will come from by Saturday. I'd still like to see a bit more wind speed for these things for my own peace of mind. I've been sticking to the bottom of the grid which has made me feel a whole lot more comfortable when I can see an escape route.
    Met Rich today, but only briefly. I hope to have a longer conversation at some point and maybe pick up a few more tips from him. I also hope he brought along some of his cool looking Revs so I can have a good look at them!
    Day 2:
    Okay, does this place actually have summer? It's August 17th and it feels like the end of October. People are walking around with toques and mitts on. I'm expecting to be in a snow suit by the end of the week based on the latest forecast. Not good. I will need to put on more layers than I wanted too. I got more sleep, though, last night so my stress level has dropped considerably.
    Met a couple more people today that I know from the forum. Getting hard to put names and faces together. I'm so terrible with names, Sorry, Scott, Laura and Alden are the first to come to my mind.
    Today I started to feel the difference between the smooth beach wind and the choppy stuff I get at home. I don't think the kite jerked me around at all. The Decorators flew with me again and forced more on the spot actions as opposed to stop and think about actions. Specifically switching directions on the inverted side slide. I have problems keeping that clean and usually I fight the kite after it reverses, but with only time to utter the words, "I can't do that" I had to do it or risk creating a pile up. It worked, I did it and it wasn't a fight with the kite either!
    Felix let me lead him around the sky as he followed as close to me as I've ever let anyone get. Mere inches at times. Considering he had no idea what my erratic style might bring I was amazed at how his control was so good that the kites never did touch!
    The Decorators, Watty, JB, TK, Steve and iQuad all did demos which, of course, were amazing to watch.
    JB let me fly his "magic kite" - that's the one that does everything perfect, but for some reason it didn't work for me... I have even more tips to incorporate now regarding backing up and powering up out of the turns. So much, my head is hurting!
    The mega-fly grid went from 16 to 25 kites and should jump up again tomorrow. Mostly a success with only a couple issues that brought a few kites down. I did get knocked out by a run away, but thankfully in the process no other kites got in the road.
    I haven't been able to use my mid-vent as much as I would like to in the grids. Because the wind is really lower than what I can comfortably work in I've been using my std sail and that is my least favorite to try and work with when I need the best control possible. This scares me about the bigger mega-fly attempts.
    I promise some photos tomorrow. I have been taking pictures, just not a lot of time to go through and upload by the time I can sit down to do it.
    Day 1:
    First off I have to say that I HATE BEACHES. I forgot that little fact somewhere between a year ago and now. I do not like sand getting on and in everything, It is horrid to walk on and is killing my back as a result. The stench of whatever is rotting away on the beach and/or salty sea water is disgusting. Lack of sunlight, fog and damp do not work for me. This place is far too cold for summer weather and I am a fair weather flyer by my own admission. So physically this is the worst place I have ever travelled to.
    It had to be said so the negative can get out of the way.
    I did really enjoy meeting a number of people from the forum. JB gave me a big hug. Thanks. Don't do that again! Just kidding. I'm not a hugger though so Watty kinda got a bad deal there when he tried to hug me. I was not ready. I'll get him good before I leave though.
    Felix made good on his threat to hunt me down and fly with me. He brought along David, Ashley and Martin from the Decorators to try and teach myself and Mark (the first brave soul from Spokane to hunt me down and want to fly with me). That flight was fun. I learned more and got a bit better control in the process with spacing and speed. I'm sure the Decorators would disagree! Seriously though. A fun bunch of guys who have come a log way for this festival.
    I met Theresa from The Kite Shoppe and collected my new set of 120s. I'll be making another trip to see her as I think I need another set of spars so I do not have to swap things in and out as much between kites.
    Met Ben from Revolution. Watched Steve do his two kites, two hands thing and still find it amazing.
    Got involved with Stephen and Mark from The Flying Squad and got a head full of line wraps as some of us learned such mind numbing things as Benefits with six kites. No one fell out of the sky. It didn't look too bad from my narrow view on it. I've really been working on seeing just the tight picture and not the big picture. I'm told we did a nice ball burst... No more wrap virgin. I looked at the lines once, and only once, then didn't look anymore - it looked like a big knot!
    For the first time ever I did not have Kite Cowboy trying to hump my kite with his lime/back sideswipe kite. He was too busy doing... what was he doing anyway? Must have been harrassing someone else for a change. I may have to hug him before the end of the weekend. He'd hate that.
