Skunk news page 2
Welcome to 2009 and a new kiting year begins
So its seems it getting to be a tradition that we get out to fly on new years day and this year was no 
different,it was not the greatest of weathers a little misty,cold and light winds but still its more about meeting your fellow kiters then the actual flying.After a quick phone call to Bruce to check if it was still on I grabbed a rev and me tiger kite and headed off up to the Haven,sure enough there was Bruce and Colin with the revs floating around the sky so I set mine up and said my happy new years and hello's.
I set up the tiger kite to show Bruce and Colin as they had not seen it up yet and its much more impressive then a photo and we all agreed what a great kite this is,vaule for money and good looks make this kite go on my favourite list.Bruce and I talked about putting a little bit of weight on the feet of the tiger to so down the flapping which will be done later in the lab.
Colin was up to his funny self by putting some union jack flags on his rev and also gave me some straps that will be great for my single line kites,its amazing what he finds in his skip at work,thanks Colin.After a while Pete and his son turned up to make it the forth rev up in the air,four revs in one place on new years day wouldn't have happened a few years back but now with our little group of kiters its getting to be a regular thing up at the Haven.While Pete had a fly his son went off and did some video on his camera which again is a hobby in itself to catch them great kite moments and make the mini films for you all to see.
After about 90 minutes the wife had come back with the van as she had been to visit her mum and sister and it was time I packed up and went on my way back to the warm and the tv,saying me goodbyes to me kite mates we headed off home.It was well worth the cold to see the boys out at the haven and we all can't wait for the kite season to kick off this year,me and Peter Smith have not had a big show day for ages and our sealife themes have increased loads last year so it will be even bigger when we get to fly together at on of our local spots.So thats it our year has begun as we intent it to go on ....flying our kites and having some fun together.
Its down to you
Do not buy from here http://www.kewo-international.com/windspieldetails.php?id=30&id_pic=0
Ok this is one issue that pops up from time to time and whether right or wrong it can only be solved by us,the flyers.Copyright is a growing trade in the kite world and is a topic that hits hard on the real companies that go through the proper channels to obtain the copyrights from the designers,I,m not going into all the companies that are in this area of rip off item but I can see it just affect about everyone even myself.Let me just talk about the one that effects me and thats my theme the 'food theme',as most people in the kite world know that a few years back I had the idea for my food theme and went to my favourite designers Air Attractions for them to make it,since the egg and chips I have added a sausage and mushrooms to the theme which as yet have not seen a copy.Now let me say I don't care if lets say my best friend goes ahead and makes his own even if it looks like mine,to me that just a nice way of saying that the person really likes what I have in my collection and has took the time and effort to try and make one for himself.BUT when you find companies like this one selling a rip off copy of your work and clearly is a tacky rip off then it starts to get your blood boiling,not so much mine as I don't give a hoot about what others do in the world but I do feel that its unfair for the designers that make it like Air attraction did for me,what can we do?well most of us never copyright the items as that cost a lot of money and even so if you have and take it to the courts you need even more money to sort it out,my answer is simple us the kiters must NOT buy from the rip off companies if you want the design go to the designer and ask them.
Now some people have said that I am not doing this by buying in kites from China but they are wrong as the kites I get imported from china are kites that I have not seen anywhere before like the inflatable bee or the new tiger kite I have just got,these to me are not copies..So in my view if you make something for yourself and do not sell it on for a profit then I can't see what is wrong in that but this company above is just stealing others designs and making BAD copies of the items,so lets do all we can to make this Kewo company known to others and hope that the kiters do not use them,post on forums,tell your friends,send the company e-mails telling them your thoughts on the problem,do not buy from them this is just a few nice ways to get this noticed.,as I said to me it makes no difference to me I fly for fun and don't get into all the politics of kiting,I don't even get that invovled with clubs cos of the back stabbing bitching that happens within them,anyway I have my thoughts and way of dealing with the rip off issue and will continue with the way I get my kites from round the world.In the end it is between the companies to bash it out in court and in the meantime you have the right to do what you want,and buy what you want.
"til gud ghya, god god bola" (henceforth, let there be only friendship and good thoughts between us).
My first project for 2009 is on Sunday 18th January and I am looking forward to helping out the group above and have been asked to do a kite workshop for them to celebrate MAKAR SANKRANTI festival,the venue is local to me in Clacton-on-sea.What I have planned to do for them is to decorate the venue walls with some of my kites to make a nice backdrop for the kite workshop,we will be making some paper sled's with crepe paper streamer tails and then the kids can decorate their kites with all the pens,stickers and glitter glue.
