Hello!

Figured I would introduce myself now that I have joined the forum after lurking for awhile. I already met a NY local through the forum! It's awesome to talk to fellow kiters.

I have been flying two string stunt kites for as long as I can remember - Three seasons ago I bought a Flexifoil sting 1.7 to try quad line kites. I was hooked and started flying in faster and faster winds to try to get pulled around and perhaps catch some air.

Last season I was gifted a Prism Snapshot 2.5 and kept trying to get more and more pull out of the kite - flying in faster and faster winds.

I pulled the trigger on a Flexifoil Blade 4.9 that was on steep sale on amazon this season. I bought a harness and fitted up a stroop line with a quick release. After a trip to the beach I quickly was being dragged around the sand with a smile on my face. I even landed some pendulum jumps (after eating some sand the first few tries). At the end of the day the wind was picking up and, man, I felt the lift of that high aspect ratio while the kite was sitting at 12 o clock. I was lucky I had my girlfriend there to help me land the kite safely. Although I read about it plenty on this forum - I learned fast that, like the Wu-Tang Clan, the flexifoil blade aint nuthin to f**k wit.

I picked up a cheapy landboard and I hope that I can learn the basics of landboarding this year with the blade before investing in a depower set up next year.

Here's a video of my first time out with the 4.9 Blade VI

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXt7Rt2rYHo

Happy to be a part of the forum!

Welcome! U2U me - we'll get you up and riding in no time (and save you some of the pain I went through!). Cheezy mentioned you were around...

Lots of kites to let you try. I personally like the Blade's brothers: the Blurr, Rage and Bullet. A little less lift - I like to stay on the ground on FB.

Brandon and Marc will try to convince you to get a buggy. Don't let them lead you down that dark path. (actually I'd love one, but it's hard enough storing and transporting the ATB...)

Wu-Tang what beach was that...?

That was at Barnegat light in LBI , NJ.

Normally LBI is full of beach nazi's that wont let you fly (or do anything remotely fun on the sand) but that was up far enough north by the light house that no one cared.

Welcome to the club! I'm sure someone in the area must already be telling you about WBB! If not they will soon!

Nice scudding! And yes eventually you will want a buggy lol.

Hope to meet you at some point in time, ask the NYers, I never make it up there

24K, I have one word for you: WBB

Okay, maybe that's more than one word, but you gotta be there.
Put it in your calendar; call the Shalimar to book a room; show up on the beach and be prepared to learn from some of the best pilots east of the Mississippi.
You won't find a better group of people to hang out with, and they are all as concerned about your safety as they are about your having a good time.

And, bring beer.

welcome around
your gonna embed somthing in a foot like that...then the landboard is useless
dont trust the ny locals...they will always tell u "yea that kite will be fine"

Good job scudding .That's how you start it(mobility)!


Maybe a redundant warning if you DO understand TRACTION KITING and ,indeed.... why 4.9m Blade is nothing to F*** with...

...but be careful if winds are bowing at TOO HIGH A SPEED with that 4.9. You'll need smaller kite(s) for higher(-est) winds. Getting overpowered with a 'lifty' kite is dangerous.

.

BTW:
The Prism SNAPSHOT 2.5m is not really a 'true' power kite meant for TRACTION (or perhaps even true in it's measurement) .
If you are just static flying-it's fine...if you are going to be pulled., get something else suited for being pulled(board , buggy, etc.) A REAL 2.5m to 3.5m may compliment that 4.9 well.


Oh....BTW... what kind of quick release did you set up on your strop line?

Welcome to the sport.

Thanks for the warm welcome!

I will check with the girl if we can book a trip to WBB. We normally go to LBI so it would be nice to change it up a bit.

skimtwashington; I know that the sting and the snapshot aren't true "traction kites". I bought the blade because I wanted to try a ~~5M FB since I have mostly flown static and wanted to get into Landboarding...... Perhaps I should have gotten a Blurr or Bullet - But the Blade was on sale and the infamous aura around it was intriguing. Its apparently the MK VI and it has the AAA Adjuster that should help a bit with its lift. Reading reviews from all over it looks like the Blade has calmed down a bit since its early models. That being said I got a wind meter and am being very careful of the conditions I fly in.

I figure if I can learn to landboard with the blade I will be ready for a LEI or foil depower setup next year. Kinda how if you learn to snowboard on the east (ice) coast you can board anywhere. I used to downhill longboard so speed and eating #@%$#! are familiar things to me, lol. I feel like if I have hard sand and constant wind I will figure it out fast.

The quick release I have is a 20KN climbing QR shackle, plunger style. Its hooked up to a 20KN climbing ring that is on my stroop line so the stroop wont bind on the QR shackle. Reading more I know that I should switch to a prong type QR but this has worked so far and I'm careful to keep it clean and test it before use.

It is unexpected and smart- for a newbie never mind a veteran- to have a quick release on a strop flying- flying Fixed Bridal on handles, that is. You are ahead of the learning curve...and safer than many.


With that said... keep in mind that you usually get lofted faster than you can react to pull your own safety in lots of situations....



You still are better off and have a better chance in those situation, and still better in other less than 'instantaneous lofting' situations, or need to release difficulties.... all which hopefully you avoid in the first place with smart flying operation and decisions when to use the kite.