Schaub Lake, just an hour from home.
43.316106, -120.984483
32 acres of ride-able velvet.
Just a micro playa, but much closer than Alvord, the mother of all playas.
Hourly wind data available from Fort Rock Guard Station RAWS
Winds forecast to double today as a front moves in.

park and rode a 5.6 twister in 9/12...for an hr
then i stayed small and flew the snot outa it
then i found a waterboard only took 1 text to find a friend of the owner
great day...now beer time

Quote: Originally posted by Wind_dog

Schaub Lake, just an hour from home. 43.316106, -120.984483 32 acres of ride-able velvet. Just a micro playa, but much closer than Alvord, the mother of all playas. Hourly wind data available from Fort Rock Guard Station RAWS Winds forecast to double today as a front moves in.

Awesome sauce as some would say (and you know who you are!).

Dropped Pin
https://goo.gl/maps/LHSG51MciBM2

Kite+Longboard today - complete with mist to keep my kites damp. Been a while since I have been on pavement. After I got my buggy haven't been using the longboard much. Today, though, the wind reports from my buggy field were never promising while my longboard spot was good. Moral of the story - it helps to take the best ride for the situation.:D

Also some static flying. The 2 M closed cell foil I made (Firecrest V2) can be used 2 line, 3 line or 4 line. I'd been using it mainly 3 line with the kite boat on really windy days but decided to go back to 4 line for high wind buggy days. Embarrassed to admit that when I put the quad bridles on I got them backwards (center line went where the tip line was supposed to go and vice versa.) So today, I got them back where they belong and it flew much better.

So we're on a trip to meet some friends flying into Vegas. Stopped at Page Az and got an afternoon session on the 15 slingshot. But unfortunately the wind turned off shore and I had to call it in less than an hour. But who can beat Powell for scenery So hit the road to get to Vegas. Been talking to our good friend Brian Holgate about a potential session at Six mile. So called him Wednesday evening, only to find him still behind the camera( till )1 am + :o . Talked him into putting the camera down Thursday and managed to find perfect conditions at Six mile. 18 to 22 with mild gusts. Swells up to 5' were tough on me, I had trouble making turns. But none of that kept me from having a total grin plastered on my face which is still stuck on this morning. We finished the session with an incredible sunset with Brian and I tacking in together. Awesomeness:D

Buggy riding yesterday and made templates for a 5.0 meter NPW 21. Today flew static some and cut out the NPW 21 panels and started sewing them together.

suprising less activity and posting , I guess it become colder and colder each day at the other side of the world .

well it were hot and sweaty here every single day of the year .
Thought nothing like winter , We do have constant windy and a lot occurrence of heavy rain season which stating from early Dec and last probably by end March.
These day wind become steady 8 -10 knot on-shore with stronger wave thus make the beach smoother with hard pack sand .
I share some stoke here .
There is our land-sailor guy updating their sail outlook .
This year I am thinking to get more water time , after 2 season still clocking more walk of shame .

Sunday was my first ride on a gravel "park and ride" field. Great wind with far away trees, which are the best kind of trees.

Felt really loose under me, slipping and sliding, but fun stuff and then a blow out. How helpless was I without a spare. Wind of change + 100.00 = a new tire, and a complete spare shipped. It would have been worth a lot more while the wind was cooperating.

In my excitement about the new field, I forgot to shut off something and had a dead battery when it was time to go. Thankfully I was with the other Raleigh traction kiter. Mr Granville to the rescue.
32 degrees, red NC dirt caked on my gear, blown tire, dead battery.
Yet somehow it was still a good day.

There was something else in my life that was like that when I was younger and married, I can't quite remember what it was, only that even when it wasn't done perfectly it was still pretty okay good.

Both of my main buggy spots have some gravel paths along with a grass/weed field. Makes it fun to ride going from one surface to the other. Gravel is faster than weeds and easier to get going for sure.

Yesterday tried out 57babalooie's bar/handle idea flying static. Worked with my NPW, a small foil and one of my PL Skin kites. I like this idea for kiteboating where I would like to use handles, but need to be able to fly one handed getting into the boat and makes it easier to retrieve the lines at the end. Could also see advantages for the buggy from time to time. Here is his video.

