I hope everyone has been doing well and getting in a lot of good sessions. I haven't had a kite in the air for a long time. We are going on another winter with very little snow. Our fields haven't had enough snow to cover any stubble and some places even still have a bit of crops on them from last summer. The past week it was real warm and a lot of the snow has melted right back down to dirt. I tried on my harness just before Christmas and it looks like I grew out of it a bit

Back last spring I managed to hurt my shoulder while camping and I don't even know what I did. I have been in and out of physio to get it fixed, so I can attempt to get in a couple sessions on the frozen lakes. Last year, I was committed to lose weight and get in shape, and it was working till my shoulder injury made it that I can't even do pushups without pain. I completely fell off the wagon with my eating habits, so that really hasn't helped in the weight department either. If I can get the shoulder sorted, I will be getting a bigger harness and getting out there on the closest lake, so the winter isn't a complete waste.

Otherwise I still lurk on here from time to time envying everyone who has been sharing their kiting experiences. I will get back at it sooner or later, hopefully I won't have to relearn to much when I do. I have done a small handful of static sessions at the park, just to air out the kites. I really hope everyone is doing okay and having a good time out there. I will pop in again when I finally get flying again hopefully not as long as it has been. Best wishes, Happy New Year and good winds to everyone.

Shaggs

Sorry to hear your getting old, er I mean sorry about your shoulder. Good to hear your still flying.
Heal up and hope for summer.

Great to hear that you are still hanging in there Shaggs and have not lost interest. You are not alone in the pause from kiting group. We haven't had an Edmonton get together for a few years. Kiting is like riding a bike - you never loose the ability but you might snag a tree the first time back out. Hope your shoulder heals up quickly.

Must be something in the air Shaggs......I just popped in tonight here to reminisce after spending about an hour today reorganizing under the stairs (big storage area). I had all my kites out in one spot in my office and did some soul searching looking at all the neglected ripstop. I think the only thing that stopped the fire sale was the reality that despite being barely used, my gear is of a vintage that I'd lose a fortune liquidating so I'm better off to keep it around in the hopes that one day, one day, it'll all fly again. In fact I made a pact with my dentist friend who also didn't fly at all last winter that I'd fly at least once this season. Maybe I'll head out Dieter's way and fly on his pond. I heard that Cooking Lake is unbridgeable this year - all frost heaves all over the place. And not ice heaves......muck and mire heaves. Black ridges all over the place.

I have no intention of letting kiting leave my life - just don't have the time. Last year saw the beginnings of a new venture for me that's now convinced me to take my regular work down to part time to see if I can develop this other work on a part time basis instead of consuming every spare moment I have after work. We're going to assess in three months and again in six months. It made for a very good year last year but man did I put in some hard hours. Getting too old for that. But maybe taking that hobby and integrating it into my work day will allow some time for my other hobbies once again? I hope.

Glad you posted. Great to hear from you and Canuck (and everyone else I've been catching up on here tonight). Hope everyone is flying like they stole it!

I hear ya with the getting older stuff, me too. Glad to see you back around these parts!

Hey Shags'
Sorry to hear about the shoulder. Crazy how stuff like that plays out on your whole body. Doesn't help that your work is so taxing on your shoulder.

Hey Mac'
I hear you on our " Vintage " gear not being worth selling. So many of my kites are worth the world to me but have dropped in value so much that selling doesn't make sense. I'm not getting out as often as I used to. I find being familiar with my gear is a bonus. Recently though I have been finding issues from Non-use.
Check your zippers etc.. + issues due to the kites breaking down. I fully expect my old Profoil to explode at IBX!

Hey Canuck,
I will be headed home for a wedding in July. If i manage some extra time I'll bring some gear.

Hey Annie,
Balls on you for flying how and what you please! If you enjoy static I wonder if you have explored Revolution kites? More fun static than foils IMHO.