Element Second Thoughts
Wednesday 15 April 2009 at 2:45 pm
Okay been flying the Element again, in it's repaired state.
Changes, well the bridle is on Red - it has been very light winds. In
this set up the Element feels like a UL-STD rather than a STD. Saturday
when the wind was really low was harder work.
Last night I added a yo-yo line. Not for yo-yo's (it is a bit too
long and too far back for that) but to cut down tip-wraps when trying
to do new stuff. It really makes a difference on the frustration score.
Rolling up? Very very easy mate. Even in the more curved circular flying style I prefer. The yo-yo line does help here as it makes rare missed stops more recoverable. I have managed three wraps without any problems. Seems very safe and locked in when wrapped.
When rolled up and locked 540's are lovely and don't pop out unless you give the kite some input. More tricky stuff is beyond my flow at the moment, but I am sure it will come.
Lazy Susan and Turtle stuff is great. Never got my .85 tuned for these tricks how I wanted. This is more like a Transfer. Yes it likes to spin. But I am being careful with these tricks as I have already broken one spar!
Haven't held a fade with it yet, but backspins are great fun. Flat and fast and the kite rises. Not tried cascading them yet. Just spanking it.
The Element is really fun to play with just off the ground. It loves low side slides, tip landings, coin tosses and variations. With the settings I am on it likes to lift which is great for old-school groundwork.
Flat spin tricks are lovely. Easy to pop a 540 on the kite anywhere in the window, and often it will keep going helicopter style. Repeating 540's are surely built in, if I could remember the inputs. I am not a 540 facist, but the Element is lovely and flat in belly down rotations with minimal effort. If that sort of thing makes you smile then this kite will make you grin like grinny person on national keep grinning day.
Cometes and axel on axel combinations. Well I managed 2 comete blocks before I messed up the timing. Which is progress. The yo-yo line helps with the practicing as tip wraps don't happen so much and you get to fly another day. But comete syle tricks don't seem to be as accessible as the yank and spank Fury or the float and gloat Deep Space. I am sure it is a matter of tuning in, and others have found cometes easy. I am probably just very rusty indeed. But this is recreation right?
Some notes. After flying the Element I couldn't get anything out of a Nirvana and struggled with the Pilot (hey Jack get your VF entry in!).
Is Simples. Is a different style of kite.
Yan very kindly (I think) said that after watching me fly it he could see the difference between trick flying and freestyle (can - worms - open). So the Element can certainly be flown in a sloppier more reactive relaxed style.
Is this the best kite I have ever flown? Who cares. It is the one I am flying at the moment.
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