I made the same set up...but never tried mine.

Good to see such a set up at work, anyway...

Very easy to do. I had the homemade PVC handles already, so I just added a short piece of PVC. Worked right off the bat.

That looks cool @randy - did you make yours with a longer extension? I could see that popping apart at inopportune times.

So my day yesterday... finally get out of the house, by 3 it's blowing way too hard to try out my 8m, stop by @abkayaS-P-A-M-L-I-N-K-s for a minute - he set me up with a 2.9 reactor (I had taken my beamer out of my bag just as I was leaving home... what the heck was I thinking???).
I was hoping to try out my snowboard, but by this time all the snow had been blown off the beach. So, skunked on snow kiting this round
I'm a complete kook with FB lines... I have not once been able to get a kite out without a hopeless tangle. Spent 30 mins untangling lines (abkayak showed up just as I was getting to the end and helped with the last little bit).
Wind is blowing sand Lawrence of Arabia style. Common sense would tell me "don't launch", but there was none of that to be found. I let off the brakes, kite jerked into the sky, zoomed it to the edge of the window, ended up over the water, thought "this isn't a good idea if I lose my friend's kite", jerked it right back into the wind window (what a kook!), launched myself a few feet into the air, let go, rag dolled myself into the sand, then chased the kite down the beach (luckily no harm to me or the kite!). Abkayak and I both wished we had go pros...
Will listen to myself and stick to smaller kites and/or lighter winds for now, particularly when I'm not flying all the time - total brain fart not just hooking in and scudding on launch.
Got some good footage of abkayak zooming around before my phone froze to death, was a pretty pink winter sunset...

Quote: Originally posted by jeffnyc

That looks cool @randy - did you make yours with a longer extension? I could see that popping apart at inopportune times.

It occurred to me that could happen. I just made a temporary setup to see if it would work as hoped with some of the kites I have. Now I will make a better version maybe with a new pair of handles. The fit is pretty snug and you don't want it too snug or you can't take apart or put together on the fly, so it is a bit of a balancing act. My intended use only requires it to work as a bar for short periods of time (mainly taking the kite boat away from shore and getting in) but I will probably use a longer ferule in the center to shore it up.

Here's abkayak from this sunday (you can see the sand belting away on the beach... along with abkayak)

(Don't know if it's possible to post vimeo here - anyone know a way?)

Link: Atlantic Beach 12.10.17

Great video. Makes me wish I was there.

Lots of wind today, but I have cold and the ground is still wet, muddy and a even a little snow is left so no buggy today. Did fly my foil with the "Convertabar" we have been discussing. Here is a little video to give an idea how it works (though my crappy camera work failed to show it all very well.) But, the interesting thing is the bar seems to work really well in this configuration because you get more leverage on the brake lines than on the power lines. Turns really well in bar mode.

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

Great video. Makes me wish I was there. Lots of wind today, but I have cold and the ground is still wet, muddy and a even a little snow is left so no buggy today. Did fly my foil with the "Convertabar" we have been discussing. Here is a little video to give an idea how it works (though my crappy camera work failed to show it all very well.) But, the interesting thing is the bar seems to work really well in this configuration because you get more leverage on the brake lines than on the power lines. Turns really well in bar mode.

Interesting. Lots of winds for sure! Hard to tell if this was just an effect of the pilot resisting a lot of pull, but it seemed to me that the wind window expanded quite a bit in handle mode.

Very astute observations Steve. First, despite the small size of the kite, I was being pulled around by it a lot. Second, the zenith angle (and hence the window) was far better with the handles. I suspect that the reason is that in bar mode, I may have had a little too much brake applied so that the kite could not achieve its full window. Should be simple to just move the knots a little and improve the window. Like most foils, this particular kite needs no brake tension, but with this much wind it still works with a little brake tension. Now - the question is - if I get to zero brake tension, will that result in less turning performance? Anyway, some tweaks needed. Does seem like some of the kite companies ought to think about making a convertabar. Seems like a perfect project for Stefan Born.

