Advanced
Flying & Tricks
Helaas, helaas. Je zal toch je Engels moeten gaan verbeteren. Dit gedeelte is zo groot dat je er nachtmerries van krijgt als je het moet vertalen.
Alleen gaat het niet en mijn andere taalgenoot in het team kent zijn Engels slecht. Eén geluk: Het is makkelijk Engels.
This list contains a lot
of tricks and other fun stuff. The tricks are listed alphabetic. Rev stands
for revolution; these tricks can only be performed with Revolution-like
kites. I wish you good winds and a lot of fun.
For this part I would like
to thank Peter Peters (http://www.win.tue.nl/~pp/kites/)from
who I obtained the list. Visit his site for the latest up-dates and the
videos that are added to some tricks.
Buggy tricks
2 wheel tricks
2 wheel drive
Make sure you have a long
and wide space, sail along with the wind perpendicular to your buggy direction
and bring the kite down in a swoop. While the kite is coming down and pulling,
steer the buggy into the wind and position your body at approx. 45 degrees
towards one side and front of the buggy, using your leg to make some down
force into the buggy frame. As soon as your wheel is up, due to the pull
force of the sail and your "unorthodox" position, start controlling your
"lift" by steering the buggy more into the wind if the wheel is going down,
or downwind if the buggy dangerously nears the vertical position. Kite
pull control will also help in keeping you with just the right amount of
lift. You don't need a gale force wind or high speed to achieve lift; it's
a matter of weight and balance. Make sure you wear full armor...
Dual line basics
Flight
Combination
turn
Combines the Pattern
and the Poultry. This type of turn is very abrupt
and angular. Pushing right and pulling left causes the kite to quickly
turn left (counter-clockwise). Push left, pull right causes the kite to
turn right (clockwise). This move is the base of many advanced maneuvers.
Poultry
Pulling one or the other
line determines the direction of the kite. Pulling on the left line causes
the kite to turn left (counter-clockwise). Pulling right causes the kite
to turn right (clockwise).
Pattern
Controls the direction of
the kite by pushing one or the other line. Push turns tend to be more crisp
and angular. Push left and the kite turns right (clockwise). Push right
and the kite turns left (counter-clockwise).
Landings
Basic
landing
The kite lands on both wing
tips simultaneously. Fly the kite close to the ground, left to right. When
the kite starts to slow down (at the edge of the wind window) pull slightly
on the inner line or 'up' wing to bring the kite around, parallel to the
ground.
Simultaneously walk toward
the kite. This will allow the kite to settle softly on its wing tips.
Launches
Basic
launch
With the kite in front of
you balanced on the wing tips, leaning slightly backward, lines taut, simultaneously
pull back with both hands, underhand. The kite will rise into the air.
Often a short step back will aid in the launch.
Dual line tricks
Axles
Axle
The kite is made to 'float'
around one rotation in a stall type spin. Cause the kite to hover in front
of you for an instant by using a Snap stall (rock
the kite from side to side by pulling left then right, to get the feel
of it). Once the kite is stalled, push your right hand slightly forward
and immediately pull your right hand far back and extend your left hand
well to your front. This will cause the kite to flip. After you have that
part down, combine all of the parts together to for one flowing motion.
Some kites need a gentle motion of the pulling hand, others need a more
snappy pull...Experiment!
Another approach to learning
the Axle is to fly the kite to the edge (say right edge) then initiate
a slow Pattern by pushing the lower (right in
this case) hand gently. As the nose passes 12 o'clock snap the right hand
back and extend your left hand forward. Once you've mastered this, try
the approach above...
What seems to be essential
for learning a nice Axle is the setup as present in both ways described
above. You need to have the wing you are going to pop to be slightly back
from the other wing. Look at it this way: the more the wing you pull is
towards you, the more you will pull wing AND spine, and the kite will start
moving forward as well as rotate. That's not what you want. Having the
popping leaning too far back results in something similar. A slight leaning
back is just what you need.
Axle
take-off/ Regal Axle
The kite takes off directly
into an Axle. With the kite set on its wing tips, give a short tug on one
hand followed by a firm tug on the other, much as in a standard Axle. The
kite should jump up and perform an Axle. This move can be done straight
into a landing by simply walking forward as soon as the wing tips come
parallel to the ground. The latter move (Axle take-off to landing) is also
called a "Mogul Rodrigez Coin Toss"
since that is what originally was called a Coin Toss.
A slightly different Axle take off is done if with the kite on it's wing
tips you pop both lines shortly to get the kite slightly off the ground
and after that perform the normal Axle push/ Aleppo motions.
Cascade
A Cascade is a series of
Axle backs bringing the kite down through the center of the window. An
Axle back is a pair of Half Axles, one in each
direction, which flow together into a single move. If you start with an
Axle popped with your left hand, as the kite gets part
way through the rotation, pop your right hand to get the kite to Axle back
in the other direction. It takes a bit of practice to get the timing right,
and the timing will vary between kites.
Continuous
Axle/ Multiple Axle
The kite is Axle in such
a way that it will be set up and in place to execute another Axle
right away. This is a combination of an Axle and a pop move. The easiest
way I found to do this one is to Snap stall at
the edge of the wind -window. Axle with the inside hand. Pop (towards you)
the outside hand right away. If you do it at the right time, the pop will
cause the wing to spin faster lining it up wings parallel and in motion
for another Axle, just Axle again. If you pull too late, you will pull
the nose towards you, kite on its back, viola, another trick: the
Fade.
Cuckoo
clock
The Cuckoo clock is a
Fade followed by an Axle. When the kite is half
way through the Axle start the Flic-Flac moves:
jerk both lines generating an Inverted Backslap
(the kite lays on its back with the nose pointing towards you). Now jerk
both lines again generating a belly float and again generating an Inverted
Backslap. Keep doing this until the kite lands.
Edge
Fade
Fly across the edge of the
window and pop the upper wing gently. Allow slack into the lines and the
kite will Axle through 180 degrees, like a Half
Axle (Kick turn), but also loose height in the process. You can complete
to a tip stand with the kite facing back into the window, or simply fly
off. This trick was originally called the "Fade" in the UK until Jason
Ben edict went and called the Fade (the Fractured Axle)
the Fade. Confusing?
Fading
Toe loop
Start with an Edge
Fade on the left side of the window. As the kite falls and turns anti
clockwise, the right wing tip should line up for a Tip Stab. At this point,
execute the Toe loop, kicking the kite back up
into the air with an Axle.
Fountain/ Up-the-fountain
This is a series of Half
Axles like the Cascade but this one does not
lose altitude like the Cascade, but actually stays stationary and/ or rises
up! This one is a combination of the 1/2 Axle series (Cascades) along with
a "pop" move. The easiest way to learn this one is to practice the Cascade
a lot. You will soon learn that in between 1/2 Axles (Cascades) you give
the rotating wing a slight "pop" with an arm motion that goes from neutral
up and out, which helps it along and actually pulls that wing up, similar
to the pop up move from a panicked position. You will find that timing
and adjusting that according to wind speed is very crucial. This "pop"
move is also similar to the one used in the Continuous
Axle.
Genie
Pop
From a ground pass (say
from the left to the right) as the kite passes the center push with lower
hand slightly, then pop an Axle with the lower hand,
do it hard. As this is done under power you may well need to pop the upper
hand shortly after to get the kite to flip around. A perfect execution
gives a VERY flat double Axle and kite flies off in other direction.
This move looks best if you
do it near the ground as the kite drifts across the ground as it spins,
but of course it can be done somewhat higher up as well. If you get it
wrong you will get a Lazy Susan. (So you're on
a winner no matter what)
Half
Axle/ Kick turn
Flying the kite from right
to the left past center of the wind window, step forward to temporarily
kill most of the kite's forward drive. Immediately do a small push with
the right hand (top wing) and a very small pull with the left hand (bottom
wing). Follow this with an immediate Axle type snap of the right hand.
Vary the right hand snap. Under snapping it will cause the kite to loose
altitude in the turn. Overstepping will cause the kite to over hover, or
even flip onto it's back and do a Rile. A nice Half
Axle has the kite flying horizontally, then belly's down in a 180
Flat Spin, and then snaps back into flight going in the opposite direction
without loosing altitude.
