Untitled - KiteLife
Untitled - KiteLife Untitled - KiteLife
Lee Sedgwick is from Erie, Pa ., andflies both individually and as amember of Team High Fly. He isgenerally credited with being thefirst to perfect the style termed"solo flying" (i.e ., flying through aground stake) . Lee is a highly innovativeflier whose credits include: ECSKC II, 1st in IndividualBallet - , 1987 AKA National, 2nd IndividualBallet; and most recently,ECSKC III, 1st Innovative FreeFlight; 2nd in Individual Ballet; and1st (along with team member SueTaft) Open Team Ballet .KITESKIING!WINTERTIME . . . time to put awaythose stunters and dream of springand March breezes . . . right? Formost, the season of ice and snowis that period when we pursueother hobbies, take vacations towarmer climes, or just plainvegetate until the sun gets a littlehigher in the sky . These chilly days,which are unknown to those whohave chosen to live in more temperatezones, are sometimes avery harsh reality in the northernpart of the country. But packaway the kites? NEVER!An open field of snow can bean open invitation to the more inventiveflier. Admittedly, it's notthe sort of thing that everyone isgoing to enjoy but few that havetried it will dispute that it is a totallyinvigorating experience . . . and it'sreally fairly easy to begin . Juststrapping on a pair of skis, wearingthe appropriate clothing, and agood stunt kite is all one needs tobegin exploring this new realm offlight possibilities . Let's start withsome of the basics with a look atwhat you need to keep warm .Dressing for a day of kite skiingcan be looked at as one would ifone were preparing for any wintersport . . . prepare for the cold .Don't forget : the fact that you willbe moving will contribute substantiallyto the amount of wind chillthat you will experience . Layers ofinner clothing under a nylonjacket (and pants if you havethem) is a good beginning pointfor the first expedition . You cangauge upwards or downwardsfrom there . Don't forget thegloves! In cold conditions, bodyextremities will be the first thingsaffected and you'll need to keepthose fingers warm after usingthem to tie knots and work clipsbarehanded .Protective headgear is alsorecommended . Even a small kitecan exert enough force to pullyou along once the ground frictionof the flier is reduced . . . this isparticularly in evidence whenflying on ice, which presents almosta zero resistance factor .Padding is also a good idea . Likeanyone learning something for thefirst time, it's wise to prepare tomeet anticipated problems in advance. . . plan on falling! That softbed of snow can conceal allmanner of things beneath as wellas being darned hard on top . . .(which can be darned hard onthe backside, as well!) .Next, you'll need a pair of skis .The best place to find these, unlessyou want to spend a realbundle of cash, is at the localsecondhand store . Even ski shopssometimes will make deals onused equipment . About $30should put you on a good pair . Ohyes, you'll need a set of boots togo along with them . Local skishops should be able to adviseyou here but they are availablesecond hand, as well . Be sure toset the bindings for light release . . .it beats the heck out of a twistedankle or broken leg!OK . So you're all dressed up andfeeling like and Egyptian mummy. . . no what do you do? Simple,launch the kite in the usual way,keeping in mind that you'll need alot of room down field and . . . alittle traveling music, maestro! . . .you're on your way!Remember, the basic rules ofpowerflying apply here . . . kites intothe power zone will move you faster,off wind and you'll slow down .A little practice and you should beable to maneuver, after a fashion,sideways, like a sailboat on a tackingrun . Remember to keep yourknees bent, this may seem an oddposition a first but as your legsbegin to absorb some of the terrainbumps and differences in kitepull, you'll see why the position isneeded . Take a portable musicsource with you and kite skiing willtake on a whole different aspect .Most interesting is the fact thatyou're not tethered in one spotany longer . . . the interaction betweenkite and flier is noticeablyincreased .If this is your first experience withkite skiing, you'll probably find outsomething else . . . that you reallyweren't aware of how much pullthose kites generated! . For thisreason, it's wise to begin with a lotless kite than you think you mightneed . More can always be addedif needed but, keeping safety inmind, it's a lot easier to find thatyou can handle more speed thatbeing stuck with too much andbeing out of control . And speakingof control . . .Don't expect to become a masteron the first trip out . Keep itsimple and slow : there's plenty oftime for blazing speed later . . .learn to stand up first, walksecond, and run third before worrying about the soaring witheagles .As with any other form ofpowerflying, check your equipmentoften . Breaking a line orhaving an equipment malfunctionis nothing to fool with when bothflier and kites are in motion . 200Lb . is a must : 400 lb . for heavierpilots . While Spectra line is OK,there are some inherent problemsinvolved with its use . Probably thebiggest single drawback is that itcan't readily be seen against thesnow . Kevlar seems to be the lineof choice for this particular brandof powerflying . 150 feet is recommendedas a good starting pointof length . As your lines will be subjectto some adverse conditions,not the least of which is other folksrunning over them, make sure toinspect them often for fraying orother damage . Don't forget, aswith any other form of powerflying,your margins of safety arewhatever you choose to makethem!