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

Very astute observations Steve. First, despite the small size of the kite, I was being pulled around by it a lot. Second, the zenith angle (and hence the window) was far better with the handles. I suspect that the reason is that in bar mode, I may have had a little too much brake applied so that the kite could not achieve its full window. Should be simple to just move the knots a little and improve the window. Like most foils, this particular kite needs no brake tension, but with this much wind it still works with a little brake tension. Now - the question is - if I get to zero brake tension, will that result in less turning performance? Anyway, some tweaks needed. Does seem like some of the kite companies ought to think about making a convertabar. Seems like a perfect project for Stefan Born.

I suspect you are right about the brake tension affecting the window. I am thinking that you had your brake lengths about right for a comfortable wrist angle when flying in handle mode. Looser brake lines might screw that up, but perhaps a middle ground could be reached.

I could see Steffen fiddling with something like this. I like to fly his smaller NS3s from Z-bridled four line setups from handles. I could see using a combo bar in that setting. His NS3s of course have his 3rd central line for nose scrunching and flagging out but he still might be interested. I have some reasonably regular email contact with him back and forth. Would you be OK with me suggesting this (giving you credit of course)?

Please do contact him. He's the best innovator out there now. Might link Bob's video as well as mine, since his shows it all better. Prism already has a bar (Tensor) which can be used in bar or handle mode, but you can't switch on the fly with it.

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

Please do contact him. He's the best innovator out there now. Might link Bob's video as well as mine, since his shows it all better. Prism already has a bar (Tensor) which can be used in bar or handle mode, but you can't switch on the fly with it.

Sounds like a plan! I used to own that very Tensor and know exactly of what you speak.

Bombs away! (email note to Steffen Born)

I actually have a Tensor bar, and use it frequently. I don't like it in handles mode though - they feel just isn't quite right.

The best set up would be to allow it to be locked in bar or handle mode, or allow it to be used (unlocked) on the fly. Really a pretty simple modification, I would think.

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

Please do contact him. He's the best innovator out there now. Might link Bob's video as well as mine, since his shows it all better. Prism already has a bar (Tensor) which can be used in bar or handle mode, but you can't switch on the fly with it.

I heard back from Steffen. He was most appreciative of the innovative spirit shown by us "old guys" and sees this as a vital part of infusing new thinking in the fairly uniform kite sector (slight paraphrasing of his wording as English is not his first language). He is aware of the dual bar/handle concept. They worked with some prototypes of this sort of thing in 2005 but ran into problems at the plug connection. Under high wind conditions they ran into problems of pulling the handles out of the shell. In gusty winds having the handles stay together was a little iffy. He speculated if perhaps a better connection mechanism could be developed and was worth the thought.

Randy, he specifically called you out with warm greetings!

That was nice. I never got anywhere in this sport until I got the NS2. I was in a few cities in Austria and Germany last week and was trying to see if any of the local shops carried Born kites, but no luck.

Tried the convertabar again today in windy conditions, and did have some problems with the bar coming apart, and having a hard time putting it back together. I think the 2 are related. Because it was very windy, it was hard to reseat the handles, which meant that they weren't connected as well, leading to them coming apart. Was't a big problem because my hands are always in the right position to convert back to handles. One handed bar flying could be an issue, though for my intended purposes that would be limited to the few minutes from launching the kite to moving my kite boat off shore and getting in. Once I am off and sailing, handles would be preferable anyway. I have a few ideas on how to make the set up more secure though.

Quote: Originally posted by Randy

That was nice. I never got anywhere in this sport until I got the NS2. I was in a few cities in Austria and Germany last week and was trying to see if any of the local shops carried Born kites, but no luck. Tried the convertabar again today in windy conditions, and did have some problems with the bar coming apart, and having a hard time putting it back together. I think the 2 are related. Because it was very windy, it was hard to reseat the handles, which meant that they weren't connected as well, leading to them coming apart. Was't a big problem because my hands are always in the right position to convert back to handles. One handed bar flying could be an issue, though for my intended purposes that would be limited to the few minutes from launching the kite to moving my kite boat off shore and getting in. Once I am off and sailing, handles would be preferable anyway. I have a few ideas on how to make the set up more secure though.

