Are there any KITE JOCKEYS out there?

PhilL

PhilL

Joined
Oct 1, 1999
Messages
6,490
I’ve been flying single line cheapo kites since I was a kid, and I always meant to get myself a quality kite, but it always put it off...until last week. I bought myself a two line Sport/ Stunt kite, and it is a kick. There's something very relaxing or Zen like to flying a single line kite that you let fly at a couple of hundred feet in the air. I’ve been to the beach where I put a kite up and when I got bored with it I would tie the line to the handle of a cooler and just let it stay up there until I left.

A stunt kite is a different story, you fly and control a stunt kite, steer it around the sky with two lines and you can make it do all kinds of tricks. This is active kite flying not passive like a single line. The kite I bought was suggested by the B&M store “Big City Kites” in NYC. I have a “Firecracker” from New Tech Kites and designed by Dodd Gross. I don’t have anyone to teach me so I bought a book and I’m ordering Dodd’s Flight School DVD. I have about an hour and a half flight time in so far. I can launch by myself, do horizontal figure eights, loops and land, just real basic stuff. Just to keep it flying for 5-10 minutes is a thrill. I can’t wait for my next flight. I’m two blocks from Prospect Park and the Long Meadow there is a beautiful open area...all I need now is the time and some wind.

Now, I’ve noticed some similarities between Kites and Knives. First of all one is not going to be enough. There’s lots of different styles, sizes and price points. There’s production and custom as well as art pieces. The kite I bought is a beginners kite, I’m already planning to buy an Ultra Light, (they have kites you can even fly indoors). I’m also going to need one for heavy wind, the beach I go to is called Breezy Point for a reason. I doubt I’ll ever compete or go custom, but I’m sure to want a high-end advanced Trick kite and maybe even a Quad-line.

I wanna know if there are any other “Kite Jockeys” on BFC?
What advice do you have for a Newbee?
What do you fly?
Where do you fly?
When you fly is it play or practice?
Do you compete...and at what level?
Most important, what’s the best knife to cut Spectra? :D
 
Funny, we went and got a little delta this weekend and sent it up over Crissy Field on the Holiday. There were a bunch of folks kite surfing in the bay, it looks tricky but fun. I'll be interested in the feedback you get here, I like the parasail type stunt kites we saw in the shop we visited.
 
if you think kites are fun- you should try boomerangs.
there's nothing like throwing a stick at yourself.
boomerangs are almost as addictive as knives
 
That's what I've told my wife and daughter (daughter likes to fly my kites with me) - flying kites at the beach is a kind of Zen...of course, anything you do can be Zen but I digress...
I have a couple huge deltas, and since we're going to Cape May soon, I ordered a really cool, massive Color Wheel. I haven't seen anything like it flying at the beach. It's a multi-colored ring, and when you get it into the wind it looks like a giant O ....
I bought it from the first link I'm posting-
The second link posts a nice tutorial on using the stunt kites. Tactical use noted here- I've been warned that even the cheaper model stunt kites, when losing their wind and coming down fast, can actually knock somebody out!...
http://www.letsflyakite.com
http://www.gombergkites.com/howstunt.html
http://www.kittyhawk.com
 
Cool links Kelt, I came across them in my search, I bought David Gomberg's "Stunt Kites!" book when I bought the kite. The "O" sounds like fun.

If you want to see some cool flying videos, go to this link and scroll down to the videos.

http://www.newtechkites.com/NTK_DOWNLOADS.php

The guy in the video is Dodd Gross, the guy who designed my kite.
 
A friend of mine has a collection of "power kites" that we go flying when we're feeling dangerous. The smallest one he's got is a 9" para-sail, that's my favorite one, it's got plenty of pull and you can do some stunt work with it. The larger one has a 16" wing span and it's more than enough to get my 220+ pound ass off the ground. For those of you who have never played with the big ones, basically you're holding on to a parachute in the wind. Where ever it goes, you go. Big time fun.

Once with the big one my friend was flying it in heavier wind it took him off the ground about 10 feet high, he jumped when he felt it start to take him so when he landed again he was about 50 yards down range of where he'd started. That's why we do it. Power jumps.
 
Heya Phil, come out here this August for the international kite flying championships, you'll be flat out amazed. I was, and it was the thing that got me and the wife to buy our first kite.

We are Zen fliers. Get the kite in the air and just watch what the wind currents do to it. We have an octopus kite.... big bulbous body with eight streamers on bottom. It's fun to watch. We tried a guy's stunt kite once, but I figured if I was going to put that much effort into a beach activity, it'd be on the volleyball court or the boogie board.

We brought the kite out for our kids, and they love it. I can only imagine that once the Zen quality of the kite wears off for them, I'm going to have to do the stunt kite thing myself. Lotsa kites out here, so I got no problem digging up a kite and instruction. Won't be too long, most likely. Keep me posted on your progress.... or regress.

I'll see if I can dig up some links on that international championship. Some of the kite pics will make you go "Ooooohhh".

Oh, and Spectra is best cut with a pair of shears. The EMT kind work well. I did the knife thing, tried snapping it by pulling with both hands, you know.... OLD FASHIONED string tricks. Spectra's a new animal, get some new shears.
 
Originally posted by Chambers
The larger one has a 16" wing span and it's more than enough to get my 220+ pound ass off the ground.
Click to expand...

Wow a sixteen inch kite got your ass off the ground...that must have been one powerful friggin wind....LOL

Actually Vel that knife question about the Spectra line was a trick question, actually it's best cut with a cigarette lighter. ;)

Vel, did you check those videos in my previous post? That's what I'm aiming for now, and I don't even want to think about a kite lifting my ass off the ground. :p
 
I knew I was gonna get that wrong. So is it one thingy for feet and two thingies for inches? Or is three thingies for pounds? Damn man now I've got my thingies tangled. How many thingies in an ounce?
 
OK, I'm gonna give ya a hint...my kite is 4' 11". I don't know how many ounces it is, but it would be "oz's" I think.
 
As an update, I am completely addicted to stunt flying, and as I predicted one kite is not going to be enough. The worst part about flying a kite is waiting for the wind. So I broke down and ordered an Ultra-Light, this kite can even fly indoors. I haven't received it yet, but my plan is to carry it EDC. No more waiting for wind for me. :D

http://www.windwizards.com/3dultralight.html
 
“If God doesn’t want the kite to go up today then it’s a good day to do something else.”

I'm still flying every chance I get. I prefer flying down the beach where the wind is usually more consistent. Coney Island is the easiest for me to get to, and going down there sure brings back some memories. I heard there was a bunch of kite flyers down on Shore Parkway. I was doing a search to see if I could find out exactly where when I found this great story. I hope you enjoy it.

http://brooklynmemories.blogspot.com/2002_08_01_brooklynmemories_archive.html
 
Never had any interest in getting into the more "adult" kites as a flier - but LOVE watching them! Was in San Diego a few years ago and watched some real pros do their stuff down by the water, near the bridge. One guy had a fairly small black kite that looked like a shark. Every once in a while, between aerials, he would dive this thing full speed into the water, let it sink, and then pull it back up out of the water and full speed back into the blue sky! Unbelievable!

:cool: :D :cool:
 
The last time I flew a kite was about 10 years ago on Cape Cod. I was hoping my daughter would enjoy it as much as I did when I was growing up, but she was unimpressed. As I faintly heard the kite skin flapping high above, I was reminded of the numerous box kites I flew as a kid. God I can hear the sound of one of those crashing and breaking to this day:rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by cockroachfarm
One guy had a fairly small black kite that looked like a shark. Every once in a while, between aerials, he would dive this thing full speed into the water, let it sink, and then pull it back up out of the water and full speed back into the blue sky! Unbelievable!
Click to expand...

I've heard about that trick, but never seen it done and I'm not sure it would work putting my kite into the ocean. I am going flying today, but I don't think I'll try it. I did find this great website with animated stunt flying instructions, there's enough there to keep me busy for months.

Take a look.

http://www.prismkites.com/new-site/animations.htm
 
Originally posted by PhilL
I wanna know if there are any other “Kite Jockeys” on BFC?
Click to expand...

I must be cause wherever I go I got people telling me to "go fly a kite".;)

I can't get no respect.:D
 
So anyway, I go down to Coney Island today to fly my kite at the beach. The morning was gusty and kept changing direction, not the best conditions for stunt kites. Around 2 PM I decided to take a break grab some lunch on the boardwalk and have a beer. I'm walking on the boardwalk and coming toward me is a couple and the woman is pushing a stroller. The woman is stunning and even from 30 feet away I knew who it was. As she got closer I was positive, it was Helena Christiansen. Maybe you remember her fromthe Cris Isaak video "Wicked World" If not here's a pic of her.

http://www.zothike.com/zothike2/HELENA15.jpg

Great looking woman. ;)
 
Originally posted by Kelt
...(daughter likes to fly my kites with me) - flying kites at the beach is a kind of Zen...
Click to expand...

It's mental therapy, I have about $400 invested in kites, mostly I like Parafoils, they are easy to store in the car or on a bike (motorcycle), and I have one that's flown all over the world, Taiwan, England, Holland, California, Maine, Florida, Texas, to name a few places. I usually record the place or event on the kite somewhere.

Also fly 'em in the parkinglot at concerts so friends can find us to tailgate party find the kite than follow the line.
 
A man is in his front of his yard attempting to fly a special kite with his son.
Every time the kite gets up into the air, it comes crashing into the ground.
This goes on for a while when his wife sticks her head out of the front door and yells, "You need more tail."
The father turns to his son and says to him, "Son, I'll never understand your mother.
I told her yesterday I needed more tail and she told me to go fly a kite."
 
Moving to Gadgets & Gear ...

You guys are getting me interested ... I haven't flown a kite for years. Looks like they've been improved while I wasn't looking....
 
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