The dreaded summer doldrums are upon us. And actually, it’s not because we are plagued by light sea breezes. It’s the afternoon thunderstorms that are keeping us land bound. Every day for the past week, a line of red cells come marching across the state of Florida, initially driving the wind to teasingly wonderful speeds only to sweep the wind along with them as they make their way to sea. So instead relaying recent kite excursions, I figured I would write about the many personalities of our kites.
First, a small and very not technical explanation of kite shapes. Kites can basically be broken down into two types, Supported Leading Edge (SLE) and C shaped. SLE’s have the center lines of the kite (the ones directly attached to your harness) attached to some part of the front of the inflated leading edge of the kite. C kites (named because of the way they are shaped) attach the lines to the front and the back of the wing tip. It may not seem like much of a difference, but it creates a whole different flying experience. C kites are considered to be more dangerous because they do not have the capability of depowering as much as an SLE kite. Those SLE attachment points allow you to choose how much of the canopy you want exposed to the wind, so if you are really over powered, letting out the bar and essentially flattening out the kite will give you some relief. C kites, however, are more responsive. Imagine you want to control Pippi Longstocking’s head. You’ll do a much better job if you grab her braids and yard on them rather than palming her forehead. Terrible analogy, but you get the picture.
Between the two of us, we have 8 different kites from 6 different manufacturers, and they all fly very differently from one another. Some of them have obvious differences in their size and shape, but even the ones that have many similarities are still unique. It’s important to get to know your kites on an intimate level and fly them how they choose to be flown. Imposing your will upon a kite generally does not work. Over the last few months, our kites have taken on their own lives in my mind. They are as follows:
The Poodle – My Liquid Force 8M Havoc. This guy needs constant attention, take your eyes off it for one second and it will run away from you. It is a hyper kite with a lot of energy that can often get the best of you.
The Bully – Wilbur’s Naish 9m Bolt. This thing will push you around and beat you silly if you let it. Perhaps the trick is to stand up to it and show it who’s boss. Neither Wilbur nor I have been successful in this.
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| Wilbur in a moment of triumph in St. Lucia |
The Bad Boy – Wilbur’s 9m Best Yarga. This is a straight up C kite. It’s suave, will sweep you off your feet, and then beat you up MMA style. All day long.
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| Ok. We know it is unsafe to fly a kite in a soccer field, but this was when we lived in landlocked Denver and were desperate. |
The Gentleman – My 10m Cabrinha Crossbow. It doesn’t move fast. It takes it’s time to make decisions. If you feel it is pressuring you, it will back off instantly. Only problem is that sometimes, you want the bad boy, right?
The Fred Astaire – Wilbur’s 12m Slingshot RPM. This kite is like the perfect dance partner. It’s always right where you want it to be and if it falls down, it is quick to get back up. All with a lilt in its step and a twinkle in its eye.
The Racehorse – My 13m Slingshot Octane. It just wants to prove itself. It wants to show off, go fast and sometimes through you off it’s back. My favorite kite, by far. I love the days I get to fly it.
The Vertically Challenged – Wilbur’s 13m EH Ovando. This thing is so ungainly, it’s favorite trick is to invert itself and fly backwards. Almost impossible to keep airborne unless the wind is so strong that it’s too frightening to fly it anyway. My least favorite kite.
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| Not much riding happened this day |
The Mule – Wilbur’s 17m Slingshot Fuel. This is a big C kite. Frustratingly stubborn. Takes direction reluctantly, but once it gets going, it’ll pull with the strength of a train engine and take just as long to slow down.
Hands down, Slingshot wins as my favorite kite manufacturer. My only wish is that the depower strap was located the same as Cabrinha, it is so much more convenient.
I will leave you with a final picture of me on the Big Wave Day taken by an actual photographer. *gasp*
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| How did you guys get here? Jeez… |
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