You’ve seen them at a festival and now you want to get into showkite flying. These fast facts and resources will help you get started.
Where to Buy:
Most of the largest showkites flown in festivals around the world are licensed and made by New Zealand-based Peter Lynn Kites. An Overlarge runs upwards of $4K – $5K. Step down to a Maxi and you’re looking at a $1K – $3K initial investment. Another route… consider joining a kite club like the Wisconsin Kiters or the American Kitefliers Association, get to know the kite flyers, buy used if you can, and you can make your way from there. The information below is geared towards Maxi kites. Read: How much did you pay for that kite, Always Ask What’s in the Bag.
Equipment:
- Lifter/Pilot Kite: Not all Maxi kites are made to fly without the assistance of a lifter or pilot kite, which helps anchor your display to the sky. These come in a variety of sizes, and for your Maxi you’re going to need a 12-meter pilot that connects with separate, lighter 1,000lb line and carabiner to a tow loop at the top of the kite. That same kite can also be used as a lifter. Stake the lifter line to the ground and fly the Maxi on a separate line, with the carabiner on the tow loop clipped freely to the lifter line. The type of Maxi kite will determine the best use – lifter or pilot.
- Line: Look for Spectra, Dyneema, Amsteel, or MaxiBraid in the neighborhood of 3,000lb-plus breaking strength. They’re all essentially the same class of synthetic line – light, slick and stronger than steel. You’ll find them through a variety of marine stores. Buy a 300-foot hank. Loops on both ends should be tied with a figure-eight knot. Learn what a larks head knot is, and use it to secure the kite to the line and the line to carabiners. For Spectra made just for kite fliers, check tug.com.
- Anchors: Use stakes on grass, sand anchors at the beach, and a 2”X4” under the ice on a frozen lakebed. Read: Fly these Kites By Hand and You’ll be Gone in a Second.
- Straps and Carabiners: Make sure they’re as strong or stronger than your line, especially when anchoring multiple kites to a single strap/carabiner. Read: Showkiter to Gear Hound: Here are the Essentials
Safety:
- Learn from the Pros: Join a club, or become a member of the American Kitefliers Association, where you can meet and learn from other showkite fliers. You can also find them on YouTube. Network with these fliers and learn online and at kite festivals. The right equipment is essential and so are the many different techniques for flying safely. Read: The Unwritten Rules of Festival Kite Flying, Take a Flying Leap
- Space: Learn and abide by the wind rating of your kite and the weight-bearing limitations of your straps, line, and carabiners. Fly in an open space and use common sense. Learn your physical limits. Many kitefliers break out their showkites at festivals and group flies when there’s enough manpower and equipment to help each other out and get displays safely into and out of the sky.
Sure, it’s about kites, but for some of us, that’s just the beginning. Read: This is What I’m Doing in Kiting, So Much More than Kites, Flying High, Forever Grateful
Michael K. Sherman 