KITEBUILDER NEWS ~ JANUARY 2009

KITEBUILDER NEWS ~ JANUARY 2009

Hello kitebuilders, happy New Year! Despite the US economy, Kite Studio fared very well in 2008 and I need to thank all of you for your support. I know we experienced some order filling delays throughout the year - these were due mostly to production problems at the manufacturing level. We have great relationships with all our vendors and we have been told that many of the problems in ’08 have been resolved. So I am looking forward to the coming twelve months to test their production.

The activity levels in the catalog and forum have been great and I anticipate they will continue throughout 2009. This morning I added a new translation service to the website so our non-english speaking visitors have something to read. I have many more new features to implement so be sure to check back often.

KITE & KITEBUILDER OF THE YEAR
Its that time of year again... Who deserves to be crowned of 2008 KiteBUILDER of the Year? Which kite deserves the honor of 2008 KITE of the Year? Even if you are not an active member of the forum, check out the nominations – They are fantastic kites created by great kitebuilders. Click the links below.

KITE of the year - 2008 was a wonderful year for kitebuilding... many new designs, beautiful graphics, and impressive flights were reported throughout the year. I know it was difficult to pick out nominations for the best, but now I am going to ask members to make a much more difficult decision. The 2007 Kite of the Year was John Whibley's "Cody" Which will it be for 2008?

KITEBUILDER of the year - This is always a difficult decision, perhaps even more so than Kite of the Year. Each of the nominees (and many other forum members) deserve so much credit and appreciation for the amount time they spend answering questions, asking questions, motivating participation, helping newcomers, building kites, sharing knowledge, expressing a positive attitude, and a whole lot more. This place wouldn’t be the same without them. But we can only crown one of them this year. Last year it was Jimbo… who’s it gonna be this year?

To vote you must be a registered forum member. All votes must be received by February 1, 2009.

ONLINE KITEBUILDING PROJECT
I am pleased to announce a new kitebuilder.com online workshop! Bill Wilson from Nova Scotia, Canada will present to the world his version of the Fled Kite. Originally developed by Michael Andersen and Brooks Leffler, Wilson scaled up his design to more easily handle the 32.5 inch spars that he uses. The original intent of this kite was for Kite Aerial Photography (KAP) as it provides a nice, stable, platform for taking photos. Brooks Leffler sells the Fled and further describes the kite on his website:

"The Fled is a cross between the light-wind Flare and the traditional Sled. It's a stable, strong, light-wind kite that flies at a line angle of 65 - 70 degrees, just about perfect for KAP or line laundry. Despite its size, the Fled develops impressive lift; it will easily lift a camera rig of one pound in 6-8 mph wind, making it ideal for our BEAK series or an R/C or AuRiCo-controlled rig with a light point-&-shoot camera. The Fled is very forgiving. It will fly with or without the included drogue tail, and with or without bowing the spreader spar, but is more stable for KAP with both."

The three-week class will begin January 30, 2009. The class is free but you must be a forum member and registered by January 28. Check the forum for more information.

UPCOMING PROJECT:
2007 Kitebuilder of the Year, Jimbo, will present an 8-sided version of 12 sided Crown Kite. The modified design is based on 30 spars and has an outside diameter of about 74 inches. If you want to build this kite, continue to check the website as information becomes available. We expect this project to run sometime this Spring and there will be a limit of 100 participants. Click HERE for more information.

PACK OF BULLDOGS
Whew! Have you been following Whatakite’s online project? He’s been cutting the skins for high-wind, hard-pulling Bulldog Parafoils for fifty forum members. We expected the sign ups for this project to extend through January ’09, but all fifty kits were purchased in about two weeks! This has been an extremely popular project. As of today there have been almost 16,000 views. Click HERE to add to the count. I hope all the builders can some day attend a festival and get all the dogs up in a pack. It will be a great spectacle in the sky, a real dogfight! Bulldogs make wonderful lifters for line laundry and I am sure the builders will be making all kinds of dog art. And if they are not building, Dave & Suzie Gomberg will gladly provide pre-built accessories (your welcome David J ).

WINTER DREAM SALE
Ahhh... The pink sands of the Caribbean; it's what cold winter dreams are made of. Add a kite, and it would be perfect! Now until supplies last: .
65 oz Caribbean Ripstop - $3.00/ yard
.75 oz Caribbean Ripstop - $4.00/ yard
.75 oz Pink Ripstop- $4.00/ yard
50, 150, & 200 pound, 3,000 feet Pink Line - $15.00

View all of our current special here:http://www.kitebuilder.com/catalog/specials.php

KITEBUILDER GEAR:
Have you seen our new kitebuilder merchandise? Cool hats, shirts, and stickers. Warm sweatshirts, hoodies, and jackets. Check out this short video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibiAqxLEtfw

If you act quick you can get 10% off and FREE shipping! Use code EMAILOFFER4U.
This Offer Ends Monday, Jan 19, 2008 at Midnight!

