Power Kite Forum

what are these kites called?

kitedelight - 4-11-2011 at 01:51 PM

just curious anyone know about these types of kites and if they have a special name?

saw some poor guy about 2 years ago struggling with one, the whole session was pretty much.... launch, kite flap around for about 3-4 seconds, collapse in about 30 seconds, relaunch - it was tough to watch; not cause he was getting pummled, just cause it didn't look enjoyable at all, haven't seen one since locally. Then, came across this video. These guys seem to be doing pretty good, and...jumping??

I wonder why someone wouldn't just get a regular foil or LEI, but there must be something to it (maybe cheap and less of a learning curve)

Has anybody flown one of these by chance?


WELDNGOD - 4-11-2011 at 02:03 PM

paraski flex ,I think

BeamerBob - 4-11-2011 at 02:11 PM

I vote C-quad.

Edit: But have to stand corrected! :thumbup:

indigo_wolf - 4-11-2011 at 02:28 PM

Candadian flying location. Kite at @0:34 looks like it is being flown in the high wind taco configuration. Colors and panel layout out match some of the demo videos. If the film was zoomed enough to view the bar orientation, it would be a dead giveaway. Still, going to have to agree with WG.

Paraskiflex



ATB,
Sam

shehatesmyhobbies - 4-11-2011 at 02:28 PM

Just did a stop motion and zoomed in, it's a paraski flex as Donnie stated.

I was with you too Bob, but I thought there was more struts in the body of the kite.

Either way not bad flying and lift for what they are.

doneski - 4-11-2011 at 02:29 PM

Those are Paraski flex F series kites. Low aspect all round kite. The LX series is more performance oriented. Made in Canada and rarely seen in the States. Like any kite they've got good points and bad.

PrairieWind - 4-11-2011 at 02:43 PM

It is a paraskiflex. I'm sure the guy was struggling because the instructional video is only available in French. They are most in use in Quebec for sure.

I've seen people struggle with Ozone's and inflato's, and even struggled myself when I was learning- most times it has to do with the experience level of the rider anything to do with the nature of the wind toy itself.

http://www.paraskiflex.ca/

You'll see all manner of vids of people of varying abilities on the site, if you search youtube for paraskiflex I think there are some buggy ones too.

markite - 4-11-2011 at 02:57 PM

When laying on the ground they are very similar looking to a C-Quad but they use a different control bar set up. Usually flown on shorter lines they almost have a feel more like hanging onto a sail - they have come a long way developing a few different models over the years and when you see the team riders on them boosting air and riding as well as any other kite. When they came out with the really high aspect version that only the team riders use nobody could catch them a few years back when WISSA was held in Quebec and Ontario in some of the races. That was at a time when it was the same as them having depowerable kites and able to ride really powered on different legs of the course when others were either under or over powered with a F.B. wing.
The most impressive thing in my mind about these kites (they are not as cheap as you might think price wise), was seeing a bunch laid out during a festival, taking groups of 10-15 people explaining the kite and with very limited time on them there were large groups of people out riding all afternoon as they did continual demos. Probably the fastest learning curve I've sen on handing people with zero experience a kite to get out kite skiing.
Bringing the wingtips together reduces sail area for riding in crazy high winds so very versatile - big in Quebec.

PrairieWind - 4-11-2011 at 02:59 PM

Not sure if this link will work, but WISSA 2008 was in Quebec, you'll see a whack of them in this vid (including the rider).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q94fLsxfWTk&feature=relat...
I really think that the guy you saw getting spanked by one of these just got in over his head wind wise - did not want to cinch the sail down into the high wind mode...

WELDNGOD - 4-11-2011 at 03:01 PM

:D

dave brown - 4-11-2011 at 03:13 PM

They cost from $600 - $1300 :puzzled:
I would think they would be more in line with the cost of a nasa wing not an Ozone.. Still it would be cool to try one

zero gee - 4-11-2011 at 04:01 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by markite
When laying on the ground they are very similar looking to a C-Quad but they use a different control bar set up. Usually flown on shorter lines they almost have a feel more like hanging onto a sail - they have come a long way developing a few different models over the years and when you see the team riders on them boosting air and riding as well as any other kite. When they came out with the really high aspect version that only the team riders use nobody could catch them a few years back when WISSA was held in Quebec and Ontario in some of the races. That was at a time when it was the same as them having depowerable kites and able to ride really powered on different legs of the course when others were either under or over powered with a F.B. wing.
The most impressive thing in my mind about these kites (they are not as cheap as you might think price wise), was seeing a bunch laid out during a festival, taking groups of 10-15 people explaining the kite and with very limited time on them there were large groups of people out riding all afternoon as they did continual demos. Probably the fastest learning curve I've sen on handing people with zero experience a kite to get out kite skiing.
Bringing the wingtips together reduces sail area for riding in crazy high winds so very versatile - big in Quebec.


They are built in Quebec. They sell hundreds there.

Yup very impressive performance for racing.

The advantage these kites have for learning quicker is that you need to steer the bar like a steering wheel or bicycle handle bar to turn the kite. This is completely natural for the majority of beginners. You remember when learning to fly a kite for the first time and trying to steer it like your car or bike? :yes:


Feyd - 4-11-2011 at 04:35 PM

We see them periodically here. Definately a few at Kitestorm in Vt. I've been known to make fun of Paraski riders but I'm just playin, seriously they are pretty impressive. Awesome in high winds.

They make several models and some have a hell of a high AR. They're SUPER simple and work amazingly well. When the wind gets out of hand you just land it and it lays flat.

I've never tried one but someday I'd like to give one a shot.

Great vid above.

BeamerBob - 4-11-2011 at 05:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by WELDNGOD
:D


Yeah yeah yeah................ I knew you'd be back here. At least I was man enough to leave my incorrect answer up. :smug: :smilegrin: :P

kitedelight - 4-11-2011 at 07:35 PM

thanks all.

oh man, that particular session made me wonder. I honestly though that he wanted to get into kiting but either 1) got suckered into buying something cheaper that didn't really work 2) maybe thought it was an easier entry into kiting. Wasn't a bad day either, just enough to work the kite (12 foil that day) and get moving at a slow/moderate pace, pretty relaxed all in all. The guy made it look like a historic battle though.

But, hey, they look viable for sure from those videos. That freestyle video cracked me up for whatever reason . Never would have guessed those kites would produce substantial lift, impressive though!

maybe i'll try one for the heck of it one day if I get the chance.

kitedelight - 4-11-2011 at 07:52 PM

looks like some one hooked up an synergy to a one of those bars. I wasn't quite getting how that bar worked, this shows it pretty good

zero gee - 4-11-2011 at 08:25 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by kitedelight
looks like some one hooked up an synergy to a one of those bars. I wasn't quite getting how that bar worked, this shows it pretty good



This would be me. :yes:

djinnzfree - 6-11-2011 at 05:49 AM

The intersting thing on those kite is the different mode as full open - half strom - strom mode. Very easy to learn with those kite. My first attempt to ski-kite were made with a paraskiflex.
There is internal rod to let the wing open.

markite - 21-1-2012 at 10:14 PM

Mid February there is a nice winter festival in Québec at St Placide - on the Ottawa river not that far north of Montreal just above Oka, anyway here is a video from 2010 showing quite a bit with the Paraskiflex - you can see how they take large groups of people with no experience and in a short time get them out riding with the easy direct steering on the wings - toward the end of the video (2:18 onward) you see a few team riders boosting some nice air and pulling off some stylish jumps.




then also came across a video of a couple of guys surfing with them in Cuba - I've never actually witnessed them used on water before.