    The "main event" had to be the 4 x 4 practice grid. Of course this is in preparation for the bigger 10 x 10 grid which is set for Thursday. What can I say about this? Scary, physically tiring and stressful comes to mind. Also a big learning experience. Too bad I'll have to go back home and stand in the park by myself again. Really tough to practice any team stuff with just me, myself and I in charge.
    So, the jury is still out on the rest of the week in regard to physical discomfort with the sand thing. I know I will need to pace myself better if I do not want to be a cripple by the time it is over. I still do not like beaches, but I like the people I met there just fine.
    Bart
  10. bartman
    I'm not sure how the organizers pulled this off, but over the last 50 days here 40 of them have had either snow or rain, but the festival weekend was rain free during the day! Winds were up and down, but overall more kites were in the air than on the ground so that's always great and the nice weather also brought out record crowds!
    Friday before the kite festival there is usually a night fly during the music festival that runs in conjunction with Windscape. Friday was still wet and cold, but Paul and his family and myself did go out for a couple hours in 28 mph winds to give it a go. We had a few spectators and someone doing some tracking on my kite with a green laser who I found out the next day was Gary Mark who had been invited to bring some big kites to the festival.
    Saturday started out cloudy, but warm and by the actual start time of the festival we had blue sky and nice puffy clouds! We set up on the multi-line field where the 180Go! guys were staging their kites. We pretty much had that whole area to ourselves as other dual line flyers were in short supply this year. Unfortunately, people tramping through multiple lines and over kites were not in short supply dispite multiple reminders on the PA system and requests from flyers to please not walk on our kites or run through the lines. The last couple years this has been a worse and worse problem mostly by little kids where one cuts them some slack, but now it is extending to adults who should know better. This would be the only negative of the entire festival from my perspective.
    Of course the pros in attendance all did an excellent job in their demos. Noteable pro Rev flyers were 180Go! and Lam Hoac. Lam also did some amazing two line work as well.
    It was exceptionally nice of 180Go! members to use some of their time away from the demo field to fly with Paul's wife Candace and myself to help us get a better feel for sharing the same air space with others and controlling air speed at the same time. Many figure 8's and follow the leader during that process. I think we only took down one kite each in the process... sorry...



    Saturday evening was my annual Windscape BBQ where I round up all the Rev flyers I can along with friends and new friends to fill up the attendance card and head to my place. Once again, great weather for the majority of the evening before we had to retreat into the garage when a little rain shower came along. It was an interesting venue to share stories and have a lot of laughs, but so much fun! Sometimes the little things like a simple beer and a hamburger with friends are just the best part of it. (flying and exploding pigs not withstanding - sorry, inside joke)
    As was last year the evening wind on Saturday was not suitable for any evening or night flying. Maybe next year!
    Sunday was another great day at the Windscape field. I felt my flying was improving and was impressed with how much better Candace was doing after our lesson time on Saturday. The two of us worked more on follow the leader and would occassionally be joined by Cowboy Paul who had is own agenda of screwing ours up! I think it is just his way of saying he likes us.
    Mid afternoon on Sunday Mike Kory decided it was time for the mega-fly. We had the potential of 12 Revs for this, but not everyone felt up to speed on joining in and I totally get that feeling as it took a lot from me personally last year to get involved in it and even this year with the wind so variable I was very nervous about. When we got ourselves organized with nine pilots and when the wind was in a good direction for both us and the crowd and we started with the figure 8 trying to make it as tight as possible. We moved onto some ball bursts and unlike last year this year the ball was actually mostly round not... abstract... I'm not sure there was much of a crowd reaction this time out, but really that wasn't as important as what some of us got out of it which was more self confidence to take part in the bigger pictures that are possible. I was nervous, but much more focused on staying in position this time out instead of worring about what the big picture was looking like.
    I'm not sure how many Revs were sold that day, but I know my card was given to a number of people who inquired about Rev flying so I am hoping for at least one person to contact me about a flying lesson in the days to come. One of these years it has to happen!
    When it was all officially over Paul, Candace and myself spent a few more minutes with 180Go! flying without the added pressure of a crowd. Probably some of the best wind of the festival at that time. Very smooth and strong enough to make flying easier. The flight was not without incident, but nothing serious.
    The wind up for the flyers was also successful with a lot of laughs and more sharing of stories and knowledge. I have half a dozen tips to work on incorporating in my practice time including some really good low wind tips from Mike Stephenson of 180go! and some tuning ideas from Lam Hoac.