An idea I had (not saying it is a good one....) would to put rolling elements in the female part of the joining setup with a sort of positive spring loaded fit akin to a ball bearing like PL does with their buggy foot pegs. The release could be a cantilevered lever to push the ball bearing back down and allowing you to pull apart the two halves. Yes, I thought about grit, sand, etc. As I said, not sure if this is a good idea, just something I was thinking about to make the coupling/uncoupling smoother. :karate:

Quote: Originally posted by Windstruck

Quote: Originally posted by Randy   That was nice. I never got anywhere in this sport until I got the NS2. I was in a few cities in Austria and Germany last week and was trying to see if any of the local shops carried Born kites, but no luck. Tried the convertabar again today in windy conditions, and did have some problems with the bar coming apart, and having a hard time putting it back together. I think the 2 are related. Because it was very windy, it was hard to reseat the handles, which meant that they weren't connected as well, leading to them coming apart. Was't a big problem because my hands are always in the right position to convert back to handles. One handed bar flying could be an issue, though for my intended purposes that would be limited to the few minutes from launching the kite to moving my kite boat off shore and getting in. Once I am off and sailing, handles would be preferable anyway. I have a few ideas on how to make the set up more secure though. An idea I had (not saying it is a good one....) would to put rolling elements in the female part of the joining setup with a sort of positive spring loaded fit akin to a ball bearing like PL does with their buggy foot pegs. The release could be a cantilevered lever to push the ball bearing back down and allowing you to pull apart the two halves. Yes, I thought about grit, sand, etc. As I said, not sure if this is a good idea, just something I was thinking about to make the coupling/uncoupling smoother. :karate:

I was thinking of something like this in the handle- to pop into place to lock in the coupling, and you push down on the button to unlock. (Maybe that is something like your suggestion.)

Another idea - run a small rod through the handle and put a slot with a 90 degree bend on the coupling. Then you insert the handle at an angle then turn it to lock in. I might make a mock up of it.

So here is the improved version. To prevent the bar from coming apart I first glued one side in place - this should cut the problem in half. Then I put in the spring button thing (what's that thing called?). This should help in making sure it is aligned and prevent accidental coming apart, while still allowing it to come apart when needed. I also cut away the t-coupling I used. A regular coupling would be better but I didn't have one.

Wanted to buggy today, but figured the field would be much too wet, so decided to ride my ATB instead. I finally figured out (I think) why the 3m Peter Lynn Skin kite was so hard to fly. I discovered the brake and leader lines were reversed in the odd sort of z-bridle the kite came with on one side. I won't blame the factory because this could have been something I did early on by mistake. Makes a whole lot of difference. Worked perfectly today. I was frustrated with this kite - and really puzzled why the 4.6 m version flew so well with my buggy, but this one never would. So if nothing else, I do seem to have the perfect ATB setup. But, I really do want to try this with the buggy now.

Notice my "eyebrow cam" view! Unfortunately - the camera cut my head off later on.

I got in a couple super fun snowkite trips.

The weekend before last, Tunkwa! There was a couple inches of edge-able snow, fairly steady wind, and luckily met some other kiters out there. Lunch from the Kekuli Cafe was also a highlight. It was my first time kiting on snow, and it was an amazing intro.

Last weekend, Green Lake. There was boot deep pow, and the gustiest wind I have sailed. I learned a lot! I got there early, waited and watched the wind until others arrived, and then got in a couple sessions.

As usual I'm a few days behind, but anyway. I finally managed to fix my "vintage" Terrasailor - the key part in the trucks was shot, so I had to gin up a replacement. (I've tried several) Anyway - this one seems work. "Granny tires" were kind of hot around here a few years back (looks like before my time) but I'm hoping this will open up some new riding spots (esp. since we have so much rain my main place has been muddy). Not sure these are official granny tires since they didn't come from a granny scooter, but they are big. Here was my first rides the other day.