Date: Wed, 29 Jun 1994 22:07:02 -1000 From: kiteman1@aol.com (Kiteman1) Message-Id: <2utuf6$h9e@search01.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: What makes a good TEAM kite ? Recently I have begun a new venture into the realm of Team ( pairs ) flying. Some have critisized us of our particular choice of kite . Over the years I have found that the standard has been large & slow kites which would enable most flyers to compensate for more gracefull moves. My partner & I have chosen the California Wasp as our "Kite of Choice" , one mainly because of our flying style, secondly because we think that the time has come for more manuvers in a routine. We have incorporated a very stylish and flowing type of routine with the use of " Snap stalls " , "Axels" & other fundimental pieces which fit quite well into the routine. A few months ago my partner & I were in Monterey, CA. practicing and we happened to met up with a very known gentlman within the kite community of the area. He had asked if we were into flying our "WASP" kites as a team , for the fun of flying the kites or if we really wanted to compete as a team with the intension of winning. Of course we told him we were serious about using our kites in compitition. He had at that time told us that we could never win an event using such "fast" kites. My point to all of this is that times are changing for kite compitition (spelling ? ). We have recently taken a second place in the LA Sports Kite event ( Open Pairs Ballet ) , by the way First Place went to Dos Avispas, Miguel Rodriguez & Kobi Eshun " WASP" flyers. Is it time to re-think just what is a GOOD team kite, not judge it so harshly because it may be a little faster than the well known "LARGE & SLOWER" kite ? I would enjoy any and all comments. Thank you for your time Greg Aronson Air Berkeley = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 30 Jun 1994 04:07:05 -1000 From: ahclem0013@aol.com (AhClem0013) Message-Id: <2uuji9$kdu@search01.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: What makes a good TEAM kite ? In article <2utuf6$h9e@search01.news.aol.com>, kiteman1@aol.com (Kiteman1) writes: about using diferent (faster) kites for competition. I agree, after all, who's sport is it? Is it ours or the judging panels? Fly for fun, fly for yourselves, fly for others, but rember, as a participant, you are already a winner. oxo = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 30 Jun 1994 03:14:23 -1000 From: uspehmev@ibmmail.COM Message-Id: Organization: Division of Applied Sciences, Harvard University Subject: RE: WHAT MAKES A GOOD TEAM KITE? ----------------------- Mail item text follows --------------- I would think that any kite that can be used for precision, could be used for a team kite, and I know the WASP is used for precision on the left coast. (My wife will have to tune hers better before I'd borrow it for precision...she hates pull :-( Pairs are different from team and has a lot more leeway with the type of kite used. The days of the Hawaiian Team Kite as the dominate force in team competition is long since past...it all depends on how good your reflexes are. I will thank you, Greg, for getting Brian Champie into competition. I was sure he was eventually going to get tired of popping axels all day. ;-) Mark Virgilio (uspehmev@ibmmail.com) 'Just for the Fun of It' = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 30 Jun 1994 05:17:08 -1000 From: dquad@aol.com (DQuad) Message-Id: <2uunlk$lc9@search01.news.aol.com> Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Subject: Re: What makes a good TEAM kite ? In article <2utuf6$h9e@search01.news.aol.com>, kiteman1@aol.com (Kiteman1) writes: Pairs and "Team" are different not only in that they have a different number of fliers, as well as a different number and type of manuvers that can be flown . Not choosing a kite just because it does not fit into the historcal definition of a team kite is sad. The kites have to fit the personality of the fliers, as well as the style or manner in which they fly, skill level of the fliers, type of music, and overall impact that the team or pair wants to impart to the audience. More radical kites may bend the standard definition, but also lend themselves to putting in manuvers and techniques that are mostly only seen on the individual side of sport kite competitions. Something that is different is not necessarily wrong, sometimes it is only different!! Monumental Winds Dave Arnold = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 30 Jun 1994 08:50:33 -1000 