Power Kite Forum

What got you into kiting?

XdisasterXdrewX - 16-3-2011 at 10:09 AM

My dad bought a paraglider 2 years ago, so I caught the bug from him.
When I saw this video it sealed the deal and I went and bought two kites from Maven.







So whats your story?
How did you get the "bug"?

ragden - 16-3-2011 at 10:38 AM

Went to a "cousin's reunion" in Seaside Oregon. Didnt see anyone riding on the beach, but one of my cousin's wanted to get a stunt kite... Went into the store and saw a buggy leaning againts the wall. Above that was a powerkite, big one. Then there was a video on learning how to ride a kitebuggy, and a landboard. Decided I had to learn that..

Came back to DC and hooked up with WeldnGod. Then purchased some stuff from the PKF. Got my first real riding at the Fall Wildwood Buggy Bash in 08. Been riding ever since...

shaggs2riches - 16-3-2011 at 10:57 AM

Met my good friend when I started my current job in 2007. He had a surfing magazine, I told him how I always wanted to surf but hard with a lack of waves in the prairies. He told me about that an even more exciting sport was kitesurfing. I asked if you could use a snowboard in the winter months, he said yes and then I was hooked. I didn't end up getting my first kiting experience till fall 09 when I ordered my 6m access and bought my 3.5m imp trainer to practice while I waited for the access to arrive. Been in love with it ever since. My only wish is that I could have discovered this when I was young and single, but I'm damn glad that I have a wife that puts up with my addiction. I may not get to fly as much as I'd like (would kite everyday conditions and wife allowed) but I enjoy every time I get to.:cool2:

flyjump - 16-3-2011 at 11:09 AM

I saw the video of Erick eck getting lofted 300 feet into the air above the beach and then a video of UK young gun Greg chilton. It blew my mind that you could ride and fly at the same time.

snowspider - 16-3-2011 at 11:54 AM

I was camping at Oneida lake and thru the trees I see two guys flying thru the air , I was'nt able to see how they got there. At the boat launch I found a guy with a trainer kite and was able to see the kites on the water. I flew the trainer and was told about a few horror stories. At the time I had a few hang gliding sessions in but it was looking very expensive so seeing these kites pretty much set me on a new path.

burritobandit - 16-3-2011 at 12:27 PM

Back in 2007 I saw a vid of peeps kitesurfing at KiteBeach in Maui on HDNet. I'd stunt-kited since I was a kid, and I'd skate/wake/snow/long/whatever-boarded and was like 'I can do that!'. I searched Google and found there was a school in South Padre Island,TX (www.airpadrekiteboarding.com). My parents live in the Rio Grande Valley and I when I went down there to visit I drove out to SPI and took my beginner lesson. I was 100% hooked (no pun intended) when the guy let me body drag with an 8m C-kite. I researched, watch tons of videos, shopped around and eventually got a complete kiteboarding setup a couple of months later and haven't looked back.

macboy - 16-3-2011 at 12:58 PM

Our first spring in our new house I was walking the dog across the field and saw this guy playing with a big parachute or something. It was BIG. I decided right then and there that I had to get one of those....and all he was doing was flying it. No traction. I had no idea what it was all about until I found PKF. Had I not stumbled across this forum I'd have flown the 3m SportAir I had ordered off fleabay (piece o' crap) and taken the "been there done that" stance.

So yes. You are all to blame :lol:

(Incidentally it was a 14m Titan the guy was flying)

g00fba11 - 16-3-2011 at 01:03 PM

I was in California working a couple three years ago and saw some people power kiting. I google'd it and up popped dakitez. At that time he was selling Pansh also. I popped for a Legend and been hooked ever since.

So I guess basically what I am saying is it's Dino's fault.... :lol: even though we have never managed to hook up in all the trips I made to California during the Red Hawk Casino project.

Been buying bits and pieces from him since.... Gotta grab a buggy from him one of these days.....

kiteetik - 16-3-2011 at 01:41 PM

well about 10 yrs ago, after a stressful day, i thought,whatever happened to the good old days when we flew diamond kites as children--so i ordered some trilby kites and flew mainly one liners w a stunt kite or 2 thrown in, then i happened upon this site bout 3-4 yrs ago and ive been head over heels in love w powerkites ever since--still enjoy the single line and stunters--they are fun to watch and relaxing......

AviN - 16-3-2011 at 01:56 PM

:shocked2::shocked2: Man, this is the exact same video that got me into this sport !!!!!
Cool :duh::duh:

geokite - 16-3-2011 at 02:18 PM

I started receiving the catalog from Into the Wind way back in the 80s. I could never justify spending so much for a kite, so I just bought boomerangs. I finally broke down and got a sport kite in 1989. It spiraled from there. Lots of flexifoils in the early 90s. Got a buggy by 1994, first time kitesurfing in 1999.

