Technical routine

[clrizz]

Just to clarify for myself, the technical routine is just strictly a skills thing, while ballet is more of an interpretive performance?

BTW, I'm the other one from IKE looking to give competition a try starting this June at Perry farms.

[johnnmitchell]

Just to clarify for myself, the technical routine is just strictly a skills thing, while ballet is more of an interpretive performance?

BTW, I'm the other one from IKE looking to give competition a try starting this June at Perry farms.

Briefly:

With the technical routine, you want to present to the judges what you can do with your 4 line kite. You want your routine to flow smoothly. Stay away from being repetitive. If you are doing tricks, don't over do it. You need a good balance of everything. What you do should be very clean and precise. If you can't do something clean and precise, it is most likely better to drop it until you can do it well. Of course you could take the chance and be a bit daring. I did and sometimes I lost out, other times I made out.

[Simon]

I think it was Eric Forsberg who said to me about using the Quad effect.

With a quad kite you have lots of options, fast slow, forwards backwards . sideways etc.

Plus you can fly it like a dual line kite. Use the fact its a quad and show just how much it can do.

My suggestion would also be, if you do a move, if its new, repeat it so the judges know you really did do it!!

Saw this a few times when experienced flyer would fly and the judges didn't understand what the flyer was doing, thats why i started judging.

Also, when you compete, go to the after fly debrief ITS a MUST!! - judges teach the flyes what they expecte and flyers can put the judges right on the "latest" tricks also what is easy with kite A may be hard with kite B - etc. Think Quad sticks etc.

Also, each flyer has a style, do demos and see what the crowds like, always fly them like a competition, ie when they saw now fly now dont what a minute or two.

By doing the demos judges will see your style, they will learn what you do, it all helps. And if you hear them say Oh no not that again dont take it personally, change / react / grow do something that starts the same then change !!

Briefly:

With the technical routine, you want to present to the judges what you can do with your 4 line kite. You want your routine to flow smoothly. Stay away from being repetitive. If you are doing tricks, don't over do it. You need a good balance of everything. What you do should be very clean and precise. If you can't do something clean and precise, it is most likely better to drop it until you can do it well. Of course you could take the chance and be a bit daring. I did and sometimes I lost out, other times I made out.

[KiteLife]

Hand in hand with handling input/critique professionally, there is also the point to be aware of where you're not willing to compromise a style, but may want to focus on refining it so much that the judges begin to appreciate what they're seeing... Competitors have always been the ones to educate judges as new styles or tricks emerge and develop.

Quad effect is a big debate point... In truth, the event is called "multi-line", which allows for 3 or more lines.

To me, "multi-line effect" is illustrated knowledge and use of the kite's multi-dimensional aspect, such as reverse flight, forward flight, diagonal flight, speed control, slides, hovers, pivot rotations (i.e. rotational styles), etc.

Matter of fact however, some kites (like the Rev) are simply better designed for nearly full dimensional flight (short of consistently rolling up and such).

[sailor99]

I hope this is not the wrong place to pose the question, but what does a competition actually involve? You have to do the compulsories from the competition book mentioned else where, right? But do you do them all, or do you select some with some having more points than others, or are the ones you have to do predefined? The rest confuses me never having been to a competition - technicals, ballet..... Are these separate things, and do they form a part of all competitions that all competitors have to have a go at?

[play365]

I hope this is not the wrong p lace to pose the question, but what does a competition actually involve? You have to do the compulsories from the competition book mentioned else where, right? But do you do them all, or do you select some with some having more points than others, or are the ones you have to do predefined? The rest confuses me never having been to a competition - technicals, ballet..... Are these separate things, and do they form a part of all competitions that all competitors have to have a go at?

Normally you will get 5 fig published 4 weeks before the event from which they choose 3 on the day you would then fly a prec routine( or you ballet with no music) then later on that day ? (if your lucky) you fly a ballet, collect the scores and go to the bar

[Simon]

JB's point re 3 or more lines = Very true, I flew that 3 line kites cant remember what it was called, but lets face it you wouldn't want to compete with it, its too limited.

Agree with regard to the dimensional aspect, there are some 4 line kites like my good friend Tim Bensons Airbow which does stuff the Rev cant, but the Rev is more precise, so you pays your money and takes your choice.

Sailor, do a google for Roy Reeds page, he has the STACK quad figures on his page as flash animations, not just for competition but v useful to learn, as they are pairs and team figures too.

[Stone in Shoe Bob]

Sailor, do a google for Roy Reeds page, he has the STACK quad figures on his page as flash animations, not just for competition but v useful to learn, as they are pairs and team figures too.

The link to which Simon refers is here and as he says, the flash animations are brilliant, but don’t take them as a definitive list. I am not a competitor my self so I don’t know for sure, but I have been told Roy’s list contains some figures that have now been retired and it is missing some of the later additions.

If you are serious about competing I would suggest you check with STACK for the definitive list and then compare them with those on Roy’s site as the animations will certainly help make sense of the STACK notation.

[KiteLife]

Roy's animated compulsories are up to date at the time of this post, although some are clearly marked as "(obsolete)".

[Morrunya]

A for Sailor's question,

For precision, you will generally be given 3 figures to perform. The difficulty is based on your class (I think). Then, after the figures, you will do a freestyle, where, as Play said, your perform a ballet without music.

For Ballet, you will chose a piece of music, put it on a CD, give it to the person who you talk to to register. Then, when it's your turn, you will go out onto the field and fly to your music.

Remember that for both these competitions, you must have a spotter to pick up your kite, and take it in and out of the flying field.

[Stone in Shoe Bob]

Roy's animated compulsories are up to date at the time of this post, although some are clearly marked as "(obsolete)".

Thanks for clarifying that John, I must admit I thought it a bit odd that something that professional would be allowed become out of date.

[play365]

Remember that for both these competitions, you must have a spotter to pick up your kite, and take it in and out of the flying field.

Not so ...in the UK we the competitors do it for each other

[sailor99]

Thanks very much for your guidance everyone. I now see how it works - its a bit like 3 day eventing. Start off with the dressage (Compulsories) which I am beginning to get the measure of. Then it is the show jumping (Technical). I will need to think of a bit of a routine - how long are these routines normally? And then the cross country (Ballet - OK the parallel breaks down a bit here). Now that is going to take some serious thinking about!

Still, something to aim for perhaps.

[Morrunya]

As for designing a routine, I am a soul-flier, along with John B. I think. I just wing it.

For a ballet, I just make sure that I know the song by heart, so I know what is coming up.

For the precision freestyle, I just play around.

[sailor99]

One final question here. Do the UK competitions tend to have different classes. I am thinking of perhaps a novice class with slightly easier compulsories and less expectation on the technical and ballet elements?

[Morrunya]

I think the UK has the same classes as here in the US, but I could be wrong.

[play365]

One final question here. Do the UK competitions tend to have different classes. I am thinking of perhaps a novice class with slightly easier compulsories and less expectation on the technical and ballet elements?

Yep Novice Experienced Masters/Open, are you going to compet this year then ?? (just as me n Paul have stopped)...lol

[sailor99]

Don't know to be honest. I would have a lot to prepare and learn. But it is perhaps a target even if it is next season.

[play365]

Don't know to be honest. I would have a lot to prepare and learn. But it is perhaps a target even if it is next season.

Maybe you could go along to a round of the nationals and have a look, if your lucky you should see Mr Chris Goff (he fly's with JB in the red bull team) when I have a list of the rounds I'll pm you if you like ?

[sailor99]

That would be great. Thanks.

[Simon]

The difficulty is set by the chief judge, so here you need to rely on them knowing what they are picking. I would always look to the figures to show me 3 different things, e.g. straight lines, curves and snap turns, then on top of this spacing in the sky, then ease of judging. " line steps down is a fantastic figure - if flow "right" its easy to fly and score, as soon as you think you know what you’re doing and don’t practice it it shows really well

PLEASE do NOT do a ballet as a precision routine, as a novice you can get away with it, anything beyond that you MUST have a technical routine, Long John is more up to date with the judging book than me but when I judged Ballet was an interpretation of the music, with no technical requirement. Please pick music that can be used for a ballet, do a video search for stuff with SKYDANCE, who had Mark Lummas, Stephen Hoath & Jeanette Lummas, these guys know how to choreograph a routine. They fly team to music with NO calls, all turns are based on the music. Its such a simple idea but an epithany when you experience it.

So dont busk, dont just fly to music - please think about what you are doing, judges and audiences can spot it a mile off.

A for Sailor's question,

For precision, you will generally be given 3 figures to perform. The difficulty is based on your class (I think). Then, after the figures, you will do a freestyle, where, as Play said, your perform a ballet without music.

For Ballet, you will chose a piece of music, put it on a CD, give it to the person who you talk to to register. Then, when it's your turn, you will go out onto the field and fly to your music.

Remember that for both these competitions, you must have a spotter to pick up your kite, and take it in and out of the flying field.

[Choccy]

Please pick music that can be used for a ballet, do a video search for stuff with SKYDANCE, who had Mark Lummas, Stephen Hoath & Jeanette Lummas, these guys know how to choreograph a routine. They fly team to music with NO calls, all turns are based on the music.

Hi Simon, Stephen & Mark

I need help locating Mark and Jeanette's videos of them flying pairs...

saw them a while back but can't find them now

thanks

[harrier]

Some here, real nice flying.

http://home.earthlink.net/~lummas/Videos/videos.html

[Choccy]

thank you for the link.

[Stephen Hoath]

Some here, real nice flying.

http://home.earthlink.net/~lummas/Videos/videos.html

You beat me to it! ~Man you're fast.

Also try and find their quad pair routine to the Entertainer it is a routine that demonstrates how chosing the right music can let you fly in whatever style you want. The moves on their own are good but when you turn the sound on you get a lot more out of it. For me, you can't just busk a ballet and expect it to be as good as something that someone has spent hours fine tuning and crafting. When was the last time you heard a really good song that someone made up as they went along? (with the possible exception of rapping)

S