kite festival

The yearly kite flying festival was held in Hamamatsu, Japan between May 3 - May 5. I was busy on the 3rd, the weather didn't look so good on the 4th and it actually got worse by the 5th. However as that was the last day of the kite festival I decided to risk it.

Hamamatsu is a coastal city to the south west of Mt. Fuji. The area just off the beach where they hold the kite festival was a great place for it. I definitely want to get back there to bust out my stunt kite.

The aim at the festival is to do battle with opposing teams' kites. Each team from a local district has a warrior kite that is almost 3m * 2m. Rather than spectra lines, these things use rope!

The kites fight by attacking each other's lines. They usually get pretty tangled and eventually either one line breaks or one or more kite is downed. If a kite hits the ground, it's line is cut so the victor can rise again.

Here are some pictures from the kite festival.

Stunt kite flying at the beach

Yesterday I drove for about 30 minutes to fly my Prism Nexus at a nearby beach called Sen-bon-hama in Numazu, Japan. Instead of sand though it had pebbles and a lot of washed up seaweed. On the plus side though, it was so easy to fly my stunt kite in the wind coming off the sea!

It was the first time I fully appreciated the wind window effect. As I flew towards the edge of the window my stunt kite would begin to loose some power. Then bringing the kite back into the center of the window sped things up again.

Even launching after poor landings was the easiest I've ever experienced. Admittedly I'm still not sure the best way to go about re-launches from various positions, but the consistent winds certainly helped.

After one particularly poor landing which included a few twists in my lines I had to perform the walk of shame (going back to my kite to move it into proper launch position). As my lines were still attached to my wrists, it had the effect of tangling my lines up amongst all the seaweed and debris on the beach. Sorting them out again took me about 30 minutes! Much worse than the walk of shame itself!

By the time I had sorted my lines out, the wind had died down considerably. So I practiced launching then gently lowering my stunt kite back to the ground into launch position.

Flying-wise, it was great fun to feel a consistent wind in my kite's sail. Still so much to learn and it was great fun too. I was experimenting by allowing my lines to get twisted multiple times as I rotated the kite one way then back to straighten things out.

Even though I have only been flying a stunt kite for about a week I can already see that as I put time into flying, I am improving. I look forward to improving my stunt kite flying skills on a daily basis!

Stunt kite flying without wind

I have been out with my stunt kite every day this week. Getting nearly an hour of flying time while I am at work is great.

However the issue I am facing is a lack of wind compounded by trees surrounding the school sports grounds. Occasionally I get some gusts that allow me to lanuch my stunt kite. I'm sure if I was a better flier, things would be different. As a beginner though I think I require a better flying location for the level I am at in my stunt kite flying career.

I am loving that I have realised that twists in my lines don't make the kite un-fly-able. So at least I am able to get some rotations on the go.

This weekend I will be hitting up the beach for some stunt kite flying by the sea.

Wind Power Sports review

I bought my Prism Nexus stunt kite from Wind Power Sports in Las Vegas. I decided to order from Wind Power Sports because the website looks professional; there was a wide variety of kites to choose from, in my case it was the stunt kite section I was interested in; there were also detailed descriptions of the kites; and finally I had seen some online videos of the owner Corey Jensen flying a stunt kite. His instructional videos make flying seem simple and exciting! So Wind Power Sports online kite store seemed the obvious choice.

As I was going through the ordering procedure I became concerned as my credit card billing address is in a different country from my delivery address. However I discovered that Wind Power Sports accept payment via PayPal which meant I could specify any delivery address I wanted.

After completing my order and payment I received some auto responder emails confirming the order and payment. However that's all I received prior to the shop closing for about ten days. I had placed my order with Wind Power Sports on March 25th, two days before their holiday was to begin so hoped that my kite would be sent before the shop closed for their vacation.

I sent an email to Corey the day before his holiday to ask about the status of my order but didn't receive a reply before he went away. So I was left to wonder whether my order with Wind Power Sports had been shipped or not.

As time passed I resigned myself to having to wait until Corey returned before my order would be shipped. Then another week or so for my kite to reach Japan.

However to my surprise, as I was leaving my apartment on the 3rd of April, only nine days after placing my order, there was a postman standing at my door holding my Prism Nexus stunt kite from Wind Power Sports.

It shipping instructions indicate that the parcel was dispatched on March 25th, the day I actually placed my order with Wind Power Sports!

In the end I was very happy with the speed at which Wind Power Sports dispatched my kite. The only improvement I could suggest to their customer service would be to send an email advising when an order leaves the shop. However overall I was happy with the speed at which Wind Power Sports turned around my kite order.

As I become a better stunt kite flier I can see myself using Corey Jensen's online Wind Power Sports kite store again.