Drewculous - 16-3-2011 at 02:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by geokite
I started receiving the catalog from Into the Wind way back in the 80s. I could never justify spending so much for a kite, so I just bought boomerangs. I finally broke down and got a sport kite in 1989. It spiraled from there. Lots of flexifoils in the early 90s. Got a buggy by 1994, first time kitesurfing in 1999.


lol pretty much the same here! (except about 20 years later lol, i was 4 in 1989) the old man had those into the wind books around all the time... he only flew sporties... i went in for the jumping tho... now i bug and board... just gotta find someone to let me barrow their inflato and a board, and i'll try surfing!

csa_deadon - 16-3-2011 at 03:07 PM

One of the original "Catch The Wind" kite shops Beach crew members. Yes! My first job was baby sitting kites on the beach. This was back when Top of the line, and Flexi stackers were the power kites of the day.

I can even tell you a story about a certain power foil that was at NABX last year, and just how far John Waters, and "The Master of Disaster" went scudding down the beach!

Seanny - 16-3-2011 at 03:29 PM

If you were 14/15 (<-- my age when I started doing this), lived in a small cultural black hole (called a town) in Texas that's barely on the map, where all of the people are exactly the same, did the same thing in school every single day while learning nothing in particular, and had absolutely no law-abiding source of entertainment... Then you would know EXACTLY why I started kiting. :)

AJsnowkiter - 16-3-2011 at 03:39 PM

Uncle came down and said," Hey, come look at this website. " So I did and it was the Ozone website. I said," What? " And then he showed me 'THE video'. That sealed it for me. I wanted to get a kite SO badly, that the next day I went online and bought the 3.5m ozone imp trainer and i've been hooked ever since.

BeamerBob - 16-3-2011 at 03:44 PM

I've flown some kind of kite all my life. Home made kites that me and my uncle built when I was 6-7, then bat kites for years. Then my dad got me a stunt kite for Christmas one year. Wow, a kite I can steer?! :wow: I flew that for a couple years and dad stepped up a notch and got me an HQ symphony about 12 years ago. Flew that for years and had a blast flying it at home and at the beach. Loved the control, the pull, the speed.

I had gotten interested in kiteboarding since I have a waterski, snowski, wakeboard, barefoot ski, and skateboard background. I had subscribed to one of the magazines to try to figure out what a guy needed and how do I learn. My wife had seen me reading these and had noticed the name "Flexifoil" on one. One camping trip to Jekyll Island, she found me at a festival we went to and asked me what "Flexifoil" was. I told her it was a kite company. She looked over her shoulder and pointed to a guy named Angus Campbell who had a booth set up. He was sitting in his Flexi buggy and we started talking. An hour later, I walked away with an early birthday present, a 3m Beamer III (thus the forum name). An hour after that, I was setting things up at the beach and Angus walked up and flew with me that day and dozens more to come.

Now I find myself moving a half hour drive from the buggy mecca of the world. The company my wife works for bought a company in 2008 that has a plant in Henderson NV about the same time I learned to buggy. Coincidence that she would get transferred there 3 years later? Somebody is pulling strings we can't even imagine. I feel more than lucky.

fluke242 - 16-3-2011 at 05:03 PM

Mine was a visual hook at first, along the Oregon coast at a kite festival. Giant sleds with laundry, power kites, stunt kites, and giant spinning bols ( I sooo want one of these ). All things I know by name after research, but am still new and learning.

Then after flying a kite, it was everything visual and physical. Connected to the currents and eddies of the wind, feeling it pull - and wanting more pull - bought 1st trainer kite and that brings me to the present.

shehatesmyhobbies - 16-3-2011 at 05:17 PM

I love that Powerkiting II video! I have watched it hundreds of times! That is what made my quiver grow in the beginning.

Rian, my buddy, got me into this sport! First I bought some stunt kites from him then he showed me one of the power kites, I flew that, it was all up hill full throttle from there! I have got to say that of all the "Hobbies" I have had, this one I enjoy the most! It is now in my blood and always will be!

Bladerunner - 16-3-2011 at 05:26 PM

Corey Roesler and his kiteski on t.v. Also seeing the upski on T.V. planted the seed.

My friend who turned me on to and was way ahead of this game passed away having only flown Delta kites. He even had a pattern for a foil.
I greatly regret that Steve never got to enjoy this sport. I am 100% sure I would be far more advanced having him to challenge me.

