Multi-Line Competition

[cbabbman]

Can some of you experienced people talk about what's expected and what to expect when competing?

A couple of us are about to jump in to competition this summer and quite honestly, I don't know what to expect on both the precision/ballet side of things.

Thanks!

[Stephen Hoath]

Can some of you experienced people talk about what's expected and what to expect when competing?

A couple of us are about to jump in to competition this summer and quite honestly, I don't know what to expect on both the precision/ballet side of things.

Thanks!

I don't know what is happening in the US right now but the way it used to work was this.

Each competition was split into two parts, Precision and Ballet. In turn, Precision is split into two parts, figures and freestyle.

Precision figures are a bit like figures in ice skating. Before the event the "figures" are published so that you can practice. See the AKA or STACK web sites for these. Mr Mitchell is a good person to comment on these.

Precision freestyle is a routine (length depends on whether you are flying individual, pair or team) in which you should try and show as broad a range of moves, flying styles & speed control as you can. Points are awarded for various elements such as execution, technical difficulty etc.

Ballet (length depends on whether you are flying indi, pair or team) is just as it sounds, you pick a tune, choreograph some moves to it and fly it for the judges. Points are awarded for timing, artistic interpretation, execution etc.

Competition is the best way of rasing skill level (especially if you can also do it in a team or pair) and having a goal to strive for. Whilst I no longer compete I have benefitted significantly from participating in competition. (not least because I now have good friends around the world)

As to what is expected, there is a rule book that sets out expectations for routine length, arena discipline etc. It is always good to read the rules as they can be your friend when the going gets tough.

As tp what you can expect...a lot of practice, insomnia, nervousness, making lots of new friends, a massive leap in skill level and a huge dollop of satisfaction. Kite flying is one of the few sports I know where your closest competitor will do their upmost to get you back up and flying when things go wrong. That kinda restores your faith in human kind.

Sorry for the length of this reply but it has only just scratched the surface of competition.

As a famous American firm says........just do it!

My qualifications in case you wonder why I am commenting:

2 World Championships

7 European titles

lots of English titles

International Judge

[johnnmitchell]

Can some of you experienced people talk about what's expected and what to expect when competing?

A couple of us are about to jump in to competition this summer and quite honestly, I don't know what to expect on both the precision/ballet side of things.

Thanks!

Have you read the AKA brochure on being a competitor? It does explain quite a bit.

You should go over the ISK Rules, Judges and Compulsories Books. Links are in the Competition section of this forum.

You could just visit a competition first and follow closely exactly what happens. However, jumping in and getting your feet wet the first time is probably what the majority of the competitors has done.

Warning: Don't ever fly over the red line border at anytime. When actually competing don't even let your body cross over the red line border. Violators will be Disqualified from the discipline and/or the whole competition.

Converse with the field director and follow their instructions. Don't enter the competition field unless directed only by the field director.

For ballet you need to choose a piece of music that shows what you can do with your REV. Then you need to fly to that music. The judges need to be able to connect the music to what you are flying with your REV.

For the precision, you need to work on the compulsory figures. Some compulsory figures will have a difficult part that you have problems with. Take that part of the compulsory and work on it until you got it down. Then go back to the whole compulsory and clean it all up. You will most likely need to practice practically every day.

[clrizz]

What length line do competitors typically fly on?

[johnnmitchell]

What length line do competitors typically fly on?

For precision I used to use a REV I with 30 meter lines for the compulsories and shift to REV 1.5 with 25 meter lines for technical routine. For the ballet it was dependent on my ballet music. When I flew to a fast piece of music I was known to go down to 15 meter lines with REV 1.5. For slower music anywhere from 25 to 30 meter lines and maybe with a REV I.

For competitions I carried normally two sets each of 15, 25 and 30 meter lines.

I really do not know what competitors choose for line lengths these days as I have not competed for several years.

Really, you will need to determine for yourself which lines lengths suit you best for what you are flying.

[DWayne]

John B., what length lines do you use for the compulsories?

Denny

[KiteLife]

I use 120', same as I use for team flying.

It's longer than many use, but I find that it allows me to draw a nice large compulsory for the judges, and gives me a lot more travel distance during a compulsory during practice, giving me more opportunity to practice that line, corner, turn, etc.

[DWayne]

Thanks for the reply. Guess I should make a 120' line set.

Denny