From: sasaki@das.harvard.edu (Marty Sasaki) Message-Id: Organization: Harvard University OIT/NSD Subject: Re: What makes a good TEAM kite ? In article <2uunlk$lc9@search01.news.aol.com>, dquad@aol.com (DQuad) writes: >More radical kites may bend the standard definition, but also lend >themselves to putting in manuvers and techniques that are mostly only >seen on the individual side of sport kite competitions. >Something that is different is not necessarily wrong, sometimes it is >only different!! With more kites in the air it is often best to have slower flying kites. Slower kites should allow more control over what is going on and more time to avoid disaster. I think that individual and team skill level has a lot to do with what kites are being used as well. More skilled flyers can fly faster flying kites. Beginning pair and team flyers should probably stick with more traditional team kites. I think that in the not to distant future, top teams will be moving to faster, more radical kites. Team routines are featuring more and more things that used to be done only in indivudual routines. Snap stalls, tip stabs, horizontal slides and axels are appearing in pairs and team routines. Seeing a team with the reflexes and skill to fly California Wasps would be amazing... -- Marty Sasaki Harvard University Sasaki Kite Fabrications sasaki@noc.harvard.edu Network Services Division 26 Green Street 617-496-4320 10 Ware Street Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 Cambridge, MA 02138-4002 phone/fax: 617-522-8546 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 30 Jun 1994 12:37:07 -1000 From: mgraves@leadingedg.win.net (Michael Graves) Message-Id: <658@leadingedg.win.net> Subject: Re: What makes a good TEAM kite ? In article <2utuf6$h9e@search01.news.aol.com>, Kiteman1 (kiteman1@aol.com) writes: >Is it time to re-think just what is a GOOD team kite, not judge it >so harshly because it may be a little faster than the well known >"LARGE & SLOWER" kite ? These are good comments. Shouldn't a "good team kite" be any kite that is flown well in the hands of a "good team?" Michael Graves = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 30 Jun 1994 17:58:04 -1000 From: jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu (Jeffrey C. Burka) Message-Id: <2v048c$kii@umd5.umd.edu> Organization: University of Maryland, College Park Subject: Re: What makes a good TEAM kite ? In article <2uunlk$lc9@search01.news.aol.com> dquad@aol.com (DQuad) writes: [re: pairs ballet] >More radical kites may bend the standard definition, but also lend >themselves to putting in manuvers and techniques that are mostly only >seen on the individual side of sport kite competitions. Yeah. What he said. It should be noted that Dave flies as half of KAK Attack, MPB in Eastern League. He and Sherrie have been flying Jordan Air Pros basically since they were introduced. Any Pro flyer will tell you that this is a fast, radical kite. Interestingly, it's a fairly popular Pairs kite here in the East, despite it being "non-traditional". Other pairs who fly or have flown the Pro include the Breeze Brothers and the Virginia Windseekers. Jeff -- |Jeffrey C. Burka | "Everything is still with a fear of never coming out | |Suffering Bad Grammar| Never following through / Never ever finishing | |jeffy@syrinx.umd.edu | What we wanted to do." -- Melissa Ferrick | = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = Date: Thu, 30 Jun 1994 18:28:15 -1000 From: windwiz@rain.org (Dan Rubesh) Message-Id: <2v060v$iic@rain.org> Organization: Regional Access Information Network (RAIN) Subject: Re: What makes a good TEAM kite ? Greg, I'm don't know who you were talking to in Monterey that suggested that you couldn't win with the Wasps, but I wouldn't put too much weight on that comment.. Having seen your routine at the LASKC at El Segundo, I can attest that it was definately HOT, and from the crowd reaction very well flown.. We're talking refueled axels here, folks, among the other manuevers.. As I recall the point spread between your team and Miguel/Kobe was very close.. Stick with the Wasps, IMHO.. As others have pointed out, the days of the Hawaiian Team Kite being _the_ definition of team are long past.. -- Tako Buggy Naked Kichi!! Dan Rubesh AKA Member/Merchant Wind Wizard, Purveyor of windwiz@coyote.rain.org GO Stunt Kites & Accessories danr@crash.cts.com FLY A P.O. Box 5747 (805) 659-5654 (voice) STUNT Ventura, CA 93005 (805) 659-5769 (fax) KITE! Member: Kite Trade Assn. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =