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Last night I flew the floater for the first time. Strangely, I was flying a discontinued kite from HQ Kites. We purchased 8 of the last ones, and have them for sale while they last.

It was a cold day, 50 degrees. And the wind was only registering 3.5 on my meter. Not many kites in most folks bags will fly in that low a wind. But here in Portland, we keep some low wind kites in our bags for just such a day. The flags on the Portland Raceway field were just barely flying on the pole. So I chose the Floater. I was not disappointed. It performed beautifully. At 63 inches by 31 inches, this kite is moderately quick. Pull in this low wind is light, but the kite is very responsive. Turns are definite. The kite comes with 65 feet of Dyneema line (read European Spectra). I think 50 foot would be better in such low wind. 65 feet was a bit long for my taste. But it performed well. This kite meets my requirement of: velcro closure at the base of the spine, has well seated standoffs, and strong bridle. The case has velcro openings at top and bottom. How many times have you tried to get a standoff out of the bottom of a long narrow case? And there is a separate pocket for the line set. Just remove the retail card and you’ve got a pocket for a lineset. The spars are 4 mm Carbon. (more…)

A new color scheme has emerged lately, especially among young people. Everything from furniture to bedding and even wedding colors are boasting this new palate. And Prism has captured this color and added it across their existing kite lineup, as well as on some exciting new kites. Citrus is their newest color combination, and it is beautiful. It looks great in the sky. You are not likely to have anything in your kite bag this color.

Almost all of Prism’s kites are now available in citrus, including: the Nexus, Quantum, Hypnotist, and their brand new low wind Zephur. Also, the tried and true Triad, and the new EO6 and EO10, come in citrus. The new Snapshot Parafoil is available in a citrus lime too.

Watch for reviews of the new Zephur dual line, the Snapshot Parafoil, and Stowaway Diamonds with Fractal-based geometric patterns. And as always, these new colors and styles from Prism are ultra high quality and sure to give great flight. Check them out at the on-line flag and kite store www.elmersflag.com. Not just a kite store, America’s largest flag store!

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…)

Good news from Prism! It’s rare that good things happen more quickly than planned. But Prism has announced that they are thrilled to release a new, unique product ahead of schedule.

The 2007 EO (Expandable Object) series is the original brainchild of Phil McConnachie, internationally renowned kite designer from Australia. His EO6 and EO10 are dynamic box kites with intersecting elliptical planes that fly stable or as marvelous tumblers. They’re completely unique and eye-catching in the sky, and best of all there’s literally no assembly required. The expandable structure erects itself with a built-in elastic as you remove it from its unique travel clasp. Just find some wind, pop it open, and watch it soar and tumble as it climbs into the sky. Three contrasting color combinations can be flown in multiples on a single line for a spectacular show. Convenient, unique travel clasp holds 200 feet of line with winder handle (included). (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…)