Kite Bag: Meet My Kites!

Single Line Kites:

I currently own many SLK's: fly-in-almost-anything Pack-It Parafoils and Flip 'N Fly Pocket Sled Kites; and fun shapes such as ships and airplanes; and stable fliers such as deltas and box kites. Most of my SLK's are rated for winds between 7 - 18, and most cost $10 - $15. SLK's are beautiful, relaxing, and a great way to introduce kids to kite fun.

View some of my SLK's here!

Dual Line Kites:

 3/04: Goblin, by Skynasaur, was the first stunt kite that I purchased. It was in the clearance section of Into The Wind, and for $16 I decided it was worth trying. I had never flown a dual like kite before, and this one was very difficult to fly as a first-timer. I was relieved when I met with a local fly club and they told me it was amazing that I had even been able to fly the thing because the bridle wasn't attached correctly! This frustrating kite was still my first, and since it was such a difficult kite it made me really appreciate what came next. (48" x 23"; 6 - 20 mph; 50# line recommended)
4/04: (Dodd's) Pryo, made by New Tech Kites, was purchased after attending my first kite festival. Troy Gunn let me fly a Pyro he had for demos. Well, I loved it instantly, and I couldn't wait to get home to order my own! And then I had to wait several agonizing days for it to arrive. Once it arrived, I then had to wait for the wind! But it was well worth all the waiting (really only 5 days, but it felt like weeks!). This is a gentle, responsive kite that can take some nose plants and keep on flying. Comes ready to fly with a great bag too, for about $45! I also ended up buying one of these for my mom for Mother's Day. (74" x 32"; 3 - 18 mph; 80# line recommended)

4/04: Trlby 6-Pack Stack, by Trlby (comes in 8 two-tone colors, I skipped the pink and black). I first saw someone fly one of these stacks when I was a kid, and I've always wanted to fly one since! A 6-Pack is $65 when ordered directly from Trlby on eBay. Each kite measures 36" x 36" and the stack has a wind range of 7 - 30 mph! Look at those amazing 45 foot tails! Made in the USA, with a lifetime guarantee. These are sure to draw a crowd, and lots of questions. (36" x 36" each; 7 - 30 mph; 200# line recommended for 6-pack)
5/04: Desire UL, made by New Tech Kites, comes in handy on low-wind days. I find this helpful because by the time I get home from work the wind seems to disappear! This is a big kite, but the leading edges are able to be taken apart to make the kite and kite bag much smaller. Supposedly it can be flown indoors, too, but I don't have access to any indoor place big enough to try it out! It does fly great in low winds, with solid tracking abilities. I managed to pick up on for $89, but regularly priced about $109. (88" x 39"; 0 - 8 mph; 100# line recommended)