Wind conditions are often veryhard to gauge in winter, as well . Agood number of the Beaufortmeasurements are somewhat useless. Trees, for instance, do notmove in the usual Beaufort conditionindicated . . . why? They'refrozen! Be safe, lay your hands ona good wind meter and respectthe readings. Winter winds, particularlyover large smooth expansessuch as frozen lakes can bedeceptive at best . Unless you're aseasoned veteran: don't guess,be sure .device, plus some interestingadditions . The warm weatherpractice of staking out kitesbefore launch doesn't apply onice so what is needed to make itwork is a couple of corkscrews .Screw them into the ice and theyshould hold relatively well . Padding,because of the hard surfacesinvolved, becomes anecessity here . Protectiveheadgear should also be with fullface protection .It is also time to re-evaluate thekites being used . Friction is almostprovided the surface being used isrelatively clear of snow and otherobstructions .Control is a major factor on ice .It is very difficult to achieve quicklyand involves a lot of practice .Balance should be stressed alongwith being aware of the limitationsof both the equipment and yourown body . This is an activity that isbest learned slowly. A primarydirective here is not to attempt iceskiing alone .There are a couple of constantthreats, here . The first is that ofopen water, the second is that ofthe thickness of the ice . Treat iceskiing as any other serious endeavor. . . learn about ice conditionsfrom someone who isknowledgeable and follow theirrecommendations . Experts on theice will even go so far as to carryice-picks with them so, in theevent of a breakthrough, they willhave some way to claw a wayout . Safety and education beforethe attempt is a MUST!Lee Sedgwick leaning into a good run . Note the protective gear.SKQ photo by Brian Vanderslice .Right! So you've gotten your initialbumps and bruises out of theway and are ready to move ontobigger things . Maybe there's noopen fields nearby, but there is thisbig frozen lake . . . . Can't be muchdifference, right? In the words ofthe old song : "It ain't necessarilyso . . ." Let it be said, rather quickly,that this is not an activity fornovices . Ice is very hard stuff. It'salso extremely slippery . It's alsonever frozen all the way down . Tobe blunt and truthful withoutbeing scary, a miscalculation orhasty action here can cost youyour life .The equipment needed for iceflying is basically the same : warmclothing, gloves, protectiveheadgear, skis or some other slidingnil and a miscalculation can sendthe flier careening out of control .Choose your kites very carefullybeing careful to use less than youthink that you'll need . As inpowerflying, longer lines heremake for much faster rides becausethe kites will spend a lotmore time in the power zone .Shorter ones will pass throughmore quickly. Another re-evaluationcan be made on the skisused. Ice will chew up the edgesof skis very quickly so don't useyour best set of downhills here .Best choice? Check outsecondhand stores for used e-quipment paying special attentionto those older models withreplaceable edges . . . they're oftenthe best . Skates will also workA word here on equipmentfatigue : cold weather flying willstress equipment beyond tolerances,in many cases . This is not tosay that it should not be attempted,simply offered as adviceas to what will eventually takeplace over periods of time . Plasticfittings will not, in most cases,tolerate temperatures below 400 F.They will become brittle and breakeasily upon crashing . Vinyl tubingwill exhibit much the same behavior.Many of the "high performance"spars used in competitivekites will also be more subject tofatigue . Plastic and polyethylenesails will become brittle . Be sure toinspect your equipment beforeand after each such use .Kite skiing can be a great formof chasing away those winterblahs . If nothing else, it helps keepthe interest up until the niceweather presents itself in thespring . Properly learned, it canbecome the most enjoyable timeof the year . . . after all, the idea ofgliding along across a frozen fieldor lake has fascinated men sinceold man winter has first worked hismagic on the landscape . Have agood time, give it a try, but by allmeans, learn about it first . . . FLYSAFE!
- Page 4 and 5: VOL . 1 NO. 3 SPRING, 198926 THE TE
- Page 6 and 7: sport. So be sure to enter noviceev
- Page 8 and 9: INTERNATIONAL STUNT KITEASSOCIATION
- Page 10 and 11: Top of the Line in Japan? Nope . .