The organisers then want to go to Clacton sea front(the tower) to fly them....emmm thats going to be cold but if its a nice day I will hopefully arrange my fellow flyers to come down to the tower and show the kids some real kites in action and also put up some of my big inflatables for a nice photo shoot for the youngsters to have a photo of the day.This will all depend on the weather on the 18th and you never know when that sun's going too shine this time of year.
This is just the sort of events that I want to do for this year,lots of local workshops and fetes and fairs anything that will get kites more in the news and to show people that not only is it good to be out in the fresh air and get lots of exercise but to show them that the hobby of kiting brings us all closer together,meet new friends and have loads of fun,so heres hoping for a sunny day and that the day goes well for everyone involved,look out for the full report and pictures later here in the den.
For information on this Hindus festival click HERE
WHATAKITE
For the WHATAKITE webshot gallery click HERE
Barry and Karen have made me sit up and look once again,this time with a smile on my face I started to look at the new kites 'octobetty'and the 'purple 
people eater' these are based on the octopus but with a unique twist by morphing Betty boo in with it....genius.Its great to see other kiters add there unique touches to a kite and Barry and Karen do it just the way I like it.The detail on betty is superb and in my opinion works very well,and the colours on the other one is just right to attract all the kids around.....
If you havn't visited the Whatakite webshot gallery and you like big kites then get over and check it out there are some real nice pictures of their kites.
Sunday 18th January and I looked out the window to see what the weather had instore for us today,to my amazement the sun was out and the clouds were drifting away,the wind was blowing quite hard though,but that sun was out and that makes all the difference to a kiting day.
I packed up all the bits needed for today and headed down to the tower,as I arrived I could see Bruce and Colin was already there flying their rev's,"morning guys".I had to be at the venue at 1pm and I got to the tower at 11.45am as I did intend to get my single line display up and then head off to the venue but as the wind was gusty I thought it would not be fair to ask my friends to look after my stuff for two hours while I was at the kite workshop venue,so I got out my rev 1 to have a play and see just what the wind was like.With in minutes a spar popped out the kite and I went and had a look to see what had happened,well this is a first the upright top cap had cracked in half so the kite was out of action until Colin came to the rescue with a spar cap,what a guy.
It wasn't long before the wife had returned with the van and it was time to head up the road to Orwell road to find Sushila the lady that had planned todays festival,as we parked the van and I got out to see where the venue was Sushila was out on the pavement welcoming all her guest,she greeted us with such a welcome and showed us inside to the hall where we would be making the kites.It was a real nice venue with four big tables and lots of chairs for everyone.After a lot more of meeting people I set about putting up three of my kites as a backdrop,two rok's and the tiger kite which did give us some problems as to where it would fit,but in the end it was laid along the unused chairs.Then I set up the tables for the kite workshop to be done in stages,on the first table was my wife Julie and this is where the folding and selotaping of the kites was done,the second table I had asked the chap sitting there if he would help out and direct people on this stage of the kite and that was to make a hole for the line and insert the sticks,the third table was also helped out by a lady and it was here that the string was to be tied onto the kites,last the table that takes the longest here was a range of colouring crayons and the box of tails.As the workshop started Sushila made me a nice cup of tea and the kids and adults all went round the workshop making the kites.The day before I had made one of the kites at home and went out and it flew great,this was because it was not the normal kite that I make and it was the first time I was trying out the new design,I had at the last minute changed to the new design as it was a sun kite which linked in with the festival perfectly.
By 2.20 everyone had made a kite and I had to do a little speech to the group and get a group photo then it was down to Martello tower to fly them and to see the other kites that I was hoping would be up by Pete.As I got there I could see pete with his stack of stunt kites Colin and Bruce with the revs and up on a line Pete with the help of the others had put up some spikey balls,penguin and other bits,superb, as the people gathered around the tower I rushed around putting up the banner and got the kitten inflatable on Petes line,I had planned so much more but it was all to much of a rush and the wind was too strong for some of the ideas I had planned.