5/04: The Bee, made by Chicago Fire, was a gift to my mother from Debbie/Oyehut from GWTW Forums. This "old school" kite is a solid, slow, steady flier. The Bee is in great shape, and we're honored to be her new home! While she may not be a trick kite for today's tricks, it's a kite that will get a lot of flight time! (98" x 44"; 6 - 18 mph; 150# line recommended))
5/04: Profile, by Premier, was a gift to me from Debbie/Oyehut from GWTW Forums. This is an awesome looking kite. It is vented, so it can withstand higher winds (which is a good thing here in north Texas!) but not so vented that it can't handle the lighter winds. Another "not supposed to be very tricky, but great flying kite" that will see a lot of flight time on my watch! In higher winds, this kite has a lot of pull, but still handles great. (90" x 45"; 4 - 20 mph; 150# line recommended)
5/04: Shiva Standard, by Cavaliers du Ciel, is made for precision, stability, and dependability required for competitions, pair/team flying, and demonstrations. The Shiva is definitely a different kite in my collection. It is slow, precise, light on the strings, and has a messmerizing gracefulness in the air. I was very surprised at how much better this kite looks in the air, because I was not a fan of the graphics as they appear in photos. But in the air, this is a bird-like, sharp looking creature. The slate/blue section of Mom's Shiva has a cool metalic shine to it when this kite is in the air. I was very pleased with the lightweight build of this kite which lets if fly in almost not there wind, yet the ruggedness that allowed it to easily survive Mom's hard nose plants. These was purchased from the GWTW Forums as a birthday gift for my mom, since we want to try to fly as a pair. The set of two, with shipping from Canada to US, came to $194 (new prices were $159 kite & bag only or $179 RTF). (88" x 47"; 3 - 19 mph; 100# line recommended)
6/04: Yin Yang, by Flying Wings, was purchased for my mother. In North Texas we tend to get a lot of wind, and for most of our kites it's too much wind. The Yin Yang was purchased from the GWTW Forums for $55 in never-flown condition (new price was around $85). This kite flies amazingly well in high and somewhat choppy wind. The best part is it has very little pull, which is a great relief to my mom. I even enjoyed flying it after spending some time getting pulled around the field by my Profile. This kite also took some nose plants today without a problem. This is definately a better kite than I expected. (77" x 32"; 3 - 30 mph; 50# line recommended)
6/04: Big Bang, by New Tech Kites, is Dodd Gross' newest kite masterpeice. This kite was designed to be an all-around high-performance trick kite. It has a SkyShark P-200 frame, tail weights,Yo-Yo stoppers, nock covers, and LE connector protectors. All of this for an amazing price ($89 for the no-frills, nylon sail package). My kite is signed and numbered by Dodd, too! It flies exceptionally well, and I can't wait to learn tricks on the Big Bang! (91" x 39"; 3 - 18 mph; 100# line recommended)
6/04: High Level Vented, by Level One, was purchased from the GWTW Forums for $98 in great condition (new price was around $150). Mine is navy and black, but I don't have a picture of it yet, so here's a red and black one. The sail of this kite looks like it has been used for skeet practice, with holes covering most of the sail. This allows the kite to fly in up to 30 mph winds with low amounts of pull. So, when I want to fly in stronger winds, but don't want to be pulled across the field (although power kiting can be fun at times!) this will be the kite I'll be reaching for. Only thing I don't like is that the spine doesn't have a velcro release to help prevent nose plants from breaking the spine, so I'll have to be careful! (91" x 40"; 5 - 30 mph; 100# line recommended)

1/05: Quantum, by Prism, was purchased from the GWTW Forums for $55 in new condition (typically $79). After much back-and-forth, I finally decided to buy this kite when it posted on the swap meet. So far, this kite flies well, and definately pulls more than my other beginner-friendly kites. I like that this is a full-size kite for half-size kite price, and that it appears to be very well made. This will probably be my only full-size kite that lives in my trunk for those unplanned fly times because it breaks down into such a small case. (86" x 40"; 3 - 25mph; 150# line recommended)

1/05: Adrenaline (3 individual kites, with stack lines provided), by Prism, was purchased from the GWTW Forums for $75 in good condition (typically $50 each). These are so much fun to fly! They can generate quite a bit of pull as a 3-stack, and they attract alot of attention. My only regret is that I don't have one of the cases like the Microns so these can say all hooked up and ready to go. (65" x ??" each; 4 - 25 mph; 100# line recommended for single kites, #200 for stacks)

1/05: Micron 5-Pack Stack, by Prism, was purchased from the GWTW Forums for $95 in great condition (typically $184 for 5-pack). Someone described these as bumble bees on strings, and now I know why! These zippy little kites are fast, respond to the smallest of inputs, and you just hate to land them because they are so much fun to fly. Microns also come in a neat triangular kite bag so they are ready to fly in an instant. (39" x 18.5" each; 5 - 25 mph; 50# line recommended for single kites, 150# for stacks)
1/06: Techno, by New Tech Kites, was purchased from a GWTW Forum member for $65 (lists for $85) in like new condition. I can't believe it's been so long since I've purchased a kite! But this is one I've had my eye on ever since the Big Bang came out and this was in testing phase. The Techno might become a kite for my mom, who is looking for a bigger kite, or I might just have to buy a second one if it is as nice as I think it's going to be! (81" x 45 "; 3 - 25 mph; 150# line recommended)