Dryland Powerkiting in South Haven, MI

[skunkboy]

Powerfoil 5 scudding in South Haven, MI

Scud tracks. Don't let me fool you - it DOES pack a lot of power. I was actually holding it steady just outside my "window" trying to regain energy to get back up and be pulled around like a ragdoll again.

It's always fun to see other's expressions when a 15' x 3' x 6" kite gets airborne and what better way to end the last day of vacation for a boy from Arizona than letting him fly. His brothers and cousins were also there but Josh was the oldest. I've done an inlay of him next to the kite just to show how big it really is.

I admit, the photos aren't the best but then again, who takes the best camera to sand? I've lost a few Kodak DC-290's to the sand no matter how careful I am about not letting the grit get into the motor. It didn't help that I wasn't behind my camera either considering I was the one behind the reigns.

Kite at hand: 2002 (or was it 2003) Powerfoil 5 Quadline dryland powerkite. Either way, unfortunately an unattended dog decided to do small but extensive damage to the left leading edge corner - there goes $300 down the drain.

 

[LaFoto]

Hi Skunkboy, these are a couple of lovely scenes that you captured!
I so like the sight on the beach when in the setting sun people get out their kites and let them fly - sirrrr, sirrr they go. We have a couple of two-string kites, too, but none as big as this one, whooohoooo, this will really make you fly....! Whoa!

It usually gets so colourful on the beach when the kites come out.

But the costs involved in that hobby :shock:!!!
Even the "kitecrashes" that we had usually costed us around 40-50 Euro in repair costs, but three-hundred??? (OK, would be a little less in Euro, but not much, so there...)

 

[skunkboy]

Have you ever seen indoor kites in the sun? I wish I still had my babytana but the red, white, and black of it, with the sun behind it, looks like a piece of metal flyin' in the air.

I'll see what I can find as far as an old pic or two.

 

[LaFoto]

...indoor kites ...
I'll see what I can find as far as an old pic or two.

What are "indoor kites"?

And yes, do so! Can't wait!

 

[skunkboy]

HQ's product page for Babytana indoor kiting

Just something to tickle the fancy till I can "hopefully" come up with my old pics.

 

[LaFoto]

Wow, didn't know that there are competitions held on stage and all that! That is cool. Where does their wind come from when they are indoors and on a stage?

 

[skunkboy]

Considering the Babytana weighs barely an ounce, aire movement is a very low requirement and actually, a five mile per hour wind will blow it apart. The distance it takes to pull a gun's trigger is all it takes to get airborne. With just thread for line, a snap of the fingers will make it lift then either an industrial fan is sometimes used or in gyms, barely walking backwards. To top it off, a good flyer knows how to keep their equipment in the air during unstable situations... so, it's possible for some things to make the kite do its own work.