As I looked down the beach expecting to see loads of little kites in the sky I could see people having trouble flying the workshop kites,only a few were up in the air and I went over to see what was happening,the sticks were falling out the kites and the kite design was not working,I think it was just too windy and either snapped the sticks or they just slipped out the folds,for me it was horrible to see that the kites had failed to fly and I could only say sorry to Sushila about the kites.This did not seem to have much effect on the group as they run around laughing and having fun,someone had arrived from India with some indian fighter kites but had no bridles and line so only a few got made up and headed up in the sky.
In all it was a good first time festival for Sushila with a great turnout of people,and next year we will iron out the problems with time and the workshop kites,the festival is all about bringing people together and that it did well,After the beach fly everyone was asked back to the venue for a picnic and to have the sweets made from sesame seed with hidden coins in them another part of the festival that I was glad to gain knowledge on,Sushila had told the wife and I to go back to the hall for food but by the time I had got all the kites of the beach and the wife was feeling tired and we had our dogs in the van we decided to head off home.Sushila phoned that night to thank us agian for our help today and wants to repay us somehow but to me its what I do,I love kite flying and getting others invovled and to me the rewards are the smiles on peoples faces and seeing the fun happening.This was a great start to my kite year and look forward to helping again next year,bigger and better.
I must add a huge thanks to pete who even though is still in
pain with his back problem got up his kites for the display..thanks mate.
To watch the video click HERE
Portsmouth 2008 dvd
Wow that takes me back to a great weekend,today I watched the dvd that 'Choccy &
Groz' put together and thought what a great job that they did of it.Now lets get one thing right if you ain't a 'rev head' then you might find the dvd a bit boring seeing the same shaped kite for ages,but then thats cos you most probably have not flown a Revolution before,personally I enjoyed the way it was all put together and the music was good and not over powering,I respect anyone that puts in this sort of effort into a video/dvd as I have done a few myself and know the time and effort it takes to make one for the friends/public to see.
If you go to the link below to order yours you will see just who and where the disc's have gone too.while watching the dvd it made me realise how must you miss at a show and this dvd allows you to see what you might have missed in the revolution teams.
So this dvd is going into my case of other kite dvd I have collected over the years and if ever I want to see pure rev flying action from teams all over the world this is the one I am going to grab for,well done to you both on a job well done and a big thanks to Fiona for the dvd.
To get your copy of this dvd chick HERE
Gombergs Show kite forum
At last there is a forum dedicated to us single line kiters that looks like its gonna be great.Already it is filling up with members that you know or have heard off and the site will give you all those question that you wanted to ask.It has quite a few top designers already and I am hoping to see lots lots more,if your into show kite or just any single line kite then sign up and have fun with the one and only fantastic forum that is just for the single line.
So who has made it? non other then Dave Gomberg and with his normal website being one of the best around with his weekly reports,factory outlets and information on kiting its the best place that this forum could have started on,so click the link and get on board for the best single line forum on the web.
click HERE to join the forum.
Where did February go......
February was a dismal month with bad weather ,broken computers and my pet hate decorating out the kite room,and it all began with the p.c. The poor old six year old hard drive started to die on me and even though I now and again got on the internet I could not do much on it,like work on the kite den,or upload new videos.But that not no more cos I got myself a new p.c last Sunday and things are smoother then ever,I just got to get hold of some programs I was using then its all systems go.
The weather kept me indoors most of the month and I think in the whole month I flew with the guys three or four times,my poorest months flying for years.But now that March is here and the spring hares are running around,sun's out more and the stormy weathers past I am hoping to get out a lot more with the kites and get more time as the evenings get lighter for longer
My kite room was a mess and I had the time as I was confined to the house to give it a make over and good clear out.All that was in there was in the lounge for a week so from one room to another,"this is aint staying here" said the wife.Well it was of to the do it yourselve shop and paint
stripper,paint,brushes,pads,sandpapper and a nice new floor was purchased to do the room.After it was done it looked to nice to recieve the huge ammount of cases,bags and loose kites as well as trying to fit in a sewing station,but it all went in and looks very week organized for this year kiting.
March has all ready been a great start as I got the new p.c but even better then that I got my job back in the aquatic shop.The new owner had superb reports on me from the last owner Andy,and I think that me and the new owner Paul are going to be a great team in the shop.So I get to run the tropical fish station and get in some extra money for new kites,(watch out young Pete the kitebucks are coming).The only drawback is less air hours,but I will always have a free Sunday as both jobs can't have me that day thats my day of kiting a day with some great friends on the fields.
So keep a eye on the kite den cos the season has just began and the site will start filling up.