I definately ride for Steve !!!!!!! :saint:

kiteetik - 16-3-2011 at 05:30 PM

as happy as i am to be powerkiting, an even bigger thrill is when you introduce someone else into it and they become addicted--great feeling.........

Cheddarhead - 16-3-2011 at 05:33 PM

For myself, it was cheapo stunt kites, Frisbees and boomerangs back in the late 80's early nineties. I lost touch with wind powered stuff for a long time, then the bug bit me hard about three years ago. I decided to give it a shot and bought myself a Beamer from Dakitez. I soon realized what I've been missing. Found this great forum and learned everything I know from here or online tutorials. I was pretty much forced to self teach everything since power kiting is a rare activity around here. Now that 40 has arrived this year, I wish I would have dove into this sport sooner.

nocando - 16-3-2011 at 05:33 PM

Well I was an old pole dancer been with it since the early 80s,
it was a natural progression.

Bought a cheapo 2 line from flea buy flew it in all wind strengths.

Became a single man and cashed up, so the new me emerged,
had a burn to kitesurf had lessons, met a buggy nut while doing lessons
the rest is history, am a full blown buggy nut now, will travel all over for a good fly.

Am looking forward to meeting all and sundry out on the playa.


:bigok:

sand flea - 16-3-2011 at 06:09 PM

Anybody old enough to remember paper kites?
I remember the time Grandpa and I went out and flew a paper kite with an old fishing pole, I remember like it was yesterday although it was over 40 years ago. I got the bug then, I was about 6 years old.
I know Grandpa would really like my buggy and the kites we have nowadays!

labrat - 16-3-2011 at 07:13 PM

While traveling (Mall of America), I happened to purchase a 1.3 Symphony Beach for my son. I just picked it up as one of those things you throw at kids to see what sparks their interest. Well, we had a great time flying this thing at the beach (Sandbridge VA.), and I was surprised at MY interest. So, on to the internet where I discovered that if big enough, these things can pull you around. On land, snow, and water no less. Well, who wouldn’t sign up for that? I did see a guy flying an LEI on two days of my week vacation. I kept telling my wife that I could see what he was doing wrong. :lol:, So after a month of research, I purchased a 3m Beamer IV. Thank you for all the insight Mr. Campbell (Coastal Wind Sports). Less than 7 months in, my son and I haven’t looked back since. I’m looking forward to my first trip to WildWood.
Thank you to those who posted in my intro thread. Even at 7 months, it was fun to “look back”. Yeh, the old timers are going to mock me for that.

DHKITE - 16-3-2011 at 07:21 PM

I always liked fling kites as a kid, but hadn;t flown one in many many years.. I moved to the mountains and started Downhill biking ( my primary sport ) but found That some days I felt un inspired or too tired to really want to go out on a ride... I was driving home one day and Saw a guy kitesurfing across a lake here that has Very very powerfull winds and thought " I must learn to do this" I did some research and ended up buyng a hq hydra, which I flew in all kinds of wind for a few monts and had tons of fun scudding and Mock land boarding ( a skateboard with spray wax is retardedly fun on a dewy grass field lol )
My plan was to move into Snowkiting that winter... this past winter, but Sadly I ended up breaking stuff after a terriblle lofting. Since then I have recovered and Am still keen on doing it, So it must be pretty fun ..


... I will only be flying de-power from now on.. and am planning on having the hydra modded to de-power and Also looking to pick up some bigger kites this spring.. when I return to work .

.... also I am amazed at how awesome this site is... I find it encouraging. :)

22bene - 17-3-2011 at 06:56 AM

It all began for me in 1988... I had just moved to Sun Valley with my parents and the first person that I met was kid named Adam. A few days later I mentioned kites to him I had flown since I could remember with my parents but always Safeway and other two dollar kites made with square plastic tubing for spars and plastic bag for material one line and in a South Lake Tahoe wind they didn't last long... Regressing... So Adam invited me over for dinner, as we walked in Adam starts to apologize for "Dads crazy kite stuff!" I start looking around all I see is kites everywhere tissue paper wooden dowels, in the corner is a whole roll of ripstop and fiberglass rods all I saw was fun to be had... We built kites for weeks after that! That is where my true love of kites really blossomed we built box kites, and deltas, and diamonds,double boxers, fighters and anything else we could imagine. As we started to run out of wooden dowels David finally pulls out plans fora stunt kite after about a week of playing with super glue a sewing machine, rubber stops and cross bars we finally built our very own stunt kite!!! That day changed my life forever...now not only did I learn that this addictive force called wind (which already had me hooked) now wasn't just for passive fun anymore at that moment I began a path that would lead me to the Oregon coast, Newport... And a beach party that didn't suit me... The boredom was written all over my face one guy noticed this and tossed me a little bag long and slender with Flexifoil written on it. Don't even know his name, but when the sun came up he gave me the trainer that I had flown till dawn, that was twelve years ago... The rest...history!!!

Looking_Up - 17-3-2011 at 08:11 AM

Flew single line kmart specials tangled and broke several chepo two line stunt kites and then in college a roommate asked me if I wanted to go fly kites and I was like what a weirdo but had nothing else to do so I tagged along and we flew stunt my first sighting of a four line rev and a small parafoil it was ok but I would never have bought my own until one day he called me to ask if I wanted to fly his new kite it was the 4.5m little devil from ozone when I arrived he hadvonly been flying about thirty minutes but promptly handed me his new toy I found this a tad odd but didn't realize he was completely winded pun intended I began to fly noticing that there might be a small truck attached to the lines I was holding but i did my normal thing and preceded to send the kite from the very bottom of the window to the stratosphere and that is exactly where I went with a perfect gust assisted superman flew over my five and half foot tall friends head and did the paratrooper roll to save the crash landing and the kite and I was immediately hooked for life I even bought my own little devil and it remains one of my favorite kites

flyguy0101 - 17-3-2011 at 08:23 AM

My mom bought me a peter powell diamond stunt kite when i was 12 because i did some chore or something (dont remember the task but still have the reward) This was one of those kites that had a 50 foot tail that follwed the kite and made loops and such. I then went to making copies of the kite so that i could stack them and discovered the force that could be generated- immediately hooked (this was 30 yrs ago) stopped flying for a while then when in college bought a REV II, the addiction revived and my first quad line. I flew that regularly from 1990 through 2000 then had kids got reinterested about 3-4 yrs ago and bought an old airush lift (ckite) and promptly got my a** handed to me, so bought a montana II- which also disappointed then discovered Angus at coastal in 06 and bought a reactor and his personal flexi buggy and it has been an ever increasing part of my life again as i have introduced it to my oldest son who is also starting to get wind withdrawals if he doesnt get out and fly some. always looking for a stiff breeze and tight lines.

markite - 17-3-2011 at 08:42 AM

spent summers flying those Gayla Bat kites as a kid, made some kites and then found the joy of kiting again late 70's early 80's flying stacks of flexis, stunt kites etc and used to stand on my windsurf hull doing downwinders with the flexis mid to late 80's.
Was making my own kites but a move to toronto got me involved with the Toronto Kite Fliers club and really got into the kite scene more traveling around to festivals to fly my own creations, compete with stunt kites and loving power kites.
Eagerly followed all of the news on the new kite buggy that Peter Lynn put out - getting Corey's Buggy Newz, reading anything I could find of all the buggy adventures going on.

found a link to the first edition: http://www.windwizard.com/bn1-1.html

Got a buggy really early 90s followed by my first ever broken bones a few weeks later. Met all kinds of great guys at Wildwood, other AKA conventions and then years later when I got to NABX the first time I ran into many of these same people again - like a long lost family reunion.
Winter kiting was going on before the buggies were around but the developments going to water sounded really interesting with Corey's Kite Ski. Started supplying people with kites and buggies and would lend gear out for people to get them hooked. Then by late 90's started getting on the water with open cell foils and then the first inflatables and arcs.
Still design my own single liners, kiteboard, kite buggy, kite ski and snowboard and enjoy my many friendships through the kiting community.

burritobandit - 17-3-2011 at 10:42 AM

I think what's funny is how I used to freak at stunt kite prices being over $50. Then $100.. Now $300-$500 deals on kites is a 'steal' to me.. hah.

XdisasterXdrewX - 17-3-2011 at 08:20 PM

man, its crazy to read all of your guys' different stories.
We need to send some kite missionaries all over the world and get everyone flying kites!

rocfighter - 18-3-2011 at 04:33 AM

I was fliing kites as a little kid with the family at the beach and at our local hay fields. We either made them fron paper bags, newspapers, or sometimes even old sheet plastic. This sort of thing went on till my teens when I discovered I could fix any old car up and race it. Then when I was maried and had two kids I suffered TBI. This set me back to being an infant again(this sucks don't do it) After a couple years in hospitals and rehabs I was sitting around numb to the world. My folks where sick of the Drs. saying I was done and except it. So they baught me a single line kite and sat me in a field. Within a year I was flying stunt kites and now I buggy and am sponcered by a small upstart company. Yes Verginia kites saved my life. With a lot of pushing by Mom and Dad.