Codywater

A little video compilation from WCRC v2.0.

Excellent idea, I look forward to plenty of rain and sleet next weekend...wait...I take that back. We can have a sleeving clinic even if it's sunny, right?

These clinics are a blast and seriously do take months off your learning curve, for all those considering attending. Sign up, you won't regret it!

The longer handles that I have seen tend to have the grip positioned the same distance from the top of the handle as do shorter handles, with the extra length being added to the bottom portion of the handle. This effectively extends only the 'r' component, since you are not moving your hand, or the "pivot" point, toward the bottom of the handle. The length of 'r' is, of course, different based on where you place your hands; however, considering that most rev flying is done by moving your hands in three different planes of motion, not solely by pivoting your hands in one plane of motion, this really only serves to display difference between longer vs shorter handles. In reality, it's just far too much math to do when there is flying to be had!

I just came across this image which nicely demonstrates the differences between a shorter handle and a longer handle. Taken from: http://tauday.com/images/figures/angle-arclength.png Consider 'r' as the handle length and 's' the resulting arc, or movement produced as a result of a given handle movement. As you can see in this image, with the same amount of movement (or angle you change the position of 'r', your handle), with a short handle, or short 'r1', the movement produced is the small arc 's1'. But, with the longer handle, or 'r2', you end up with a longer arc 's2'. Since the kite experiences the inputs from the ends of the handle, it is experiencing the resulting 's' of a handle movement. Longer handles results in a greater input to the kite from a given movement of the handle. It essentially exaggerates any motion you make. Conversely, shorter handles result in less input to the kite.

This is another option for ditching the kite stake if you are traveling somewhere with sand/snow. Basically, fill it with sand or bury it and clip into the ring with a carabiner. I'm going to give it a shot and see how it works. http://www.rei.com/product/725165/rei-snow-and-sand-tent-anchors Alternatively, though it requires a little digging, you can use a stick or a blunt rod to make a deadman, again attaching a carabiner to a piece of cord. http://gearjunkie.com/gear-repair-tips?pg=

Thanks so much everyone. I like the idea of hand dying white sleeves, and it seems like it will be easier than trying to find colored sleeve material.

I am going to attempt making a set of lines and am trying to figure out where to find line sleeving. Ideally I would like to find some fun colors for the sleeving, but I can't seem to find anything other than black or white. I have been searching around for braided dacron, which seems to be what most lines are sleeved with. Am I looking for the wrong thing? Does anyone have any tips on where I might be able to find colored line sleeving? Thanks for the help!

I finally came across some impressively powerful magnets that are smaller than a dime. Attached them under a thin layer of silicone and they grip the kite like they're holding on for dear life (which with my flying skills, they are!). Lightweight and they stay in place, can't ask for more! Success.

Having seen a number of various lights on kites and been underwhelmed by their brightness, I decided to give a shot at making my own. Here are the first two attempts. I used an ultra-bright wide-angle LED attached to a coin cell battery. The battery holder is attached to a magnet, which can then be attached to the kite sail with an opposing magnet on the opposite side of the kite. I coated the magnets in a silicone-based glue so that they are slightly tacky to grip the kite without damaging it. They can be attached anywhere on the sail as opposed to being limited to the spars and leading edge. The magnets I found are a bit heavy and I am looking for some lighter and stronger neodymium magnets to replace them with. These are clearly a crude product, but it's a start. Thoughts?

Hey Jeff- I recently took the plunge at WSIKF, investing in a 1.5 SLE full sail (with 90# 80-foot lines). For the last several days of WSIKF there were pretty variable winds, from super gusty to completely still. Since returning home, local winds have been around 3-6mph, and on a recent good day we had 8-12mph. I invested in a set of race wraps while we were there, in addition to the 3-wrap frame that comes with the 1.5 SLE. Starting out with the higher winds was pretty difficult I must say and it had me wishing for a vented sail, but then the lighter winds made it quite tough to keep even a full sail in the air. Since then, with consistently lower wind speeds, I find myself flying the race wraps almost exclusively and even invested in a shorter line set (50# 50-foot) to improve light wind flying. I'm glad I have the full sail, as it's really the most versatile sail and is great to start out on. All that being said, here is what one new-comer would recommend to another new-comer: 1) Full sail will serve you best in your local wind conditions. The second you get your Rev, you'll want to fly it all day every day. If the majority of your weather brings 10mph-ish wind, that's the sweet spot for a full sail. Once you learn to control your Rev, you'll be able to fly a full sail in higher winds too (though you'll be so hooked by that point you'll be considering buying a vented sail). 2) Get a set of race wraps. They're sturdy and are an absolute must in light winds if you really want to get out and fly. On that note, definitely get a set of 50# 50-foot lines (or some other short length) as well. 90# 80-foot lines in 3-4mph winds means keeping your kite in the air is far more exercise than it needs to be, unless you have a football field to walk backward across. 3) I love my 80-foot lines, though like I said previously, the 50-foot lines have been my new go-to in light wind, in combo with the race wrap frame. I also invested in a 120-foot line set and like flying them in higher winds. If you're looking for a good all-around set though, 80-foot is a good way to go (and also the length that comes standard with the Rev 1.5). Theresa at the Kite Shoppe sent my lines super-quickly when I ordered the extra sets, which means all the more flying to be had! Experiment with different lengths to see what you like, that's the best way to find out. Generally though, shorter will be more spunky, longer will be more forgiving (and slower in lower winds). When it comes down to it, you really can't go wrong with any Rev (in any sail, with any frame, or any line length). Take the plunge and get to flying!

As long as the winds are decent, Magnuson Park has several large, open grass fields that are excellent for open flying, as well as a few baseball fields that are nice. There are also a couple of turf fields, but I have yet to devise a way to anchor the kite on turf without using a stake. Kite hill has been quite crowded with people out on picnics and lounging around on the hill, not the ideal place to fly. I also came across a nice field at the Beacon Hill Skatepark (beside the golf course). It looks as though few people know about it because I have yet to see anyone else there except a couple of kids playing frisbee. I'll definitely check out Chambers Bay when I get the chance to drive down.

Thanks for sending that Theresa, I had been thinking about it but that refreshed my memory! I'm looking forward to a few good days of flying and learning. We've had a pretty poor showing of wind near Seattle since WSIKF, so not much to practice with (though the new line helps immensely)!

Is anyone planning on heading up to the Whidbey Island Kite Festival in a few weeks?

*Bump* I'm a new Rev flier living in Seattle. Does anyone here still live in the Seattle area? Interested in meeting up to fly a bit? I've been out at Gas Works and tried Magnuson a few times (no wind, boo!), would love to discover other great places, ideally within and hour (and change) drive, but really anywhere in the region.