Stunt kite flying at work

Flying my stunt kite at work is how I spent some time this afternoon. It looks like I may well get the chance more often than I would have thought! If I'm able to fly my Prism Nexus and get paid for it, that suits me fine.

Even though I've only been flying for a few days I can already feel that I am gaining better control of my stunt kite. Realising that crossing my lines isn't a mistake has allowed me to pull off a 360 spin one way (lines crossed) then back (lines free again). I was really chuffed with that beginner stunt kite trick.

Also it is becoming apparent to me that flying somewhere that doesn't have trees or buildings so close is probably going to help improve my stunt kite flying skills. Today though even though I wasn't in a completely open area, there did seem to be a general lack of wind.

Next weekend I plan on making a trip to the coast. In the meantime though any kite flying time I can get at work is a bonus.

Prism Nexus stunt kite review

My Prism Nexus stunt kite was delivered just as I was going out yesterday to look for a flying location.

I ordered my Nexus from Wind Power Sports in the U.S.

I was surprised at how light the package containing my Prism Nexus was. It was a great feeling taking it out of its case for the first time.

When I arrived at the high school ground I was happy to see that it seemed wide enough for some kite flying.

Setting up the Prism Nexus was straight forward. I had my back to the wind and laid the kite out in front of me. Then simply followed the instructions written on the carry case. Initially I had the bridles sitting slightly incorrectly where the lower spreaders meet the kite's leading edge.

With my yellow Prism Nexus set up it was time to attempt my first launch in 20 years. I was surprised at how easy it was to launch the kite solo. I was flying!

I had a few crashes and spent a bit of time untangling the kite's lines. But I also had times where my Prism Nexus was under my control as I practiced taking off and landing gently.

Prism Nexus verdict: After my frst outing with my stunt kite I am very pleased with my purchase. Admittedly I can't compare the Prism Nexus to any other stunt kites, yet.

However the Nexus is perfect for me just now. I was able to launch the kite solo; as a flying beginner I was able to control the stunt kite in flight; and at $59 I feel I got value for money.

If you are thinking about starting stunt kite flying I wholeheartedly recommend the Prism Nexus stunt kite.

Stunt Kite Flying locations

As I wait for my Prism Nexus to arrive I am in the process of tracking down good stunt kite flying locations.

Knowing that it is dangerous to fly stunt kites, or any kites for that matter, near power lines, I am having difficulty locating open areas wide enough near to my apartment where I can fly my stunt kite.

Japan has thousands of miles of costal areas that are perfect for kite flying. However for me it's at least a 30 minute drive to the closest beach. Ideally I'll find a stunt kite flying location within walking distance of my apartment.

The leading candidate as my stunt kite "home field" is the high school ground a couple of minutes walk from my place.

Some pictures of my proposed stunt kite flying location.

Stunt Kite Flying again

As a child I used to love flying my yellow stunt kite. I have no idea what kind of stunt kite it was. All I remember is that flying my stunt kite was fun!

I must have been about 10 years old at the time. None of my friends were particularly interested in flying kites. So I would head off on my own to the park near my house and just have fun on my own flying my stunt kite.

Other times my dad would take me to a nearby beach and I would race off to the wet sand and fly my kite right next to the sea.

Perhaps the reason I have suddenly remembered the fun I used to have flying stunt kites is because my own son is growing up. He's still only 2 years old but when he gets a little older, flying stunt kites together is something we can both enjoy.

When we were at the park last weekend we saw a man with his daughter flying a single line kite. My son found that impressive. I'm thinking, wait till he sees what we can do with our own stunt kite!

I don't know of any kite shops near where I live. So decided that searching on the internet for somewhere to buy a new stunt kite was the easiest option. It was pleasing to see that entry level stunt kites are reasonably priced.

For my first kite in over 20 years I decided to go for a yellow Prism Nexus stunt kite. At $59 it seemed like a good deal and I was able to choose yellow which reminded me of my previous stunt kite from my childhood.

I think it will still be a while before it arrives as the kite shop I ordered from was closing for a spring vacation.

In the meantime I have been on the lookout for the perfect stunt kite flying location in my area. There is a lot of open space nearby but trees, powerlines or a building spoil what would otherwise be excellent kite flying spots.

The good news is that as summer approaches it will soon be perfect beach weather. Once it arrives, that is my plan. Get down to the beach with my new stunt kite!

Stunt Kite Flying intro

Stunt Kite Flying will discuss issues related to flying stunt kites. For example stunt kite reviews and places that I enjoy flying my kite. As I increase my collection of stunt kites I will post a review of each new purchase as well as the shop, online or bricks and mortar, where I buy my kites.

If you are also a stunt kite enthusiast I'll be happy to hear from you. Also if you have your own stunt kite website send me a link and I'll check it out!