- Page 12 and 13: We understand that Wind Pilot, ofDa
- Page 14: THE VALENTINE'S DAYFeb . 10, 11,&12
- Page 17 and 18: 1st - Locklan Gilford 141 .02nd - K
- Page 19: through the vinyl is seated in then
- Page 24 and 25: exquisite ripstop and fiberglass cr
- Page 26 and 27: By Al Hargus IIIIntroduction by Cri
- Page 28 and 29: THIRD ANNUAL TEXAS GULF COASTCHALLE
- Page 30 and 31: GREAT LAKES STUNT KITE CHAMPIONSHIP
- Page 32 and 33: We heard about the Acceleratornear
- Page 34 and 35: pleasing appearance in the sky .Our
- Page 36 and 37: actual wing . It makes for a verycl
- Page 38 and 39: attens to help the kite maintainstr
- Page 40 and 41: In flight, the spine flexes inwarda
- Page 42 and 43: situations . In flight, the charact
- Page 44 and 45: able in the standard manner, andare
- Page 47 and 48: (SKQ NOTE: Due to the large numbero
Wind conditions are often veryhard to gauge in winter, as well . Agood number of the Beaufortmeasurements are somewhat useless. Trees, for instance, do notmove in the usual Beaufort conditionindicated . . . why? They'refrozen! Be safe, lay your hands ona good wind meter and respectthe readings. Winter winds, particularlyover large smooth expansessuch as frozen lakes can bedeceptive at best . Unless you're aseasoned veteran: don't guess,be sure .device, plus some interestingadditions . The warm weatherpractice of staking out kitesbefore launch doesn't apply onice so what is needed to make itwork is a couple of corkscrews .Screw them into the ice and theyshould hold relatively well . Padding,because of the hard surfacesinvolved, becomes anecessity here . Protectiveheadgear should also be with fullface protection .It is also time to re-evaluate thekites being used . Friction is almostprovided the surface being used isrelatively clear of snow and otherobstructions .Control is a major factor on ice .It is very difficult to achieve quicklyand involves a lot of practice .Balance should be stressed alongwith being aware of the limitationsof both the equipment and yourown body . This is an activity that isbest learned slowly. A primarydirective here is not to attempt iceskiing alone .There are a couple of constantthreats, here . The first is that ofopen water, the second is that ofthe thickness of the ice . Treat iceskiing as any other serious endeavor. . . learn about ice conditionsfrom someone who isknowledgeable and follow theirrecommendations . Experts on theice will even go so far as to carryice-picks with them so, in theevent of a breakthrough, they willhave some way to claw a wayout . Safety and education beforethe attempt is a MUST!Lee Sedgwick leaning into a good run . Note the protective gear.SKQ photo by Brian Vanderslice .Right! So you've gotten your initialbumps and bruises out of theway and are ready to move ontobigger things . Maybe there's noopen fields nearby, but there is thisbig frozen lake . . . . Can't be muchdifference, right? In the words ofthe old song : "It ain't necessarilyso . . ." Let it be said, rather quickly,that this is not an activity fornovices . Ice is very hard stuff. It'salso extremely slippery . It's alsonever frozen all the way down . Tobe blunt and truthful withoutbeing scary, a miscalculation orhasty action here can cost youyour life .The equipment needed for iceflying is basically the same : warmclothing, gloves, protectiveheadgear, skis or some other slidingnil and a miscalculation can sendthe flier careening out of control .Choose your kites very carefullybeing careful to use less than youthink that you'll need . As inpowerflying, longer lines heremake for much faster rides becausethe kites will spend a lotmore time in the power zone .Shorter ones will pass throughmore quickly. Another re-evaluationcan be made on the skisused. Ice will chew up the edgesof skis very quickly so don't useyour best set of downhills here .Best choice? Check outsecondhand stores for used e-quipment paying special attentionto those older models withreplaceable edges . . . they're oftenthe best . Skates will also workA word here on equipmentfatigue : cold weather flying willstress equipment beyond tolerances,in many cases . This is not tosay that it should not be attempted,simply offered as adviceas to what will eventually takeplace over periods of time . Plasticfittings will not, in most cases,tolerate temperatures below 400 F.They will become brittle and breakeasily upon crashing . Vinyl tubingwill exhibit much the same behavior.Many of the "high performance"spars used in competitivekites will also be more subject tofatigue . Plastic and polyethylenesails will become brittle . Be sure toinspect your equipment beforeand after each such use .Kite skiing can be a great formof chasing away those winterblahs . If nothing else, it helps keepthe interest up until the niceweather presents itself in thespring . Properly learned, it canbecome the most enjoyable timeof the year . . . after all, the idea ofgliding along across a frozen fieldor lake has fascinated men sinceold man winter has first worked hismagic on the landscape . Have agood time, give it a try, but by allmeans, learn about it first . . . FLYSAFE!
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