    Easily this was the best festival yet. Past festivals have seen days with rain and days with zero wind all day, but none of that this year and a record number of celebrity flyers were brought in to entertain and amaze the crowd.
    On a personal level it helped to remind me, after so much dreary weather the past two months, that my friends, old and new, are still out there waiting to fly together and that kite festivals really are a wonderful time and worth the post festival feelings of depression when it is all over. WSIKF is looking better all the time now and my nerves are far more settled regarding getting there and sharing air space with old and new friends again!
    The two official photographers for the festival were my sister-in-law and a co-worker so I expect to be able to add photos and links to this entry soon. I know one photo exists that is a real keeper!
    Bart
    Some links (more to be added as they are aquired):
    Candy drop:

    Southwest TV News report (35 seconds in):

    Mike Stobb's (photographer) take on things:
    http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=248363&id=811553265
    180go!'s video on the candy drop:

    The mini mega-fly from Gary Mark's Facebook page:
    http://www.facebook....?v=447353041110
    My friend's son took these:

    http://www.youtube.c...hv=yG6Pa9E2_ts

  11. bartman
    I've went from attending none to seeking out any that are within a reasonable travel distance. I don't know if it is the flying or just the general camaraderie of hooking up with old and new friends while there, but certainly a ton of fun.
    I've already covered the Taber fun fly from this past May. This entry I'll touch on the Pincher Creek fly and a local fly that I am trying to get off the ground (no pun intended) for the summer months here.
    Pincher Creek had an actual festival up to last year, but lack of volunteers pretty much killed it this year. They had four volunteers which was no where near enough to manage a festival. Cowboy and I decided to go anyway since we had already booked time and made plans. We would treat it as an "un-festival" with whomever would happen to show up.
    And, a few people did show up. Maybe 10 kites in the air.
    Day one started out with no wind. One of the largest wind farms in Canada at Pincher Creek and no wind! Didn't take long though and it was at a nice breezy level. Paul and I worked on some simple figure 8s. Quite rough looking and one tangle that took a few minutes to undo. I blame Cowboy for it! He likes to play "bumper kites" and I don't so bound to be some "issues".
    We actually spent a lot of time untangling other people's lines. A single line kite got away and wrapped itself into Candace's four lines. That was a mess. We also helped someone with their two line on two occassions that weekend. Seemed an usual amount of time working with lines, but everyone got back in the air in the end.
    Paul saved a Rev EXP from certain disaster. When he arrived another Rev flyer was having issues with his EXP (interesting side story. He bought it in 2007 at Windscape which is the festival here and JB autographed it) and was very frustrated with two years of not getting the kite to do much of anything good. He was about ready to get rid of it. Well, when the rods got to the back of the sail it was a whole new experience for him! Finally got that kite to fly right! Later he floated it over to our spot and we worked on his lines. He had something like 80 foot lines, but it was more like 81 feet, 80 feet, 80.5 feet and who knows what feet! We un-did leaders and made what adjustments we could too try and get some equalization. It was rather truck like, but enough "fix" to help with the flying. I took it up and just did a simple left hover and it worked not bad. I didn't think about it at all, just seemed a simple thing to do, but the guy says to me, "If I could just do that I would be happy!" Oh, you have so much more to look forward too! Later he bought a set of 100 foot lines from one vendor and his flying got better and better during the course of the weekend. The high winds at one point were a little rough to try and brake enough with it to slow it down, but he was having fun. Can't believe he spent two years fighting with it.
    My friend Mike (my local kite guy you might say) had just got a pro series the day before so he and his wife took turns learning on it. I think his wife Andrea has pretty much claimed the Rev now! He'll need to buy a new one for himself!
    So a lot of fun to be had on day one. Day two...
    ... was pretty much windless. We spent a lot of time sitting, talking, walking, talking and more sitting. We would get 10 minutes of wind then wait 30 for 5 minutes more. That is how the day went until 15 minutes (literally no more than 15 minutes) after Paul and his family had to pack up for home. The wind came up perfectly and I got another hour of flying in before staring into the sun got to be too much for my ol' eyes to handle.
    Too much fun. Look forward to the next.
    ****
    I'd been thinking of getting something going where I live to fill in some spaces after our annual official kite festival. I thought four months starting in July would be good for a fun fly in a city of 16K. I missed July and only had a short time to work on something for August, but the first local "Fun Fly" took off here recently. Not exactly a rip roaring success.