Mortal
Coil
Start with the kite out
at the left-hand edge of the window. Pop a right-handed Axle
take-off and then continue to pop a long series of (right-handed) Multiple
Axles so that the kite skates all the way across the window, spinning
flat as it goes. Finish with an Axle landing
on the right edge of the window. I guess it works the opposite way as well.
Rile
Fly right to left to the
edge of the wind window. As the kite is about to stall, push with your
right hand, and then snap it back. Use just the top hand and a slightly
exaggerated motion. The kite will roll onto its belly and continue over
on its back, and then pulling up on its lines will cause the kite to snap
back into flight. This move can be done to a landing as well. When the
kite is rolling down, just as it turns on its back, pull up the lines to
plant it on the ground. In a good landing both wing tips get planted at
the same time! While the kite is rolling over, the lines should be slack.
Find out how far down the kite drifts usually before you can pull it up
to plant it on the ground, and set your initial horizontal line accordingly.
Deep sailed kites have more difficulty doing this trick. The hand movements
that start this trick are similar to the movements of the Half
Axle, only the top hand pull is harder for the Rile.
Spin
Axle
Fly the kite to the edge
of the window, about 30 feet above the ground and do a down spin by pulling
back the outside hand. As soon as the tips become parallel with the ground,
Spaniel the inner line and release the outer line.
The kite will Axle. Pull the kite out of its rotation after 1 turn. This
is a very smooth Axle, is a apart move and is very
effective in a 2 beat part of a song.
Spin
Double Axle
This trick starts the same
as the Spin Axle but you let the kite rotate twice
instead of once by keeping your rotating wing hand (outside hand) extended
forward, as you move in towards the kite to keep it spinning. Pull the
kite out of its rotation after two turns.
Switch
back
In a Shark
you must keep most of the driving tension on the upper wing. Dragging across
the ground from right to the left, you would have more pressure on the
right hand. As you pass the center of the window and approach the left,
throw both hands forward to flatten the kite onto it's belly and then immediately
pull on the left hand to lift the left wing up. The kite should now be
pointing back towards the right of the window with the right leading edge
touching the ground. You can now continue with a Shark back the other way.
The easiest way to picture
the Switch Back is to think of a Kick turn but
executed on the ground, starting and ending in a Shark.
Toe loop
This is quite simply an
Axle that starts with a driving Tip
Stab. Starting with a Side Slide, say from
left to the right, you would keep pressure on the right hand and a little
more slack on the left. Increase the pressure on the right until the kite
starts turning right into the ground. You should time it such that the
right tip is about to stab the ground and then slack and pop the left wing
in an exaggerated Axle move. The right wing tip should drive into the ground
and then kite should spring back up into an Axle. Executed well, the kite
will spring high into the air with a resounding "thank". If you're not
so lucky, the kite might stay on the ground with a disappointing "crack".
The name for this move,
like the Axle, comes from ice-skating. The Toe loop in ice-skating is like
the Axle but starts with the skater driving the serrated toe of one skate
into the ice to get rotational momentum. The similarities with the kite
trick suggested the name was appropriate.
Combinations
Barrel
Roll
Start in a low ground pass.
Pop the kite into a Half Axle and then pull early
(before the nose is fully away from you) on the other hand as if rising
up to a Fade. Pulling on one hand causes the kite to
start rotating while it's coming up into the Fade. Ideally the Fade should
come in so that the back of the kite is mere inches of the ground. The
kite continues to rotate, as if turning around the spine and eventually
recovers to continue flying in the original direction.
If it happens quickly and
smoothly it looks like an impossibly low trick that has no business not
crashing into the ground.
Rising
Flic-Flac
Start in a dive, flatten
out and then pop into a Fade (actually, you can start
into the Flic-Flac any way you like, but a Power
dive/ Kill/ Fade is my favorite). Hold it for a
second and then make a single Flic-Flac back into a Fade. And repeat....
The clever part is killing
the kite out fairly gently so that it doesn't loose any height and then
popping it hard into a Fade and letting it rise slightly from the pressure
(Elevator). The overall effect is the syncopated beat of Flic-Flac with
the held Fade and the kite rising all the way up the window. That's why
the Power dive works so well to start into it.
Sky
walker
Fly right to left. At the
edge of the window, pop the upper hand as if starting a Kick
turn/Half Axle, but add extra slack to let the nose of the kite flare
up so the back of the kite is presented towards you. Pause a second....
(for effect)... And then gently, but firmly pull on the left hand to flip
the nose of the kite down and then up through the Fade
position while also spinning 180 degrees around its spine (like a Flic-Flac
but with a 180 twist.) The kite starts nose up, back towards you and ends
up in the same position but a kite's width or two off to the right. Then
do the same with the opposite hand and repeat ad infinitum. Start out at
one side of the window and you can continue this move most of the way across
the window.
Slap
and Tickle
Do a Yo-yo
close to the ground; this leads to a Wing tip
stand. While in the tip stand, pull the lines to spin the kite around
the tip that is touching the ground.
Fades
Fade/ Fade-in/ Inverted
Backslap
The fade starts with a Half
Axle leaving the kite stalled on its belly. After that, make the standard
pop Turtle movements to flip the kite on its back,
nose towards you.
Another way is to pancake
the kite from a dive and pop both lines. Yet another way is to Snap
stall the kite at the edge of the wind window and then pull the outside
wing towards you (not an Axle pull, just keep going). When the outside
wing is pulled far enough the kite will drop, but also starts to roll onto
its back, nose towards you.
Flic-Flac/ Grapevine/ Poisoned
Ivy
With the kite in an Inverted
Backslap position jerk both lines generating a belly float and again
generating an Inverted Backslap. And you can do it again and again.
French
Toast
Do a Belly
landing. (The nose of the kite points away from you.) Strongly pull
both lines. The kite will lift up backwards. Immediately release the lines
generating an Inverted Backslap/ Fade. Now gently pull
one of the lines generating a 180 degrees spin. (The kite will have normal
Backslap position.) Pull both lines to recover from the Backslap. Kites
known to do this trick are:
Total -, Vented - and Eclipse.
If you do not succeed in getting into the Fade position, try this:
Step back smoothly so that
the kite lifts from the ground. When the tip is about two inches off that
is the moment to flick the lines.
Pancake/ Fade-out
Flattening the kite with
the nose away from you, on it's belly. Flying the kite downward, bring
both arms behind you and before the nose-diving kite reaches the ground,
throw both hands forward (just like a Reversed
Turtle). The kite will then float on its belly. This works best in
light winds. Some kites like fast arm throws, others like slightly slower
ones.... Another way to try it (if the previous one doesn't work for you)
is to fly the kite downwards, first extend both your arms, than pull back
both arms hard and release abruptly to kill the kite.
Reversed
Turtle
Take the kite to the top
of the window. Turn the nose toward the ground. Throw both hands forward
causing the plane of the sail to come horizontal to the ground, walk forward
to allow the kite to flip over on it's back. By slightly pulling one line
the kite will start to rotate and after 180 degrees of rotation, the normal
Turtle position will be reached. Perform a Turtle
Release to get out of it.
Turtle
Release
Recovering from a Turtle.
Walk forward with both arms extended. The nose will tip even further back,
but don't allow the kite to flip over! Pull with both lines at the same
time and the kite should flip back toward you, coming out of the Turtle.
Or alternately, let the kite float down on its back and re-launch. Radical
trick kites such as the Stranger or Box of Tricks simply require a gentle
tug at any time to recover from a Turtle.
Turtle/ Backslap/ Pop
turtle
Fly the kite up and pull
back (way back!) both arms, then quickly extend both arms to your front.
This will cause the kite to flip on its back, nose pointing away from you.
Yo-yo
A "Yo-yo" is anything where
you roll the kite towards (or away from) you, so that the strings get wrapped
around the kite. A pull then unwinds the kite like a Yo-yo. The easiest
way (that only works with some kites) is to give a sharp tug to pull the
kite forward and then release with slack so that the kite continues to
roll around the lines. Also there's a "Yo-yo Take Off/ Broken Yo-yo Launch"
where you prepare the kite by wrapping the lines around the tips, put it
in a normal launch position and then take off doing a Yo-yo.
Another way of doing it goes
like this: Start at the top of the window and fly down toward the ground
at a 7 o'clock position. Try not to power the kite up too much. Give a
quick and fairly firm Axle like slack/ pop with the right hand. At the
point when you pop, you must introduce slack into the left line and then
immediately afterwards into the right line, too. Then walk forwards to
give even more slack.
The "pop" pulls the right
wing (actually on the left because the kite is flying down) forward to
causes the kite to start rotating around its spine. The pop, if left to
spin this way, would end up with its back facing you and the nose still
pointing more or less towards the ground. However, the pop followed by
the super slack in the lines causes the nose to lift, wrapping the kite
up around the lines. As the nose pops fully up into "normal" flying position,
the lines are wrapped under and behind the kite and should now rest over
the leading edge.
Yet another way to get the
kite into a Yo-yo wrap is to get it into a Flic-Flac
and then give an extra hard pop with both hands followed by lots of slack.
Less elegant but you can do this pointing in almost any direction. With
a little practice, you should be able to get it straight into a wrap with
just 1 or 2 "beats" which can be rolled all into a single, swift motion
so you can hardly tell there's a Flic-Flac there at all.
Groundwork
Allele/ Reversed
Coin Toss
Start with the kite on it's
right tip... leaning back slightly, pull lightly on your left line, as
the left tip starts to lower to the ground pull sharply on your right line,
letting out your left line at the same time. Take a couple of steps forwards
just as you pull the right line. The desired result is a "Reversed Coin
Toss", the kite should "hop" from its right tip, go into a clockwise flat
spin, then land back on the right tip.
Backslap
From a Wing
tip stand, lay the top hand back a little. Then just push both hands
forward, the kite will lay back on the lines (leading edge lying parallel
to the ground, but the tip still in the ground). Then you just pull back
in to the tip stand. The laying back of the top hand in the tip stand makes
for a very powered up kite. This is quite important as it keep the tip
in the ground and puts the nose in the right position to be able to pull
it back. There are many ways that put you in a position to get into this.
One of them is getting the Coin Toss wrong...
Broken
Yo-yo with half a twist
If you ever nose plant your
kite try this: Let someone setup the kite by wrapping it up from this position,
leaving it wrapped, standing on its tips facing away, with the lines coming
out from under the kite, and try to get out of it.
Here's what to do: drop
the kite down so it is in the belly landing position, as it gets to this
point give a sharp flick on one line (timing is important for this bit,
you have to flick at just the point it reaches the belly down position).
Take a step back and the wind should do the rest. In low winds you will
need to do more work and in heavy winds you will need to be very fast with
your reactions.
Coin
Toss
A Coin Toss starts with
the kite in a Wing tip stand. Next perform
an Aleppo on the wing that's in the air by gently pushing it back a small
way and then popping it towards you. Now extend your arms forward to give
slack in the lines and allow the kite to rotate. After the kite has rotated,
try and land on the opposite wing tip by walking forward. This move can
be done from standing on one wing tip but can be performed out of a Side
Slide as well. Take care the Slide is a little downward. When the kite
touches the ground with its wing tip, immediately do the Aleppo on the
wing still in the air. Take a look at the Axle
take-off description as well because the description of the "Mogul
Rodrigez Coin Toss" is there.
Flipper/ Cartwheel
The kite is flipped over
from a side or nose down position on the ground. From a nose down or side
position, tug on the wing that is pointed up in the air. This will rock
the kite to the opposite side. Let the wing that is up fall back a little
by extending that arm. Now sharply tug that side and release with the other.
The kite should flip over onto its wing tips. Always try to flip toward
the center of the window. Be careful, you may break a leading edge rod
learning this essential move. The move is very useful getting out of crashes
during competition (or avoiding walking down field ("THE" Walk of Shame)
any time!).
Floating
Back turn/ Otiose
Put the kite on its back,
nose towards you and lines over the leading edge. Pull gently on the lines
and rock the kite forward onto its nose but not far enough to stand up.
Then release the lines quickly, the kite falls back and floats up and away,
still on its back (but leaning *slightly* backward so the nose is high)
and nose towards you. Walked quickly forward to keep the kite flat.
It will keep going up as
well. When it is far enough up, snap the lines and the kite is back into
flight, heading down ("gulp!"). A quick 180 degree spin and away you go!
Tip: start the launch at the center of the window, wind velocity plus 10
mph bring the kite up perpendicular to the ground nose down and tips parallel
to the ground. Push both hands evenly and firmly to initiate the momentum
necessary to rock the kite back, let the wind do the work. Leave a little
slack in the lines. Once the kite is 5-10 feet off the ground, tug on either
line. Don't use a wind tamer; opt for heavier lines
Ground
Zero
Starting with the kite on
its belly with the nose away from you, pop both lines hard and then release.
This takes the kite into the first stage of the Ground Zero which is a
French Toast - the kite jumps up and the nose
swings up into a Fade position.
Immediately pop both lines
again, as if starting a Flic-Flac, to get the
nose to swing back down so that the kite is once again on its belly with
the nose away, but this time a few inches above the ground. The final stage,
the "Zero", is a 360 degree Flat Spin.
From this you can pop back
into a Fade/ Flic-Flac, Flic-Flac to land, recover, or whatever takes your
fancy. The combination should be done very quickly without any pauses between
the elements.
You can also do the Ground
Zero from a Headspring launch rather than flat
into a French Toast.
Groundroll
Start with a ground pass
from the right side, lower the kite into a tip drag and ease the nose down.
Relax your hands and let the kite roll over from the left edge to the right
edge and immediately launch the kite from this edge. Continue pulling your
left line to complete the kite's rotation and finish off with the kite
flying to the left.
Kite
Walk
With the kite in a left
wing tip stand, pull gently on the right (up) wing and release the left.
The kite should be on the ground with the right wing toward you. Now pull
on the left wing and release the right. Now you're walking!
Now
you see it, now you don't
Give a sharp flick (not
pull) on both lines, than push both hands forward. The kite should be nose
towards you belly up. Hold for a second and give another sharp flick, push
both hands forward. The kite should be back on the ground. You can do this
as many times as you like. In fact this is a French
Toast launch/ landing done very fast and repeatedly. The kite jumps
up in to the air, pauses, then promptly disappears again onto the ground.
When you get bored, let the kite rise a bit in the belly up position, flick
again, but this time stunt one hand as you push out and 540
Flat Spin out of it.
Rebound
Fly a ground pass from right
to the left. Perform a Full stop such that the
kite has rolled back into a Turtle just above the
ground. Now pull back with both hands firmly with emphasis on the right
hand. The kite should slam both wingtips onto the ground simultaneously
and immediately take-off now pointing towards the right edge of the window.
Beware! The failure mode for this fast maneuver can be expensive.
Shark
Fly across the window in
a low pass and lower the kite down until you have contact with the leading
edge on the ground. You should have almost all of the leading edge touching
the ground, but keep the nose slightly off the ground to avoid it "snagging".
Keep most of the pressure
on the upper line and fly the kite across the window with the leading edge
in constant contact with the ground An excellent combination move is to
start with a very low 540 Flat Spin at the
edge of the window and come directly out into a Leading Edge Drag.
Spike
The kite is forced into
a Wing tip stand. Fly right to left, very close to the ground. Pull right;
push left, than push left even further. This movement is done in a blink
of an eye. The first combination turn serves to stall the kite. The second
push drives the tip into the ground. This move works best with higher aspect
ratio kites and in higher winds.
Tip Drag
Basically a ground pass
with one wing tip in contact with the ground. Slightly more tension should
be maintained on the upper line throughout the move. Try to maintain even
kite speed across the window by walking backwards when at the edges and
forwards when at the center. Kites with relatively long bridles can be
more easily balanced and, naturally, rough and/or abrasive surfaces are
less favorable. It does, however, look fabulous across water.
Twisted
Sister/ Half Sister
Even with a trick line,
most kites will get a wing wrap every now and then. The Twisted Sister
starts with such a wing wrap but turns a potentially difficult situation
into a cool trick. When you've got the hang of it, it becomes fun to intentionally
get into a wing wrap just to recover it. Start with a line wrapped under
the trailing edge and running around the tip and back over the leading
edge. You also need to have the kite balancing on the opposite tip, leaving
the wrapped tip in the air. Push the wrapped tip forward, flattening the
kite out almost onto its belly (nose away from you). As the kite almost
touches the ground, pop the wrapped tip HARD, and immediately drop your
hands (crouch down, even). The kite 540 Flat Spins and in the process (if
you dropped the lines down low enough), unwraps the tip wrap. Very flat
and very fast flat spins are possible. You can also let the kite lie down
flat on the ground (belly down, nose away) before popping the Twisted Sister,
but it occasionally leads to ground snags. If you don't get the pop just
right, you can still get a 180 Flat Spin. This
is called the "Half Sister" for obvious reasons.
This trick has some resemblance
with the G-Whizz.
Wing
tip stand
With the kite on the ground,
just to the left of the center of the wind window and the right wing about
one foot closer to you than the left wing, pull slightly on the right line.
When the left wing lifts, stop pulling on the right line and use the left
line to balance the kite on the right wing tip.
Landings
Belly
landing
A Pancake
done just above the ground, followed by a landing is called a belly landing.
Of course any landing which puts the kite on its belly is a belly landing...but
if the nose is pointing away from you, you can recover from it.
Spike
landing
Both wing tips hit the ground
at the same time, usually performed downwind in the center of the power
zone. Point the nose straight down, in a "power- dive" towards the ground.
Just in time to clear the ground, initiate an exaggerated Snap-stall.
Pull right and push left. In a higher wind you must move forward to induce
the landing.
Launches
Belly
launch
The kite is launched from
a "pancaked" position. The kite is in front of you on its belly with the
nose pointing away. Offset your hands, pulling back more on the downwind
hand. Now step/ run backwards without changing the position of your hands.
As the kite picks up and starts to turn around pull your hands together
and the kite will take off. It is best accomplished in lighter winds.
Belly
pop
Fly the kite to the left
side of the wind window and do a Belly landing.
The kite is now on it's belly, nose pointing away from you, on the very
edge of the window. Pull very gently on the left line to position the kite
with its nose pointing slightly inward.
Now flick the right line,
which will cause wind to enter the right wing, and in turn causes the kite
to actually lift and "pop" back into the wind window.
Done indoors, or in light
wind it can be turned into a 360. Just take a step towards
the kite right after the flick.
Flapjack
Launch and Turtle
kill the kite. Pop one hand to get the kite rotating on its back, drop
the kite back down to land on wing tips. This move is a Lazy
Susan performed straight out of a launch position back into launch
position.
Headspring
This is the all-time impressive
launch. Start with the kite balancing on its nose (something that may require
a little practice in itself) Start with a hard pull on both lines to flatten
the kite down into a belly down position, then immediately release and
execute a French Toast to launch the kite.
The overall sequence of moves is hard-pull, release, quick-pull, release.
With practice, the move can
be done very fluently and the kite appears to simply bounce off its nose
into flight.
Jump
start
Do a Belly
landing. (The nose of the kite points away from you.) Yank both lines
really hard with a slight emphasis on one. The kite should shoot up in
the air and perform a 180-degree rotation. The kite is still belly down,
but with the nose facing you.
Either yank the lines to
resume normal flight upwards or throw your arms forward to roll the kite
into a Yo-yo.
Leading
edge launch
The kite is launched from
its side. Fly the kite near the edge of the window, close to the ground,
left to right. Pull right and gently crash to the ground. The kite should
now be on its right side. (Be careful the kite does not tip over). Pull
left (the 'up') wing slowly until it begins to fall toward you. Tug the
left line and almost at the same time with the right. The kite should lift
off on its side. Stepping backward during this maneuver also helps.
Sleeping
Beauty launch/ Berkeley Hop
This move looks very impressive,
when done correctly; the kite will spin around and almost fall flat on
its belly nose toward you (this is the failure mode if it does not work).
And just at the last second turn up and take off. It works best in a good
wind and with a flat sailed kite. Deeper billowed kites are better Cartwheeled.
Lay the kite flat on its back, about 30 feet from the right edge of the
wind window, with the nose pointing into the wind (like a Fade).
Next, pull on the left line causing the kite to rotate the left tip into
the wind. (The kite should stay flat on the ground) As the kite rotates
around the wind will go under the left leading edge and flip the kite over
onto its face (bridle side down). The trick is to pull on the right line
as the left tip is passing through 12 o'clock high. It is important that
the wind be the force that raised the left leading edge off the ground
and not the fact that you are pulling on the left line. When done properly
the wind will catch under the face of the kite before it gets to the ground
and lift it into the sky.
Snap
start
With the kite in the normal
launch position (on its back nose away) stand so lines are straight and
lie over the bottom spreaders. With a really sharp hard jerk on both lines
together the kite will jump up and will hover a couple of feet off the
ground, nose up ready to fly. It sort of bounces up into the air.
The name comes from the
failure-mode, which involves replacing the broken bottom spreader(s).
Rolls
Lateral
roll
Start in a Fade,
push one hand, and pop the other, kite rolls (more or less) around the
spine.
Limey
twist
A sequence of one or more
Lateral rolls while flying down. Fly the kite
up and throw hands forward at 75 % to kill the kite onto its back. Now
give a fast sharp tug on both lines, followed by a little slack, to recover
the kite up and pull the nose towards you and down until pointing towards
the ground. The back of the kite should be facing you with the lines running
down and coming under the leading edge.
At the point when the nose
drops down and makes contact with the lines across the leading edge, give
a firm and fairly steady pull on one line. The force of the nose traveling
down when contacting a now tight line on which pressure is being applied,
causes the free wing to continue to travel away from you, inducing the
kite to twist laterally and roll around the spine. The kite should continue
to fly downwards during the twist and further rolls can be introduced by
coaxing the lines alternately in sync with the kites rotation.
Pop
Lateral
Fly down, Kill
the kite out, pop into a Fade with both hands then
continue to pull on one and slack the other. Kite goes straight up into
a Fade and then rotates around the spine.
Slamming
Limey twist/ Lime Wedge
This is a Limey
twist performed close to the ground so that the nose of the kite makes
contact with the ground while twisting.
The kite continues to roll
around the spine while in contact with the ground, until it has spun around
to land on its tips.
Spins
540
Flat Spin
The 540 Flat Spin starts
off with a vertical dive. Bring your arms behind you to prepare for a Dead
stop. Stop the kite by throwing both arms forward. This should flatten
out the kite with the nose pointing away from you (Pancake position). Some
kites like a very fast kill (Stranger, Box of Tricks) other prefer a slightly
slower kill (Phantom Elite, MEFM). The trick is to kill the kite slightly
unevenly. If you're going to "pop" it with your right hand, then let your
left-hand lead slightly when throwing your arms forward. This will kill
the kite with the nose pointing slightly to the left. After that a firm
"pop" with the right hand immediately followed by lots of slack on both
hands should initiate a Flat Spin. As long as you want the kite to spin
you have to leave a lot of slack in your lines. Allow the kite to rotate
one and a half time (540 degrees...). The last 1/4 turn is the tricky part.
The kite can catch the wind and not want to turn up. You can help it along
by a short gentle tug of the left hand. This extra tug takes a lot of practice
to get right, but eventually will allow you to give it an extra revolution
or two (and even reverse direction).
The next description was
taken from 2 postings from rec.kites and must be the clearest one possible...
In case anyone's not sure,
the 540 Flat Spin goes like this:
The kite starts flying directly
downwards towards the ground. At some point before the kite hits the ground
(and the lower you go the more impressive it is, but also more risky).
You throw both arms forwards so that the kite flattens out, with the nose
pointing away from you and the front of the kite now facing the ground.
A gentle tug (I tend to
use the word "pop") on one line should start the kite rotating flat as
if it was impaled on an imaginary pole sticking up from the ground.
After 540 degrees (1 and
1/2 rotations), the kite should still be flat facing the ground (or nearly
flat) but with the nose now pointing towards you.
A gentle pull on both lines
makes the kite sit up and fly off upwards.
As simple as that? Well,
actually, no. There are a few subtle things that you have to get right
to perform the 540 Flat Spin and unless you know what you're looking for,
they can be difficult to get right.
The
Fast Kill
The first thing is that
you have to kill the kite effectively. The "kill" is that step when you
throw your hands forwards to flatten the kite out. As the kite is diving
down, pull your hands right back behind your back and then thrown them
forwards fast. If you need to, take a step forward (considering the speed
you have to do this, it's more of a "lunge") to get a fast positive Kill.
Practice killing the kite
out like this, holding it for a second and then recovering from this position.
To do this, either walk forwards and let the kite drop to the ground, or
to recover in flight, take up the slack on the lines, pulling more on one
line than the other, to get a half-twist-come-turn back out of the killed
position.
Not all kites like to be
killed fast (some prefer a more gentle approach) so you may need to experiment
until you find what works. These kites *will* do a Flat
Spin, but generally they need a little more accuracy from the part
of the flier. Dedicated trick kites tend to kill and spin faster with more
tolerance for user error.
The
Uneven Kill
The second, and by far the
most important point, is that the kill should be uneven. By this, I mean
that one hand should be thrown forwards before, and going further, than
the other one. If your strongest hand is your right hand, you'll use this
to execute the "pop". In this case, it should be the *left* hand that you
throw forwards first.
The reason is this: when
you pop with the right hand, that wing should be slightly nearer to you
than the other. When this is the case, the kite is already a little way
into the rotation and will continue into the Flat Spin much easier. To
get the right wing nearer, you push the left wing out further and faster.
Just to confuse matters, the kite is upside down and the right wing is
actually on the left as you look at it...
The
"Pop"
You've killed the kite and
there's only one place to go: The "Pop". The important thing is that you've
thrown you hands forward such that your left arm is fully extended and
your right hand is down by your waist, or perhaps a little further forwards.
Now give a small but firm
tug with your right hand and *immediately* let lots of slack into both
lines. Another step forwards at this point is often a good idea to achieve
this.
Watch the kite. If the pop
makes the kite "jump up" into the air instead of rotating then you either
pulled too hard or the kite wasn't set up properly - perhaps you killed
the kite too evenly? If the kite starts to turn but then tensions the lines
and stops, then you need more slack in the lines. Try taking that step
forwards.
If everything goes according
to plan, the kite will rotate one and a half time and then recover. Most
trick kites will usually recover themselves as they complete the final
part of the rotation - the wind catches them and off they go. Try and gauge
the slack in the line so that you can re-tension at exactly this point
to get a clean and controlled exit from the trick. Some kites might need
a little tension as the final rotation completes to help them recover.
Where
in the Window?
The center of the window
is most impressive, especially in a ballistic wind. Imagine the kite screaming
down towards the ground in a mad suicidal dash, only to stop at the very
last minute, perform a clean 540 inches of the ground and then scream back
off into the wind.
The centre of the window
is most dangerous, especially in a ballistic wind. Imagine the kite screaming
down towards the ground in a mad suicidal dash, only to stop at the very
last minute with a loud crunch as the frame splinters, tearing through
the sail and embedding the spine firmly in the ground.
The moral: practice in lighter
winds, off to one side of the centre of the window. If you go too far out,
you can find the kite sliding sideways as it spins. This is the basis of
an advanced Flat Spin trick - the Flash,
but for beginners it can be a little off-putting. The left side of the
window is slightly easier for right-handed poppers and vice versa.
The
"Eazy Peezy" 540 Flat Spin Technique
Still didn't get it?
OK, let's try something different.
Instead of flying directly
down to the ground, try flying out from the top center of the window, down
towards the bottom left hand corner of the window. You should aim to reach
the point where the kite slows down and almost stops by itself (ideally
without hitting the ground). The nose of the kite should be pointing towards
7 or 8 o'clock on an imaginary clock.
Now execute the same 540
Flat Spin maneuver as described above *but* doing everything a bit
slower because the wind should be holding the kite almost stationary -
"parked" at the edge of the window. A nice gentle Kill
(push that left hand forward!) followed by a smooth right hand pop should
be enough to start the kite spinning smoothly around. Remember that it
needs slack in the lines once it's started to get all the way around.
If you prefer to "pop" your
left hand, then fly out to the right side of the window, push your right
hand forward and then "pop" with your left.
You'll probably notice that
the kite slides back in towards the center of the window while it's spinning
and it probably won't spin totally flat to the ground. In fact, the trick
you've just done is a 540 Flat Spin variation that has a name of its own:
the Flashback. Because it happens more slowly
out at the edge of the window, it's a little easier to learn than the straight
540 Flat Spin.
When you've mastered the
Flashback you can try coming in a little from the edge of the window, speeding
up the dive, and heading more downwards than out. Eventually you should
be doing straight 540 Flat Spins without thinking about it.
The Footwork
The idea behind the Footwork
is to get your whole body into the right position to make doing the 540
real easy.
Let's say that you're going
to pop the 540 with your right hand. This is how I would do it.
As you bring the kite down
towards the ground, power up the kite by pulling your hands behind your
back. Time this so that you are just at the end of the backstroke when
the kite is ready to be thrown out. At this point your weight should be
on your back foot (left foot). So there you are arms down behind your back,
weight on your back foot (left foot) and the kite about 6" off the ground.
Now, all in one movement
transfer your weight through your right foot and onto your left in one
step, making your left your front foot. Also throw both hands forwards
while doing this. This sudden movement forwards will transfer all the forward
speed that you built up by pulling back into an away from you direction.
(If you make a note of how far back your hands are at the start of this
and then check where they are at the end, you'll see that you've managed
to move forwards by at least 6" (just like that...)
You should stunt (hold back)
one hand as you throw them forwards; in this case it would be your right
hand. Let it come to just in front of your waist, 6" max. As the kite hits
the end of the line give a small flick of the right wrist, like cracking
a whip.
Why?
Because having your left
foot forwards will turn your whole body around to the right, making your
left shoulder relatively further forward than your right. Try this simple
test, put your left foot forwards and try to look to your left. You should
need to look over your shoulder to see, now look right.
As you get the 540 down,
you'll find that you need less movement to perform it. At this point you
can get away with just transferring your weight from your back foot (left)
to your front (right) without the step.
Backspin/ Moebius
Fly up to somewhere approaching
the top of the window and start a downward turn by pulling the left hand.
As the kite turns left and the nose passes the 9 o'clock position, pop
the right wing with a gentle Axle-like motion. This causes the right wing
to be pulled towards you and the nose of the kite to lift up so that it
is spinning flat on its back in an anti-clockwise direction (looking from
above).
If you think how a normal
Axle forces the nose down into a flattened spin, this
Inverted Axle, the Backspin, forces the nose
up into an inverted spin. As the nose of the kite approaches the point
directly away from you (the kite is still on its back, but now has the
trailing edge towards you), pull gently on the left line to spin the kite
around on its back another time. Pop again at the same point to force another
rotation, and so one. Done correctly, the move should be very smooth.
Corkscrew
The Corkscrew describes
a series of Backspins, or Multiple
Axles, starting at the top of the window and spiraling down. In all
but the lightest wind, you will need to walk forwards to keep enough pressure
off the kite to ensure you can maintain a series of Axles or Backspins.
Flash
Fly the kite out to the
right edge of the window and turn down towards the ground. At the same
time, throw both arms forward to kill the kite and pop a 540
Flat Spin with the right hand. The sideways momentum of turning the
kite inwards while doing the Flat Spin causes the kite to slide across
the window back into the wind.
Flashback
The Flash starts out the
same as a 540 Flat Spin, except that the initial
dive is not vertical, but down and out towards the left side of the window
at about 45 degrees. Pancake the kite when the kite is at about a foot
off the ground. The kite should remain "tilted" 45 degrees. Now popping
the right hand will initiate a rotation of the kite AND a movement towards
the center of the wind window. Pull the kite out of its rotation after
one and a half turn. Instead of popping the kite you can also pop while
pancaking by stopping your popping arm earlier than the other one and extending
the other one. It might be easier to keep the kite rotating when walking
forward keeping the rotating wing hand extended.
Flat
Spin/ 180 Flat Spin
A basic Flat Spin is similar
to a 540 Flat Spin, but only completing half
a rotation (180 degrees). This is easier to achieve cause the kite requires
less precision in the setup. The kite should be "popped" back after half
a turn, much as it would coming out of an axle. This move looks very effective
if it completes to a landing, by taking a few steps forward as the wing
tips become parallel to the ground.
Fractured
Backspin
The Fractured Backspin starts
like the Backspin with a left turn at the top of
the window followed by a gentle right-handed pop to initiate the spin.
Instead of popping gently with the left hand, pop hard with the left and
then immediately with the right.
Instead of spinning once
more on it's back the kite kill flip over onto it's front with the first
(left) pop (belly down, nose still away from you) and then flip under itself
(like the Fade or Fractured
Axle) with the second (right pop) so that the kite is on it's back
with the nose towards you. Constant tension on one line at this point will
spin the kite around back into normal flight.
G-Whizz
Start with a Wing
tip stand. For example you pull your left wing up and the nose starts
rotating in a clockwise direction. Let the nose go right until the leading
edge is almost about to touch the ground and then push your left hand forward
to pancake the kite, nose away from you. Before the belly of the kite hits
the ground, pop with your right hand to initiate the 540
Flat Spin. The kite spins in an anti-clockwise direction (looking from
above). This trick can be started from a Coin Toss
as well, to get the kite into a pancaked position. The Twisted
Sister is a similar trick.
Horizontal
Slot/ Vertical Slot/ Angle
Slot/ Slot Machines
Very versatile trick, easy
to do, (after learning) and can be done in different parts of the window
with different effects. Horizontal Slot - Fly across the window. Execute
a Half Axle move with your inside hand (up wing).
As soon as the belly flattens out (that is before the Half Axle move is
completed!) pull your inside hand again sharply and push forward the outside
hand causing the kite to spin a 540 Flat Spin.
Do this at the edge close to the ground, the kite 540s back into the window
for a landing.
Vertical Slot - fly nose
down (with power) on the edge of the window and slightly point the nose
to the outside. Execute Half Axle movement with the inside hand and pull
again when belly of kite flattens out. The kite will make a 540 Flat Spin.
Angle Slot - Fly the kite nose down at a 45-degree angle. Execute a Half
Axle with the up/ inside hand and as soon as the kite belly is flat, pop
that same hand again causing kite to float around in a 540 Flat Spin. This
is the same as the Vertical Slot but can be done anywhere quickly.
Lazy
Susan/ Rotating Backflip/ Turtle
Spin
Flip the kite into a Turtle
and do a very gentle pull on one of the lines to generate a rotation. This
will start a rotation while the kite is on its back. Pull the kite out
of the Turtle position after one rotation. You should take care that while
rotating the kite doesn't pick up the lines with its wing tips. The way
to do it is to immediately release both lines after the gentle pull which
enables the lines to lay in the cheeks of the kite. Of course you can keep
rotating the kite by pulling the correct line after each half rotation.
Kites that float easily will love this trick.
Shark
Frenzy
Starting in a Shark
from right to left, push both hands forwards to flatten the kite out (as
with the Switchback), but before the kite flattens
out totally, pop with the right hand to execute a 540
Flat Spin off the ground. Looking down from above, the kite Flat Spins
anti-clockwise. Pop again to get Leading Edge 900's, 1260's etc., etc.
A totally, totally excellent
combination move is to start with a very low 540 Flat Spin at one edge
of the window. Come directly out into a Shark, drag all the way across
the window, Switchback, Shark all the way back to where you started and
then pop a leading edge 540 Flat Spin back into flight.
Sleazy
Lou
Fly out to the edge of the
window, turn up and then Turtle kill the kite, pop
the inside hand to get the kite spinning on it's back (Lazy Susan) while
sliding back into the window.
Spin
Stab
Fly the kite right to the
edge of the window such that it hovers close to the ground. Pull back hard
and fast with the inside hand to whip the kite through 270 degrees (nose
points down) then push this hand back to the neutral point progressively.
Step forward to drop the kite lightly into a wing tip stand, pointing towards
the edge of the window, as it continues to rotate.
This works better with kites
that turn and accelerate quickly.
Spiral
Staircase
Like the Fountain
(upward Cascade) and the Toast Rack (upward Flic-Flac)
before it, I wanted to get the Corkscrew going
upwards. The result is the Spiral Staircase. Fly down into a 540
Flat Spin near the ground and as the kite completes, briefly take up
the slack in the lines and fly the kite up ever so slightly. The movement
should be quick enough to get a little lift in the kite, but not that aggressive
that the rotation stops. Hopefully, the kite should continue to spin around
so that you can pop another Flat Spin or Axle
to continue the cycle.
It's tough to perfect the
technique to get a smooth spiral upwards, at first it's more of a "Spin,
Jerk Up, Spin, Jerk Up, Spin" kind of motion.
Strobe
The Strobe starts out the
same as the Flash or a Flashback,
and you continue to "pop" the kite to make it perform multiple flat spins
as it slides back into the window.
Tumble-turn
Fly the kite down and out
towards the wind's edge at an angle of 30 degrees. Accelerate the kite
by pulling back hard on both lines simultaneously and then throw both hands
far forward as the kite gets near to the ground. This move should roll
the kite back by more than 90 degrees so that the back of the kite shows
to the flyer and the kite is still tilted at an angle. Perform an Axle
pop with the outside hand, ensuring that there is plenty of slack in the
lines after the pop. Let the kite flip around to face you and then nod
forward, face down and again showing the back of the kite slightly but
still at an angle. Pull smoothly with both lines to recover and send the
kite back up the way it came.
The whole maneuver should
take place within the kite's wingspan and just above the ground for maximum
effect.
Kites proven to perform this
move: Box of Tricks, Xntrik, Phantom Elite UL.
Stabs
Backstab
Fly the kite right to left
at approximately one wingspan above the ground. Push with both lines to
stop the kite, giving emphasis to the right hand. Do not stop the kite
so hard that it rolls back on the lines. Axle with
the right hand. The right wingtip should hit the ground with the nose pointing
away from the flyer. Hold the kite in this position with even, light tension.
Snap the kite back into a regular wing tip stand position with an even
pull on both lines.
An alternative entry into
the move is to Side Slide the kite but allow
the kite to rotate as it slides then pop the Axle as it points its nose
towards the edge of the wind.
Black
Hole
The mother of all tip Stabs
is the "Black Hole". The Black Hole is initiated by doing a snap spin right
on a downward path so the kites nose is pointing left. This should be done
at about 10 feet above the ground. Before pushing out your right hand to
complete the 90-degree turn, pull aggressively with your left hand to pull
the kite out and start the downward drop. Immediately following the pull,
push out your right hand. It is important that you do not permit the top
line to become tensioned during the drop. Walk forward during the move.
Another way to do it is to initiate the right turn by a push of the left
hand and after the rotation of 90 degrees pull the left hand and simultaneously
push out the right hand. This trick seems to cause wear and tear on your
kite. Be warned! Not all kites like this trick, the Cal Wasp, Buena Vista
XTC, and Skyburner Pro Dancer are examples of kites that do these stunts
well.
Reverse
Spike/ Reverse 3-point Spike
Fly the kite, nose down
near the side but with power. About 8-10 feet above the ground pull hard
with the inside hand while pushing slightly the outside hand. This causes
the kite to 1/4 spin almost a Half Axle towards
the center of the window, forcing the inside tip to spike into the ground.
A variation is the Reverse 3-point Spike, which is the same as above. But
after your execution and right before the kite hits the ground, use a "pop
up" move with the outside hand pulling the left wing to the outside causing
the kite to land aggressively on both tips.
Tequila
Slammer
Let the kite dive fast to
the ground and then (dependent on wind speed) about 2 kite heights above
the ground, push one wing back and immediately pop a hard Axle type move
with the same hand. Throwing loads of slack into both lines after the pop.
The kite rolls back around the lines into a Yo-yo like position which you
leave for a split second (not too long, because the ground is approaching
fast) before pulling on both lines to unwrap the kite and slam both tips
hard into the ground. Everything in that last bit happens in a split second
flash and the kite suddenly appears on the ground on its tips. Very dramatic
when it works, but it does need some fairly accurate timing.
Tip Stab/ Vertical
Stab
Flying a very close ground
pass, the move is initiated somewhere before or after the center of the
window while the kite still has power and pressure in the sail area. On
most kites, the first action is to start an up turn by pulling the "up
wing", while at the same time, dumping some air from the "up" wing. The
second part actually pulls the "bottom wing" toward you, by pulling the
"bottom wing" thus spilling air from that wing and forcing that wing towards
you. To speed up this action, the final move is a push with the "up wing"
hand again. This is the basic 3-step move for a Stab, which is basically
a variation of a Snap-stall. This is done very quickly! This sequence of
hand movements does vary from kite to kite i.e. high aspect, low aspect
etc., but try this much first, and you will be on your way. I suggest trying
on this on your own kite, first slow, and above the ground until you're
seeing the exact combination that you and your kites needs to achieve this,
then bring it down close to the ground and STAB! It is easier to do the
Black Hole as mentioned below. But I suggest learning it, starting at the
top 5 degrees to the right of the center of the window and ending up 5
degrees to the left center, executing it the exact way I described above.
But the first initial pull will be harder to pull the wing around further.
Another way to do it is by simply driving hard at the ground in a dive
and then (dependent on wind speed) about 2 kite heights above the ground,
push one wing back and immediately pop a hard Axle type move with the same
hand.
Stalls
Dead
Stop/ Full stop/ Kill
Nothing more than a horizontal
pancake and equally each kite has his preference for the speed at which
the move is made. Some more stable kites need a setup move of a hard, even
pull to accelerate the kite before pushing.
Flying the kite in a low
ground pass push quickly and evenly far forward. The kite will roll backward
on the lines and stop. If you immediately pull back on both lines the kite
will "reverse" back into flight and continue with the ground pass. If you
delay the recovery you can allow the kite to rotate back into a turtled
position to effect a reversed 90-degree upward turn. From a low altitude
this also makes for a fast and sudden landing. In fact a Kill can be done
in any direction. It's just a way of stopping the kite's forward movement
abruptly.
Helicopter
The kite stall spins overhead.
Fly the kite to the top of the window overhead. Pull both hands to bring
it past that point. This will stall the kite. Immediately extend your left
hand to initiate a left rotation float. You will have to move forward so
that the lines stay under the kite as it floats. This is a very graceful
move. To end it, point the nose down and pull the kite back into the window.
Jump-stall
Start with the kite just
off center of the wind, in a wing tip stand. Next, Axle
the kite into the wind (start of a Coin Toss)
like you were going to land it onto it's opposite tip. When the kite is
flat on its belly during the rotation (nose away), you quickly pop both
hands towards you, causing the kite to pop open facing down. Now lightly
let one line out so the kite can rotate around pointing the nose up. Now
hold the kite in a Stall, and slide it out to one
side. This trick is ideal for light wind flying, and requires a kite with
a deep sail. The move is also very quick in action delay, so fast hands
are a must. Kites known to do this are the Thunderbird, MYSL, Prism Total,
Tracer, e.g.
Side
Slide
The kite stalls across the
wind window sideways. Fly the kite to the right side of the window. Pull
right like a spin, but release early, when the wing tips are parallel to
the ground. This will cause the kite to slide. Some kites slide more easily
than others. A heavier bridle adjustment also helps.
Snap-stall
Air is forced out of the
sail very quickly, as in a spin. Fly the kite left to right parallel to
the ground. Pull left to initiate a left turn, then punch right to counteract
that motion, and then return both hands to neutral position. This is done
very quickly, in a split second. The kite should stall with the nose up,
wing tips parallel to the ground.
Spin-stall
Air is forced or 'dumped'
out of the kite's sail for a brief moment. Fly the kite from left to right,
roughly parallel to the ground.
Just before reaching the
edge, pull the left line quickly for one complete turn and release just
as the wings become parallel to the ground. To land, simply walk forward.
Stall
Technically speaking: when
the kites drag and lift come into equilibrium. Or in plain English: the
kite is made to hover or sit still.
Fly the kite to the edge
or overhead until it stops. After you stall your kite, you may find it
hard to hold it stalled. Or you may find that it does not stay nose pointed
up. Here is some advice to help you learn to work with a stalled kite.
First when you stall a kite, the controls will sort of reverse. To raise
a dropping wingtip, gently pull on the side that is dropping. This is against
your intuitive since you pull on the opposite line than you would to turn
the kite up. To help maintain a Stall you need to keep tension off the
lines. Walk slowly toward the kite to do this. If the kite starts to drop,
then apply a very small amount of tension to the lines to bring it back
up. You can also shake one or both hands, this works to keep the air behind
the kite from flowing smoothly over the back and accelerating the kite.
Turtles
Kick
Start
This launch starts out like
the French Toast but has a different exit.
From the Pancaked position give both lines a hard and even pull, followed
very quickly by a big release, probably involving stepping forward. The
kite will pop up nose down, roll onto its back nose towards the flyer (like
a Flic-Flac) but the extra release will allow
the nose to rise, showing the back of the kite slightly.
Now pull the left-line slightly
back and hold it. The kite will pop horizontally into the wind, nose to
the left and with the back of the sail towards the flyer. Pull quickly
on both lines to reverse this (nose to the right, sail right way around)
and fly off. This launch needs very fast hands and is best performed with
kites that perform Turtle/ Flic-Flac type moves well.
Ninja
Turtle/ Dead Turtle/ Dead
Stop Turtle
Dive the kite vertically,
make a hard and fast Pull-pull-turn of 180
degrees then push evenly and quickly forward to both stop the rotation
and put the kite onto its back. To resume flight, make a Turtle
Release.
This also makes a very impressive
landing but very close attention must be paid to the height at which the
move is initiated.
Toast
Rack
The French
Toast starts with the kite on its belly with the nose away from you.
A quick jerk on both lines following by a release causes the kite to jump
up and invert so that the nose is towards you and the kite is on its back.
The lines are resting over the top of the kite. Pull and release both lines
again to flip the nose down, away from you, up and over itself and then
back towards you as the kite resumes the same position, but instead with
the lines running down over the trailing edge and under the kite towards
you. Keep pulling and releasing to repeat this motion.
This repeated move is generally
called a Flic-Flac (or Poisoned Ivy or Cuckoo Clock).
By accentuating the "down" beat (that is, when the lines start under the
kite) and going easy on the "up" beat (when the lines start on top of the
kite), you can create lift. Start with a French Toast and continue it with
a Rising Flic-Flac and you have a Toast
Rack.
Water
Jaws
Stall
the kite in a straight downwind landing. Once it's resting on the water,
by releasing tension on both lines, you can let the kite sink into the
water. Keep both lines even, so the kite sinks straight down, nose up.
If the kite is fully submerged, start whistling the Jaws theme and pull
both lines equally, so the kite comes straight out of the water. Don't
pull too hard; let steady pull and wind do the lifting.
Raise
the Titanic
You need water deep enough
to turn the kite under water. A bit of current running away from you helps,
but do not try in a strong current, you will lose your kite!
Usually a kite will try
to head nose-down to the bottom. Don't panic! You can still feel your kite
with your lines. Pull more on one line so the kite starts to turn up. If
you see a wingtip pointing up, you're getting there. Let the wind, and
you pulling, lift the wing upwards. You cannot fly out with one wing in
the water easily, so you have too little by little, turn the kite around
by pulling one line. As you get one wing out of the water, you have to
switch sides that you're pulling, let the upper wing drop back towards
the water, while pulling the lower wing up. Once you get the nose pointing
straight up, an even, steady pull on both lines. This will raise the kite
into the air.
Water-skiing
Do a horizontal pass with
wingtip grazing the water, kicking up a rooster tail. Easier to learn on
slower kites with flexible frames.
The difficulty with fast,
stiff kites is that if you hit the water to hard, the kite will flip into
the water.
Indoor-flying
Dual-line Landing
Tail
catch
This move requires a very
well neutral balanced ultra-light kite. Land your kite on its tips, in
front of you. Pull gently on the lines so that your kite falls slowly on
its belly; now, just before the nose touches the ground, pull evenly and
quite strongly on both lines. The kite should pop in the air: at this moment,
release the lines and step forward (one step is enough). Your kite will
"reverse" and go down flat on its back, belly up and nose away from you.
Just take both handles in your left-hand: the kite will go down quietly
towards you, and you should be able to catch its tail with your right hand.
Nice, impressive, efficient, and quite easy :-)
Dual-line landings
Come
to Daddy
Pull the kite up but don't
do the over-bit and when it has reached its highest point start a spin
and the kite spirals down ... to daddy (what's in a name). Catch the kite
by the nose or (even better) lie down and let it cover you.
Dual-line launches
Tail
throw
Tie your finger-straps around
the last two fingers of each hand, so that your hands are relatively free.
