Kitewing IV8 Dacron

Why not? Nothing better to do at work Pics when I remember!

Expensive toy ... mine cost me about US$1,500 last year but I do like it :D
I've got the smaller 4.8m Dacron cos it was the cheapest and I was worried I'd mangle and tear the Mylar sail on the next option up. There's a Mylar panel in the center of the 4.8 sail which is more than enough to see through.

Well made and everything fits superbly. IMHO it needs some rubber protectors for where the battens fit into the leading edge of the sail, cos I've put holes in it by dropping it on concrete. Apparently, that isn't a problem though - NicS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s school Kitewing has been dropped on concrete for years and he hasn't replaced or repaired that area of the sail ... we'll see - might be a good excuse to upgrade the sail and battens to the 5.5m, using the same boom etc hardware :D

Setup is a bit complex (compared to a fixed bridle kite ) but easily learned. It's a good time to check the state of the "consumables" - the sail tension line and the wingtip batten straps get worn and break but are easily replaced with 5mm Spectra (IIRC) and webbing from the DIY store.

There's plenty of vids on how to get going on YouTube thanks to Kitewing Co. and the boys from Dirtsurfer.co.uk so I won't go into it here, other than to point out and make it very clear - this is a HIGH WIND toy ... you'll need at least 7 m/s (14 knots) to get moving on a landboard on a hard surface. When you're putting away your kite cos it's Mental (on the Drew scale) then you're getting ready for the Kitewing
Pretty easy to get to grips with. I'd suggest spending some time without a board etc doing tacks and gybes on your feet to get the hang of the hand movements and timing but a couple of hours will see you going ballistic.

Big wind is big fun and "depower" is easy too - you control it much like you would a windsurfer ... I guess I've never had much luck windsurfing - just sheet out with your back arm or let go and fly it into the wind.
I tend to fly it like it's a sail on a mast - clamp on with my front hand and sheet in and out with my back hand, keeping a lose grip with the fingers so if I get hit by a gust I'm not holding the boom tightly in both hands and don't go Superman-ing downwind again
Can get a bit twitchy in gusts, bouncing around a bit due to its size and mishandling during tacks or gybes can lead to you having the 'wing pulled out of your hands or it pushing you over ... be prepared for knocks, scrapes and grazes as well as the big fun :D

Some of the more skillful guys like Jaymz (IIRC) will chime in about how much benefit you get from apparent wind etc but the faster you go, the easier it is to just lock and cruise. Can be a real workout on the old forearms so for a slow surface or long duration riding I'd recommend a harness and D-loop.

One of the best things about the Kitewing is no lines - you've got it right there in your hands and carparks with lamposts are usable again! Lighter winds with skates or a skateboard are great fun too.

So if you don't mind the price tag (or can get a deal), have limited space for kites on lines and get a lot of big wind, then a Kitewing is the toy for you! Don't forget skiing and snowboards with the kite ... and gliding downhill - world record flight of a Kitewing is over 500 yards :shocked2:

Other Kitewing options are the Rage 5.5 or the Wave Warrior 7.8 ...