    In attendance were my friend with his foil, a single line flyer who is helping organize our local effort and my "local kite guy" (3.5 hrs away local) Mike and his wife with his pro and a dual line. Two co-workers stopped to watch and my sister-in-law did some photos. The wind was almost a repeat of day two at Pincher Creek. Wait 30 minutes, fly for 5. Ballistic then nothing. Massive shifts in direction. The whole nine yards. I worked on various moves when the wind blew and visited the rest of the time.
    We're going to try to come up with a few more ideas for the September Fun Fly (perhaps the after noon of the second Sunday) For October we'll run it the same day as the "One World One Sky" event on the 11th. Now that we have a bit more time to work on details and we'll keep at it hoping that people start to take notice and dig their kites out of the closet and come on out! We feel that a constant display will be the most effective in bringing kite flying back as a fun way to spend some time outdoors. The local media was not helpful in getting the word out so we'll need to work on them too.
    Again, lots of fun despite poor turn out and kooky weather.
    ****
    The next up, and probably my last traveling fun fly for this year, is in Edmonton on Sept 5th. The Collingwood "un-festival" as it is yet another one that failed to get off the ground as the official festival. Another lack of volunteers this year. It is just a half day affair so I'll go up early the Friday before and get some air time in with Cowboy and his family during the "off" hours. Should be fun so long as there are no more bumper kites from Cowboy!
    Bart
  12. bartman
    If someone would have told me two years ago when I got back into this crazy sport, that there would be any kind of "megafly" in this little town I wouldn't have believed it. Aside from the appearances by iQuad in 2007 and 2008 and Island Quad this year the number of Revs in the air was, shall we say, underwhelming.
    This year, on the other hand, there were 11 for the megafly and there could have been 13 had there been longer linesets and/or just pilots around for it in general. Eleven is probably good, 13 may have been bad luck.
    To be honest, I wanted to do this, but I really didn't want to do it either. I've seen the pictures and videos from other megaflies, but considering my rookie status when it comes to sharing the sky the whole idea was rather terrifying. I wouldn't want to take down anyone's kite and worse yet to take down a kite or the whole affair in front of the spectators! What to do?
    Thankfully, Terry and Mario from Island Quad really didn't leave much of a choice in matter. Sitting out was not an option given and they helped us through some of the learning curve with a little bit of coaching before the "event". The coaching was just little things, but by not making them a big deal they were indirectly helping us rookies to feel like it wasn't a big deal either.
    When the time came all the available Revs were floated onto the main stage. It was going to be simple, just some basic stuff. I had a death grip on the handles even with Terry reminding everyone to relax and breath.
    The manouvers were basic. Up, down, lines and a couple attempts at follow the leader. That was probably the most messy having only a little time to think about this one and practice beforehand. The attempt at a big ball and was quite successful (especially when we just went with a big potato instead) and the burst really looked good too. By this time my ab muscles were so tight it was getting hard to stand! Nerves were clearly working overtime. It lasted a good 20 or 30 minutes. Seemed like it was over in a flash. Would I do it again? Hell yes! Next time I want to do it better.
    I didn't have the focus during the fly to hear any of the audience comments but I heard later that the people who came out from under the tents to stand in the cold and drizzle were quite impressed with that many Revs in such a small space.
    It's my nature to analyze everything and this was no different. If I could go back and make this attempt again there are three things I'd do different. First is physical. I had a lot of brake on and was spending too much time fighting the kite near the bottom of the window. Terry could fly it just fine, however it was causing panic for me. Better to take 30 seconds and ease off the brake lines because ulimately it doesn't matter if someone else can fly it or not, I have to be comfortable with it. Second is mental. I was trying to watch everything and everyone. I needed to focus more on what I was doing with my kite. Last is the emotional aspect of it. I was a nervous wreck and convinced I couldn't do this. The thing is, I could do it. There was nothing that we did that required anything more than the basic flying skills. I would like to go back and focus on what I can do and enjoy the megafly to the fullest.
    It is clear to me now why other Rev fliers get so excited about the chance to fly with friends in the same air space. There is an appeal that I can't describe, but I know I want more of it. The megafly was easily a personal highlight of the weekend. I learned so much and that knowledge has already manifested itself in my solo flying that I try to perfect for the next chance to brush lines with other fliers. As I stand in the field now I think about what I can do now and what I'm going to be able to do tomorrow, not what I can't do today and probably won't be doing tomorrow.
    The megafly has taken my enjoyment of this sport to a whole new level. Thanks Terry and Mario for standing firm on the plan to get us rookies in the air together for this. It has made a huge difference for me!
    Bart
  13. bartman
    Those four words, typed by John B. just hours before he would be leaving Japan were just what I needed. Perfect timing.
    My friend and I were leaving on a three hour drive for a Fun Fly. The weather forecast, yet again, was not looking good. I was still feeling down about the lack of good weather, the lack of good flying and the lack of any kind of advancement. I didn't feel confident that I'd be doing any better with a snap turn this time than the last couple of times I tried to wrap my head around it. "It's just a kite", got me thinking that perhaps I shouldn't worry about anything at the fun fly and just do, well, whatever.
    We arrived at the field to be treated to very little wind and pending rain. There were a few single line big kites staked and in the air and that was it.
    The plan was to meet kitecowboy for the first time. I didn't see any other Revs in the field so wasn't sure if he just hadn't made it down yet or had to cancel. Mike, our host, said he was already setting up and pointed him out. He was busy getting his family set up with kites and hadn't broke out his lime/black b-series yet. Some quick introductions were in order then down to business. My friend got his foil in the air and Cowboy (Paul) and I set up our std sails with the race rods and 120 foot lines. Neither of us has tried the 120's before. I normally use 100 at home and didn't find it too different to go to 120, but Paul used much shorter so it was a big change for him.
    It was a challenge to fly for both of us in the low (at best) wind and at times we just had to put down and just wait for more breeze. As we did get wind we worked and "getting closer" to each other and sharing the same air space. For us, that was a big deal. Neither of us have ever flown with another Rev pilot in the immediate area and we were more than a little concerned about a mid-air accident. I suggested that we try something "simple" like a circle and just do one line wrap before reversing. We decided the worst that could happen would be that we would fall out of the sky and need to untangle. So after a couple false starts and early bailouts we did a circle and undid the circle and stayed in the air. We gritted our teeth when our lines wrapped around each other and made the most horrifying noise I've ever heard. Clearly one must learn to not listen to that and to look beyond that twist 'cause it will freak out the first timer big time! At least we are not line wrap virgins anymore. I hope it was good for Paul as well... lol.
    It was later in the afternoon, after the 10 minute rain shower, that things got most interesting. Finally a half decent wind came around so it was less fighting the wind to stay in the air and more "fun fly." We were able to manage decent enough hovers to put our leading edges together and maintain it for a few seconds. We called it "the bowtie". Everyone else calls it "kissing". I'm here to tell you it was a BOWTIE! We tried "stacking" which was much harder to do without banging the kites together. We shared air space with little fear of each other, but lots of fear from Paul's wife Candace (who was just flying her first Rev that day and scared us many times as it darted into the window from out of nowhere) and his six year old son Joe who drove a dual line around the sky with purpose and no fear and into our space as well. Thankfully we had brakes and reverse to get out of the way! Good practice for us since no time to think about it, just do it!)
    My friend tried Paul's big foil and was doing good until a major gust took the wind from little to a lot instantly. He was airborne for a second then dragged about 20 feet. We missed it as did everyone else which he was grateful for, but he hurt himself enough to pack up for the last hour. His shoulders are a bit sore today, but he's still laughing about it. The story now is us "Rev Snobs" put the boots to him for flying a foil near us. He's upgrading his own foil now to a quad line and has been talking about a buggy so perhaps next year he'll be running us over.
    Many highlights at the fun fly. I got to share the air with another Rev pilot, got to try tricks and moves that can't be done with just one flyer, got to just have fun and forgot about what I can't do (although I did manage a 12 to 3 snap turn once), was doing inverted, stable hovers with less brake than I have ever used before without the kite sinking in the process and got to be a celebrity with Paul as the local paper took our photos and information!
    Probably the best, though, was meeting Paul and his family. If you have ever wondered what kitecowboy was like I can tell you that the way he is here is the way he was in person. A fun guy! We spent the majority of the time laughing and just playing in the air. The time went far too fast before we had to make our respective drives back home.
    Thanks for the fun!
  14. bartman
    It's repeat weekends like this that really make me question why I didn't Ebay these contraptions like I had planned last year.
    We get two kinds of wind here now. Howling cold where no sane person wants to be outside and not enough to blow out a match. There is no " in between" and since I am a fair weather flyer that means most weekends are a bust for me. I watch the wind throught the office window druring the week and think it would probably be useable then come the weekend it is utter crap. I've had no decent wind for over a month now and it is starting to really frustrate me.
    At this stage of the game I don't care to figure out flying in the exremes because for me they are unusable and I find I spend the whole time trying to adjust the kite to work in what is there or fighting with it to stay in the air. I can't learn anything and eventually roll it up and stuff it in the bag.
    I also have about zero interest in going out by myself so unless there is someone available to do this with my air time is next to nothing.
    At the current rate I will figure out a snap turn in 2015.
    Remind me again why I bother because I think I've forgotten.
  15. bartman
    I've tried the lower end on the wind scale so today I had a chance to dabble at the higher end. I can't say the stronger wind was my cup-o-tea. I went with the B-Series vented right off and the Race Rods. That lasted for about ten minutes before the wind got even stronger. I moved to the four wrap and kept letting the brake out a couple knots at a time until I could manage some control. Forward was difficult, but at least I wasn't getting dragged around like my friend with his two line foil. It was still tiring.
    I continued to work on inverted hovers and inverted slides. Even with my favored vented the wild wind and gusts made it hard for me to maintain much stability inverted hovering or sliding. I don't think I could react fast enough was half the problem. I had a few windows where I could get a good slide going or a good hover before being jacked around again with the wind and fighting just to keep the kite under some control.
    The nice thing is, for the most part, I did keep control even in the high winds. I don't think I could have done it a year ago so that is progress of a sort. With the high wind I also got some really wide slides which was pretty cool too!
    The big thing I really wanted to do today was an axel. Now, I know it probably would not have happened and probably the kite would have spent a lot of time on the ground, but I had studied the tutorial by JB and I had the basic idea in my head of what I would need to do. Unfortunately it didn't happen. There probably is a way to get enough slack in high winds to pull this off, but there was no way I was figuring it out today. My game plan was to get a nice sliding going then jump in with the step forward, handle back/handle forward and just see what happened. Today I couldn't get any slack so I thought it best to save the attempt for when the wind is a bit more reasonable. I don't recall ever seeing an axel in high wind and if it is possible it is something for the pros, not me.
    So, I was content with inverted hovering and sliding and just trying to see how much I could control with the wind what it was. In the end I think I did have moments of good control One of my friends came out to take pictures and I was able to keep the kite in position for extended periods of time while she shot. I'm hoping she captured something cool!
    My kite flying friend Ken said he was all for heading off to Alberta in early May for a fun fly there one Saturday so that trip looks like it's a go too. Should be fun. Hoping tomorrow the wind is a bit less wild and I can work on fumbling the axel. I have Ken on stand-by to pick up the kite!
    Bart
  16. bartman
    A long weekend, no big plans, should be perfect for many hours of flying. NOT!
    Friday brought icy cold howling winds. Managed a frustrating couple of hours with the vented, four wrap rods and tons of brake. At least I wasn't being yanked around the field, but it was like being on a bucking bronc as the wind gusted and switched direction.
    Saturday, a perfect breeze. Had the kite at my parents farm and set everything up on the 50 foot lines to try them out. No sooner was I ready than zero wind. Waited and waited then packed things up. Back in the city the wind was blowing a bit more so tried it again. First time on short lines and light wind brought frustration and after an hour that wind was gone as well.
    Sunday, a nice wind. Had the standard out for 60 seconds before it turned to howling and shifting directions again from W to N and back again. Out again with the vented and four wrap and a lot of brake. Wind sort of straightened out and calmed a bit so had about an hour before it started getting too cold for what I was wearing. At least no bucking bronco this time out.
    So, three days and barely four hours of flying. A little frustrating.
    But, there were some positives.
    The short lines were frustrating but by the end I was over-controlling less and over control has always been a problem for me so using them more often should help as others have mentioned.
    I was able to fly the kite in some pretty high winds which I would never have attempted a year ago. Half the time it was a battle, but one that I was winning.
    I had some amazing slides in the higher wind. Really wide and nice and parallel to the ground. I was also able to do them a lot lower than I had been which always looks super cool. Same with the inverted hover. The vented makes them so much smoother. I can't believe how much time I spend inverted now when just last fall I thought I'd never do it!
    I pushed my boundaries and looked towards the more complicated idea of an axel. This will be my goal for 2009 along with a decent snap turn!
    So, the weekend wasn't what I wanted it to be, but I took another small step forward. I'll take another one the next time out as well.
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