Get your gear HERE

UPCOMING EVENTS:
If you would like to discover additional kite festivals and building retreats, be sure to check our website link below. Forum members post events all over the world. http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=21

FACEBOOK
Are you a member of facebook? There is a growing community of kiters. One of the greatest benefits to working at Kite Studio and kitebuilder.com, is that I consider most all my customers as friends. I don’t think there are many professions where the same can be said. Anyway, I am on facebook… just look for my name: “Steve Ferrel”. Join the crowd!

Speaking of faces, pop your head out the window. How’s the temperature in your neck of the woods? Today in eastern PA the high is 16 F. I’ve been reading that many of you are experiencing averages that are much lower - PERFECT kitebuilding weather. Take advantage of some of these sales, rev up your sewing machine, and get your kite bag ready for spring!

That’s all I have for now, initially I thought this was going to be a brief newsletter, sorry to keep you so long… but hey, it’s a winter afternoon, what else are you going to do? Now go build a kite!

Keep in touch….

--Steve
email: steve@kitebuilder.com
phone: 610-395-3560
web: www.kitebuilder.com




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Dahanu's Ashok creates world's first diamond-studded kite

DNA: Mumbai: Dahanu's Ashok creates world's first diamond-studded kite

Kitefliers to hold convention

Kitefliers to hold convention - Evening Sun

I'm on my way - arriving Spet 22. Looking forward to a great week.

2008 kites built

...Spectators probably were startled to learn that all the kites were made by one person. Zhang Tengyun worked for two years to prepare for the show. He made 2008 kites, in honour of the Olympic year. Full Story >>>

CCTV International

CCTV International

Kitebuilder News ~ June 2008

Hello kitebuilders, I’m going to keep this short. It’s a crazy time of year – the yards of ripstop and tubes of graphite have been flying out the door… no strings attached! Not much time is left at the end of the day for writing.

HEADS UP:
Or should I say Heads Down? Take a look at all the soon to end offers on the kitebuilders’ auction block. Todd Little, AKA Region Two Director, posted several items as a special auction to benefit the AKA 2008 Gettysburg, PA convention. Proceeds from this auction will go toward the Early bird Reception on opening night of the 2008 convention. Deltas, Boxes, Figures, Stunters, and Tails… great items for a great cause. Check ‘em out, bid 'em up...not much time remains.
http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/auction_sitemap.php

AKA CONVENTION
Speaking of the upcoming convention, tonight I conclude the writing of the Kitemakers' Competition article and schedule for the convention program. I can hardly believe I am working on something that will take place in September. I’m not very good at planning ahead – usually working at least a week behind. Anyway, the convention runs Sept 22-27, 2008 and I’ll be organizing the Comprehensive Kitemakers Competition again this year. This will be my 15th convention and I always look forward to next one... never disappointed. I encourage you to consider attending - you WILL have a good time. Find more information on the AKA website here:
http://www.aka.kite.org/con2008info.shtml

GRAPHITE PRODUCTION
I realize many of you have been experiencing delays in receiving certain sizes of graphite (and fiberglass) tube (and rod). We are working with our vendor to get the quantities to you as soon as possible. There are demands on the manufacturer in MANY directions and they are trying to get back to normal inventory levels. They’ve asked me to extend apologies for all delays. If one size has been holding up your kite project, give me a call or email and I’ll try to suggest an alternative. I want to see your kites in the air as much as you do!

CHOCOLATE SALE
Are you a chocolate lover? If so, you'll love the current promotion. Chocolate colored flying line. 3000 feet of 200 pound line for fifteen bucks… where can you find a better deal than that? Other weights and lengths are also available. Check ‘em out here: http://www.kitebuilder.com/catalog/specials.php

UPCOMING EVENTS:
If you would like to discover additional kite festivals and building retreats, be sure to check our website link below. Forum members are posting events all over the world.
http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/index.php?c=9

So that’s about all for now - I told you it was going to be short. Go back outside and enjoy your Summer!

--Steve Ferrel

email: steve@kitebuilder.com
phone: 610-395-3560

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Go fly a kite with homemade design...

Before you start, know the basics...

Go fly a kite with homemade design TheNewsTribune.com Tacoma, WA

Yinchuan Kite Festival

Yinchuan attracts crowds of kite enthusiasts

CCTV International

Hundreds of kites of all different shapes and sizes swarm the sky above Yinchuan. Here, in the capital of Northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, kite enthusiasts from far and wide gather for the 2008 Yinchuan International Kite Invitational.

Kitebuilder News

KITEBUILDER NEWS
I know super Sunday, super Tuesday and super Saturday is on everyone’s mind these days, but I’m asking all kitebuilders to escape politics for a few moments and browse the super kites that have been nominated for kitebuilder.com’s forum Kite of the Year. You can find them here: http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6127

KiteBuilder of the Year is also up for grabs and eight members have been nominated. Check them out here: http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=6146

If you are a forum member, I ask you to take two additional steps to vote which kite should be named Kite of the Year and which builder should be crowed Kitebuilder of the year. All votes must be received by February 18, 2007. I’ll admit they are difficult decisions, however important. If you would like to review past winners, check the “honor rolls” in this thread: http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=11

If you are not a member of the forum, consider joining. