After a torturous three day expedition I thought I was having a bad time but on arrival at Medellin and meeting event organizers Ines Uribe and Jairo of Yaripa, I discover that most of the other flyers from around the world on the previous day had been trying to fly in Force 8 winds and had trashed most of their kites! Most had decided it was to be a day of rest and repair and perhaps ‘hit the town’. Around here you do that on horseback! Initially this didn’t bother me, I’d ridden donkeys at Blackpool but here they are horses and travel along a cliff edge and tracks that go down treacherous muddy hills and through to the busy town below! The offer of an internal plane flight next day to Bogata sounded like a really safe way to travel. Bogata was where the main event was to take place. The arena was cornered off with a huge sound system, the remainder of it fenced off with metal gates to keep the public safe. The crowds were already warmed up and expecting something unusual. It really is a great feeling setting up to entertain, it puts such an edge onto everything you do. I launched the Phantom 18m and stepped onto my Airdeck and soon enough was zipping up and down the paved arena at speed flicking the board around doing smooth cool looking flatland tricks, everything seemed great as if it was going to be a really great show – no problem I thought until I looked behind me! There they were, Big Dark and Black Rolling Clouds coming in on the increasing wind. Within seconds …

In this video, professional stunt kite instructor Chris Maxa explains, and demonstrates everything you need to know to successfully fly a stunt kite. This video is designed for any beginner who is interested in learning how to pick the right stunt kite, learn the correct winds for kiting, and use the proper technique in order to fly a stunt kite like a pro. Proper flying mechanics are taught as well as all of the basic skills needed to launch, fly, and land your kite on your own. This video may also be useful for more advanced flyers who want to refresh their knowledge of kiting terms, anatomy of the stunt kite, or just wants a general review of flying.

HQ GENIE kite in a staked fade. mod bridle,frame and stand off. It is better balanced for outside and not as delicate as the indoor version that i fly in the other video. It locks into the fade like no other kite can. The kite can taz machine / taz cascade,comete,multi lazy and cynique but is very touchy for JL’s and backspins. Thats Daryll unsuccessfully trying to match fades and ruining my pretty golden gate sunset video. LOL!

Some cool Kite String images:

Patang Pink


Image by Meanest Indian
Kite season is in full swing which means that road-side guys are coating kite-string with coloured paste embedded with powdered glass so that flyers can cut each others kites.

Ladies Small (tag says medium, but it’s a little small…)


Image by monsterpants
- only shirt with full band name on it and design on back
- detail of back of shirt
- kite string
- pale blue green

by Neil Crosby

No Saving Grace?

I think the Secretary of the Treasury should issue a warning that having children is hazardous to the health of parents’ finances. In self defense we should teach our children about saving money as soon as they’ve swallowed their first penny or had their first visit from the tooth fairy.

My younger son was a fast learner. He started his own business at age seven. When his older brother had a series of temper tantrums and threw his toys into Stillings’ room, Stillings sold the toys back to him. As they grew up, Stillings was there – with interest – when Pierce wanted to borrow money. When Pierce was thirteen, he wanted to impress a girl with his kite flying skills, but he didn’t have a kite string. Stillings did and was willing, of course, to rent it – until four o’clock. When Pierce, who had lost his watch, asked how he was meant to know when it was four o’clock, his brother rented him his watch.

Maybe it’s genetic, but my family has unique ways of saving money. When my older sister pays for something by check, she rounds up the number she subtracts from her checking account to an easily subtractable number. At the end of the month she has more in her checking account than she’d expected. However, when it’s time to balance her checkbook, she must need a safety net.

My younger sister has a more redeeming way to save money. She redeems coupons. She’s so good at it that customers in line behind her at the supermarket check-out lose their appetite for whatever they were going to buy when they see how much she gets for free.

Then there’s my mother. When my mother didn’t buy something she needed, she considered she’d saved whatever the amount was she hadn’t spent; and then she could guiltlessly spend that money on something else. If she didn’t buy a frying pan, she’d saved thirty dollars. If she didn’t buy a stove, she’d saved a thousand dollars.

I, on the other hand – the one with the flyers in it – save money the old fashion way – on sales. Unfortunately, I don’t always find what I need on sale until after I’ve had to buy it at full price. Nevertheless, I don’t have to save as much money for a rainy day as the rest of my family does. I live in Southern California.

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