3/22 Skyline 26M kite

[Kenny]

I arrived at 1:00 to light winds out of the west. There were about 6 - 8 kites out including Chasta. The conditions looked perfect for trying the gliding concept again, so I pulled out my 26M - bad choice. Two minutes after I got up on the hill, the wind switched to the NW and strengthened. I put the kite down for 20 minutes of so and waited for the wind to steady. The sun came out and the wind became good and steady, but it was coming across the hill instead of up the hill, so my gliding technique didn't work very well. The big kite is so slow that I didn't have any pop and without the updraft the glides were low and fast. It was fun, but I probably looked like an idiot to anyone watching. I had so much power that I was literally plowing the 12" of new powder instead of planing and any wind spike created tons of power and some instability in the kite (luffing and 1 bowtie). The wind did veer to the west a few times and I had a few glides that were over 100 yards and around 20 feet high, but for the most part it was a learning lesson. I am sure that I entertained our out of town guests. They were probably trying to figure out why I was on a kite twice the size of most of the kites on the hill doing low, fast jumps. I was wondering the same thing.

I did hook up a climbing harness and it does eliminate dangling as it gives your legs good support on long jumps.

[Marty Lowe]

LOL LOL

-Marty

[Kenny]

Marty,

Wish you could have been there. Your cheeks would be more sore from laughing than your legs and arms were from riding!