kitestoo.com : welcome to our kite blog

Many kite manufacturers, having their kites made in China, do not get any replacement parts for their kites. They simply do not have a single part to replace those broken in shipment to dealers, returned because the part is defective, etc. In extreme need, they may even take parts out of unsold kites on their shelf. But usually they cannot provide any replacements. Instead they rely on the dealer to stock a variety of parts, from which the replacement part is cut to size and substituted for the original part. For single line kites, this usually works. Although many times the replacement is not the same weight, thus throwing off the delicate balance of the kite. (more…)

I always thought that kites were just for kids. I couldn’t have been more wrong! I got linked up with this group of people that fly kites, and they all are around my age (middle aged but not gray!). Truth be known, I have rarely encountered any young kids flying stunk kites, seems like most of the enthusiasts are my age, give or take ten years either way. They invited me to come out give it a try. So I said, “What the heck, one afternoon kite flying couldn’t hurt, and would be a fun diversion from the usual activities like cycling that I’m active in during the fair weather months. I started out flying the Prism line of kites. The very first kite I ever flew was a Mirage kite, and we flew that one on a drizzly day, so it wasn’t much fun just because of the weather, but nonetheless, it was a chance to fly for the first time. A few months went by and I was invited again to give flying a chance on a nice sunny day. I tried several kites, from Prism’s Quantum and Mirage, to the E2 and Nexus. The one that I gravitated to was the Nexus kite. I think that it’s just built in me that I like fast moving things (sports, auto racing, cycling). So it just seemed natural that I enjoyed the Nexus kite. The Nexus is a real fun kite to fly! It is very fast, and has a good strong pull in strong winds. In fact, the pull almost parallels that of the Quantum in a good stiff wind. Now small kites usually are not known for strong pull, but the Nexus definitely is a strong puller. The Nexus is a very quick kite to boot. (more…)

The general rule of thumb is the smaller the kite, the faster it flies, while the larger the kite the more pull it gives. We could illustrate it like this:

So a middle sized kite might be expected to be the best kite, combining just enough speed and pull to give the best flight. But modern kite makers can design almost any features they want into kites. Choose based on your needs, and present ability. Consider where you want to be in few weeks of practice. (more…)

What a great name! Owing to the fact that the French flyers are flying in higher winds and developing both kites and techniques to do this, the name “French Connection” was genius. And like a Citroen Automobile, there is plenty of “chrome and do dads” hanging off this kite, including yoyo gliders, yoyo bars, roll up cage, and adjustable or removable tail weight. It has that French over worked design look. Kind of gimmicky, but it all has a purpose.

I know and respect Dodd Gross. In the past Dodd has had a reputation for producing kites that were not yet “done”. The first buyers of a new line might have a less than completed kite as Dodd continued to work the kite and tweak it. But the French Connection seems to be a complete and finished product. And it flies very well. It is definitely a trick kite, not a traditional stunt kite. It could even be said to be a lousy traditional stunt kite with all those do-dads. But that is not why it was made. It was made for tricks.

(more…)

The first time I flew this kite, I started laughing. It was so much fun! The pull was surprisingly strong. It felt like the kite was twice its size. Since then this kite has become our company choice to teach new flyers. Smaller, inexpensive kites are often too quick for easy learning, and the pull too indefinite for new folks. The 7-foot wingspan of the Quantum makes it easy to make deliberate turns without over reacting. The strong pull gives definite feel to the wind window. Yet it has enough speed and serious pull in winds above the teens to keep even the advanced flyer intrigued. The bridle has a labeled wind adjustment for strong to light wind. The cons are: the pull is too much for children. And some smaller adults might not enjoy the constant pull. It can rock even me (over 200 pounds) on my feet in winds above 20 miles per hour. But for most these are plusses that add to the excitement of flying. (more…)