the future is bright, the future is foil

[mark van haze]

selassie already ate his words - check my post before

[screven]

In two years I've never had any problem launching my G10. In fact it's always been the kite I feel the safest launching and flying. Were there some bad early models of something? I get it at least 2/3 inflated and launch from 30 to 45 degrees. Never a problem in a variety of winds.

I am always perplexed by claims that Guerillas are harder to launch and land than LEIs. I fly both and I have to say the biggest thing I don't like about LEIs is solo launching and landing which I do a lot. They need so much sanding for launching and don't depower enough on the saftey leach when landing. If I had a kite-bitch always on the beach waiting for me then I would say the LEIs are easier, but I don't. Perhaps the folks that like launching and landing of LEIs better, kite in places where there is always a helper. I don't and I always hate going up to perfect strangers and asking for help landing. That's my personallity I guess. It's also risky since you are placing your safety in the hands of someone you don't know.

Just another example of how these different designs can cater to different needs.

Chris

[screven]

i doubt this is 8 kts.

I fly LEIs, GARCs, and a Blade 10.5. The Blade is the most powerful kite I have ever flown and goes up and stays up in almost no wind. It weights 3.7lbs so it's not as likely to fall out of the sky during lulls as a comparably powered 10- 14lb 22m LEI. I easily has me going up wind in 8mph if the wind is steady. Based on the way it feels at 10mph I think a rider that had it really dialed in might be able to get some good air but maybe not that much. I have not used it for jumping yet...still getting to know it. It's VERY easy to launch and land in the four line configuration. I posted a preliminary review of the Blade if anyone is interested.

A lot of white caps in that photo and I can't see the kite....?#?#?#?

Chris

[zfennell]

this discussion has become much too civilized to be any fun.
any technical comparisons were beat out of this horse long ago.

without PMU's inane rants there is little to justify feeding the few remaining trolls.

however, selassie, you have potential

-bill

[the_lone_wolf]

i knew the strongbow would come back to haunt me

jakobjth::i think we'll have to agree to disagree on that one, arcs are still much easier to self launch than LEI's but the kite always has to go from flagged out on the ground to arc shaped and IMO too many things can happen in between, especially when i have such a restricted launch site anyway - the bridling that tangled on your voodoo (i suspect) was on the tip you were raising into the wind to launch which sits flapping in the wind while you're getting ready, i always check it on my P2s as it's raising to make sure it's not tangled, in the same way on my old guerilla i had to check that the line hadn't wrapped around the end of the spar. the safety aspect i've got to give you despite never having issues with the FS safety system, only problem i had on my guerilla was it not releasing after the lines got older but that happened on all my kites with the same style of chicken loop - i've never seen anyone relaunch an LEI or arc after ditching it on the sliding bar safety though (before someone says it - i'm sure people have)

to the others::i know lots of people get on the the arcs, and many people may have had no issues launching them at all, i'm just saying i have and that they aren't the kites for me. plenty of people don't like FS, if i had a penny for every time someone takes out my 13m underpowered, can't fly it then says it's crap i'd have enough money to buy the 17m i want

[selassie]

I kite with/around some of the best kiters in the world, not one of them uses a foil!

[the_lone_wolf]

*yawns*

[screven]

A relatively meaningless observation since you can't be everywhere at once and you don't ride with the only best riders in the world (only some of them). Anyone with a little understanding about how markets work can figure out why foil riders represent a lower population. PL and FS make products that are unique to there product line. LEIs are made in different flavors by a plethora of companies, all vying for a share of the market. This means more marketing for LEIs in general which generates a critical mass of users which, in turn, provides the PR to new users to get LEIs...etc. etc. They are great kites but have their share of problems for some riders depending on their riding environment and style. The same can be said for the different types of foils.

To me the key is to exercise your freedom and give different things in life, including kite styles, a try. It’s easy for us to get constrained by passion for the choices we have already made.

[chemosavi]

All I know is that I'm the best kiter in my world and that I use foils and I have never met selassie.
Sometimes I do ask my wife if there are any other worlds out there with kiters in them and she says "don't be silly honey, of course there aren't, could you please pass the potatoes?" and that's good enough for me.

Even though the bank owns a good part of my shitter I still like to think of it as my own.

[mark van haze]

selassie, go roll another one.