Overdrive - kite team video

[Ewan]

Seeing another thread about someone flying a revolution kite reminded me of these guys, they are in my opionion probably the best kite team in the world. Hope the link works!

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2BzGeKmgKUA]YouTube - Stunt kite team : Overdrive 2003[/ame]

[tiddler]

Brilliant :)

How the hell do they do that without getting themselves all knotted up :confused:

[Ewan]

[quote=tiddler;485119]Brilliant :)

How the hell do they do that without getting themselves all knotted up :confused:[/quote]


Firstly, they use dynema/sprectre lines, very thin, very slippery, very little stretch and of course not cheap for what appears to be just string.

A team can still maintain control of the kites with a couple of twists (wraps) in the srtrings ie if all the kites follow each other round in a couple of circles without the fliers moving.

Next the routines are all painstakingly choreographed to ensure that when twists are put in that the next moves will take them out.

And lastly, lots and lots of practise. I was there in 2003, Overdrive had got to the venue two weeks earlier and spent about 8 hours a day practising every day of that two weeks before the competition.

They are bl00dy awesome.

[tiddler]

[quote=Ewan;485120]Firstly, they use dynema/sprectre lines, very thin, very slippery, very little stretch and of course not cheap for what appears to be just string.

A team can still maintain control of the kites with a couple of twists (wraps) in the srtrings ie if all the kites follow each other round in a couple of circles without the fliers moving.

Next the routines are all painstakingly choreographed to ensure that when twists are put in that the next moves will take them out.

And lastly, lots and lots of practise. I was there in 2003, Overdrive had got to the venue two weeks earlier and spent about 8 hours a day practising every day of that two weeks before the competition.

They are bl00dy awesome.[/quote]

Well yeah, I pretty much guessed the choreography / practice bit.
But your right, it is bloody awesome. I loose count of the twists on the lines of my little kite on its own :blush5: Cant imagine trying to wrap it round another 3 kite lines as well :ack2:

[Ewan]

[quote=tiddler;485123]Well yeah, I pretty much guessed the choreography / practice bit.
But your right, it is bloody awesome. I loose count of the twists on the lines of my little kite on its own :blush5: Cant imagine trying to wrap it round another 3 kite lines as well :ack2:[/quote]

Sorry did not mean to be patronising.

Flying in a team is great fun but you probably crash quite a lot at first, gets easier after the first couple of years. One thing though, repairing a kite is a damned site easier, quicker and cheaper than a heli.

[machasm]

Got to admit.
That was pretty good.
Excellent synchronicity and skill.