183 replies to this topic

[Love2fly]

Yes, that is a FAIL. You failed the Zen test so now you must give it to someone else. tsk tsk.

Bart

... and you'd think I'd totally know where his humor is going at this point!!!


I was sooooooooo focused on the ZEN, itself.... not the conditions to fly it!! Silly me.

[bartman]

... and you'd think I'd totally know where his humor is going at this point!!!


I was sooooooooo focused on the ZEN, itself.... not the conditions to fly it!! Silly me.

Well, you could give it to me, but I have my own waiting for me 4 hours away at the Great Canadian Kite Company Straight from KTAI. Not as colourful as yours though. I was torn between the blue fade and the ghost, but had to go with the ghost. First photo I saw of the Zen and it stuck with me I guess. We'll find someone else to take your Zen...

Bart

[Mitch]

Laura, the name of the kite makes it so hard not to make little Buddhist jokes, like: missing the wind for looking at the Zen is like mistaking the pointing finger for the moon.

Now that that's off my chest, Rev Flyer talked about putting "training wheels" on his kite. I've heard that referred to in other past posts but I don't know what it means. Is it a euphemism for a tail? Please let me know. I could use all the help I can get stabilizing in the messy winds we have.

[Kitelife]

Training wheels, search "magic sticks" or "sissy sticks" on the forum.

[quaa714]

... and you'd think I'd totally know where his humor is going at this point!!!


I was sooooooooo focused on the ZEN, itself.... not the conditions to fly it!! Silly me.

Speaking of the conditions or lack thereof...............

As you can see by the flag poles and the drooping flags, it was dead calm out there.
Flew on 90 foot 50# lines and the thing was like a race horse.
At the top of the window when inverted, the kite just lays there flat waiting for some input.
Axels are effortless.....was sort of like having an auto complete button on it.
The kite just rotates nice and flat all the way around.

Truly a FLY OR DIE KITE.
Caveat.....you def need some low wind flying skills. The kite won't fly itself. But if you absolutely need to fly and there is a lack of available breeze, this is the kite to get you up and going when nothing else will.......
AND no, this is not a paid endorsement, just the words of a giddy kid!!!!!!!

Edited by quaa714, 25 January 2010 - 10:53 AM.

[bartman]

I like the idea "auto complete" button!

Bart

[Bazzer]

I like the idea "auto complete" button!

Bart

It would be like a miniature easy button that fits on top of your handles LOL
Man that would be so funny after each axle to hear "that was easy"
Bazzer

[bartman]

I look forward to the day when I can say, "that was easy"! Hurry up with that damn button!

Bart

[Mitch]

Speaking of sticks, I've been flying my Zen with the handles that came with my B 1.5 pro. Anybody have experience flying with longer handles? Do you think it would be an advantage in light wind?
Also, I went back and looked up some posts about Magic Sticks. As the occasional victim of a bow-tie (especially with the rather flexible Zen) they sound intriguing. There was some discussion about whether Rev would produce some. Did that ever happen, or is it still an order-the-pieces and do-it-yourself project?

[REVflyer]

I've flown the Zen with 12 inch gaps and 17 inch gapped handles on the same line lengths
(measured between the two attachment points, not the overall length of the tube/rod as the factory calls it)

The longer throws help with all the slack line stuff,
but what is most interesting is that the Zen likes more "forward drive" in the tuning than I'm used to with my 1point5s
(granted I have much less experience on the Rev1 sized kites)

We played around with and without the sissy sticks in side-by-side comparisons also,
almost regardless of pilot's skill level that extra structure on the back of the kite made it more solid feeling & responsive
and the pilots could do things easier, slower and more gracefully, some tricking (okay FLAILING) for the very first time!

When you release the handles entirely from the top of the wind window the glide downwind is unbelievable!

I use this technique as an example for people who struggle with field recovery. The lesson is, if you can't recover flying the kite
than work on your technique 'cause the darn thing will recover all by itself, hundreds of feet forward/down wind,.. just throw the handles out in front of you and watch 'em be dragged away.
(now practice: Push those thumbs forward, arms low in front of you, control the descending glide angle and rate as you walk forward. WOW, that was easy!)

[Kitelife]

Yeah, the missus and I are finally Zenning too!

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[Stephen Hoath]

Yeah, the missus and I are finally Zenning too!

John, love the picture but next time could you get the missus to hold both the kites and you take the photo?

[Aerochic]

*Whistles*

Bazz has been churning out some verrrrry pretty Zens! Time to put my order in.

[quaa714]

Yeah, the missus and I are finally Zenning too!

WOW!!!!!
Deja Vu with TK's Zen. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before!!!!!!

[Dean750]

Yeah, the missus and I are finally Zenning too!

Sweet. Now maybe I'll get a real go with the Zen. Great looking pair. Can't wait to see what the team set looks like. Ya all have new team kites don't ya?

Dean

[bartman]

Yeah, the missus and I are finally Zenning too!

I have to say that is one of the nicest colour patterns I've seen from any design.

Bart

[Love2fly]

John, love the picture but next time could you get the missus to hold both the kites and you take the photo?

ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!


Hi John and TK-
They are really cool looking!!! I love the effect of the white which sort of looks angled in to the colors. (Don't know if that's stating it correctly).
Enjoy

[Love2fly]

WOW!!!!!
Deja Vu with TK's Zen. I feel like I've seen it somewhere before!!!!!!

Ditto that...........

[Baloo]

A pair of 1.5's inside a pair of Zen's, wOw.

[lummas]

Very effective JB/TK, love the graphics.

Mark