Hold your kite belly down, nose towards you. The lines should lie on the
floor in front of you, so that you won't get into a tangle when you launch.
Put your right hand on the kite's nose, and your left hand on the central
cross under the kite (reverse if left-handed ;-) Lift the kite over your
head and push the kite in front of you: step back quickly, the lines should
be tight before the kite touches the ground, so that you can start flying.
Dual-line tricks
360
This is done to gain ground
on your field, or to fly in no wind. While always keeping slack out of
the lines, run in a large circle (360 degrees). The kite will follow you
around the circle. Try learning this in both directions. This maneuver
is easier on short lines.
Fly Away
Used to gain ground indoors
or in low wind. Fly the kite vertically downwards and walk (or run, dependent
on wind speed) forwards so that the kite starts to flatten out with the
nose away from you. The kite will "glide" down. Just be careful not to
move forward to quickly. If you do, you will do a Reversed
Turtle.
Nose-in
Float
This move requires very
little or no wind. The kite should be very well neutral balanced. Flying
left to right - at the very right edge of the window, Snap-turn
down - at about the middle of the right edge of the window, pull turn left
(this will pull the kite just outside the wind window. As the wingtips
just become parallel to the ground, push out with both hands, lead with
the right hand following with the left. The kite will lay on its' belly
with the nose pointing in towards the pilot. Recovery is simply a little
tug on both lines while taking a step backwards.
Up
and Over
This is where you fly the
kite up over your head, to the top of the window. Pull both lines evenly
to push the kite past that point.
Then turn into the wind
and pull the kite down at the opposite side of the window by walking downwind.
Finish with a 180( half 360) to return the kite to it's
starting point.
A variation on this trick
is done like this: as you get the kite into the position where you start
the up and over, turn your back on the kite and pull the lines over your
shoulder (going clockwise it would be your left shoulder). Take one step
away from the kite. As the kite goes past 12 start to pull your hands down
and back and also take one step away from the kite (the opposite way to
last time). Done this way you hardly loose ground and the kite has a lot
of power.
Fade
Up and Over
Start in the belly-down-nose-away
position and do a pop up into a Fade. Move back fast
enough to get the kite to rise in the Fade position. When the it gets as
high as you can get it (hopefully over your head) give it a slight pop
to make it glide the rest of the way over in the Fade position. At this
point you turn and the kite gliding away from you in a Backflip
position with the lines coming off the nose and under the kite. Tension
the lines before it gets to close to the ground, and the kite will flip
over into regular flight. The key to the glide is not to pop the lines
too much. If you pop it too much, the kite will glide and then dive into
the ground.
Light
wind flying
Indoor and light wind flying
require a practiced hand, ultra light equipment, line and kite, as well
as patience and stamina. Before trying light wind flying, check your condition.
If you plan to fly light, you will be walking briskly, running, running
backward, and consequently, panting. The best advice is to get the best
ultra light kite you can afford, use 50 lb. to 80 lb. spectra lines. Length
depends on your needs. Indoor lengths depend upon the height of the ceiling
in the room you will be flying in. For outdoor zero wind flying, short
lines are recommended; 15'-30'. This makes it easier to do 360's and Up-and-Overs.
For competition, use short lines of 60' or so. Exception: If you are in
an area surrounded by objects, which obstruct the wind, using long lines
will help you find the wind.
Quad-line launches
Can-can
launch
The Revolution flat down/face
up, leading edge away from you. Pull softly, catch with toe and kick up
and overhead to launch behind you inverted and fly behind you. The slower
the better, keeping in mind it's all how you turn your toes!
Guillotine
launch
The Revolution flat down/face
down, with the leading edge towards you. Pull handles up to head level
and step backward, flying the kite smoothly behind you in one swoop. Don't
cringe, don't duck! Just slice the air.
Spins
Archimedes
Screw
Starts with the kite flat
on the ground (belly down), grab a tip and, very gently at first, spin
the kite, nose first, around your body, trying to keep the kite as flat
as possible. As you turn, the kite should lift. Let it do it's own thing
as much as possible as any pressure on the tip might snap it clean off.
Keeping spinning around until the kite reaches head height and then give
it a final flick so that it Flat Spins around itself, just above your head,
while you walk back and take up the slack.
Executioner
Fly the kite down, flatten
out and pop a hard Flat Spin that brings the kite towards you. Catch the
kite or simply duck and let it pass right over your head (the lower the
better) until it's right out the other side. Take up the slack and fly
out. This is also great to do outside in light wind when you can fly the
kite hard *into* the wind and then use that wind to really get it whipping
back towards you.
Quad-line tricks
Axles
Rev
Axle
The Rev Axle is a similar
move as the dual-line Axle. Let some slack into one hand (say, the right)
and in particular, push back the bottom. Then, in a single movement, flick
the right hand, putting the emphasis on the bottom line and let slack out
with the left hand. If you pull on the upper line, the kite tends to do
an upright Axle, more like a Cartwheel. With the correct "flick", the kite
should flatten out and spin flat.
And here's an alternative
description: With the kite moving across the window, throw out the hand
that is connected to the bottom of the kite. This will let the kite flatten
out. With the kite gliding flat through the wind, simply give a quick pull
on the same hand that you threw out. Be sure to keep your wrist bent so
that you are pulling the kite from the bottom line. The kite will spin
around and as you put you hands back to neutral, your Rev will pop back
into the wind. The kite can go around more than once in this spin (although
it is easier in light wind).
And another one: With the
Rev horizontal, leading edge up, put both handles in one hand. Quickly
reach out and grab one of the top fly lines with your free hand and give
a sharp tug. This one works with the Rev on the ground as well.
Flips
Rev
Backflip
Fly to the top of the window,
place both handles in one hand, reach up and grab both bottom lines with
your free hand. Now give them a small smooth tug. The bottom wingtips will
pop forward and up, leaving the kite facing leading edge down. Before the
kite falls down, pull both bottom lines again to recover.
Rev
Flic-Flac
For starters, it's best
if you fit a trick line. Run a length of line from the end of the top spar,
down to the bottom of the upright, across to the other upright and back
up to the other end of the leading edge. This line stops the flying lines
from digging right up into the bottom of the sail.
The easiest way to do the
trick was to take both handles in your left hand and grab the bottom lines
with your right hand. Pull both bottom lines sharply and then release.
The flaps of the Rev get should get pulled towards you and then released
quickly enough so that they spin right back and over the leading edge.
The kite should now be wrapped around its lines. Pull sharply on both handles
(in your left hand) to unwrap it. Then pull the bottom lines again to wrap,
pull to unwrap, etc., etc....
Get the timing right and
you get the characteristic "Flic-Flac" motion as the kite wrap, unwraps,
wraps, unwraps, etc. Looks pretty cool.
A slightly different method
- hold one handle in each and jab your hands down sharply (to pull mainly
on the bottom lines) and then release. It seems to require more precision
and control but had the benefit of not slicing his fingers up on the lines
:-)
Launches
Rev
3D Launch
If you land the kite face
down with the leading edge towards you, it's not always easy to get it
up straight away. Simply put both handles in your left hand and grab the
bottom line of the right handle in your right hand. Now give this line
a sharp tug and the kite flies up towards you in a Flat Spin. Looks way
cool. Be careful of the lines though - they can cut. Wrap a piece of insulation
tape around the upper part of your first finger to protect yourself when
3D'ing.
Spins
Rev
Flat Spin
Fly the kite right out to
the right of the window with the leading edge facing out towards the right.
Push your right hand forwards to let the right hand side of the kite (nearest
the ground) fall way back away from you. Then, with a quick flick of the
left wrist across your body and down to the left, the kite should flatten
out and Flat Spin (Strobe?) across towards the left of the window.
Stairway
to Heaven
Start by hovering upside
down near the ground, center of the window. Sharply pull bottom line in
left hand. The kite does a "Semi-flat" Spin counter-clockwise. Catch the
kite when it is again inverted. Now do the same with the right hand. Catch
it when inverted again etc. The end result is that the kite does a "Fountain"
type move up the wind window, as each "catch" would end up a little higher
in the window than the last. It looks like the kite is going up stairs...
[Home |
Search |
(email link deleted) |
Guestbook |
MessageBoard]
