R -
Buy a 5th Element bar then to go with your best kites. It will still cost over $1000 dollars less than the discounted Rhinos. $1000 dollars, wow thats a lot of money, lets say it again: $1000 dollars. Spelled out this time: ONE THOUSAND DOLLARS. Lets think of a few things you can do with your extra thousand dollars:
1) Go to a windy warm spot in the offseason (I went to SPI, TX and it only cost about $800 dollars.)
2) Buy a couple extra boards, maybe a skimboard (for lightwind), and a super small board for nuking wind.
3) Spend it on your girlfriend, then she'll forgive you for bolting to go kite all the time.
4) Pile it on the floor and look at it, strip down naked and roll around in it.
5) Better yet use it for lessons for your girlfriend, so she can enjoy herself too!
6) Pay a hobo to pump up your kite every session ($5 dollars a session should do it.)
...
The list goes on, but its kind of weird that so many here would assume to think that paying thousands of dollars on sewn fabric is a completely legitment use of money. Sure I can understand while the sport is trying to get off the ground, but it has been 5 years already... its time for prices to come down to earth.
Arg, I need to go kiting...