Heavens sake NO. I just would like a ride on it. Have plenty of old kites in my garage as well

Lets put together an OLD style day at 3rd so the new kids on the block appreciate where we are coming from. Even your "current" bar would fit the style... although it already has a QR ...

Lets look for convenient date. How about sunday April the 7th? I come with my yarga 13.5 and the woody and lots of beer. Lets see who dares to loop it...

G

Only if the kite is truly ripped it is good enough to be converted to a stylish laptop bag.

My current bar is years ahead of its time.

And last night I just put a brand new ceramic bearing in the Willy Shackle (remember those?), and packed it with waterproof grease.



I may come with my brand new 1999 NRG directional. But I don't think I'll be flying that Wipika.

So, is the retro day at 3rd still gonna happen? Where can I sign up to demo all this awesome gear?

We have retro day at 3rd every time I show up in my 16 year old Integra that I just saved from certain death (it's now a "rescue car"), and fly my 2007 Waroo, while wearing a 10 year old wetsuit and harness and sporting a 70's porn mustache.

Awesome

I think you mean an Airblast 8.4 (there is no 8.9) which is 8.4 x 1.36 = 11.4m2 in size

This very kite and size is IMO the best kite ever, seen over the whole "decade" of kitesurfing history

Of course not compared to newer kites, no - but overall my personal favorite of all kites during kite history.

A four line front line flyer, and can be relaunched backwards, or take it off and use it without - both options.

You can easily ride with this kite today, if you want to try - it has huge depower/windrange and quite fast and worked reasonably as a "one size quiver" in fact

Peter

PS: Or is it the Airblast 6.3 ? Which is 6.3 x 1.36 = 8.6m2 in size, and a VERY small kite actually, even though there were a 4.9 too (6.7m2) which were for gnarling winds back then.

There was a FreeAir 8.9 http://www.kite-surf.com/userreviews/li ... s_Index=26

The FreeAir is an ancient (almost useless) kite IMO.

Whereas the Airblast would actually work okay even today.

Two EXTREMELY opposite and different kites in every way possible

Peter

the Airblast is an awesome kite, way ahead of its time. still have some mint ones from my Wipi daze. Keep thinking I'll break em out, but I'd probably hate em now!

My local shop gave me a brand new 7 meter Naish R3 two line kite from about year 2000.. they decided they just couldn't sell it. I have had fun riding it. It sits very far back in the window which reveals why we all had so much trouble going upwind in the early days. It also just doesn't want to jump. But it works and is very easy to relaunch being a very low aspect kite.

I offered to let others try it but nobody seemed interested when they saw the fixed harness line on the bar instead of a chicken loop.

CG

I had a customer bring in a Wipika Freeair 11 a few weeks ago, and I have a 161 JL pickelfork and I even have a old Stonker board.

After reading this thread, yeah I'm thinking I need to get a video done...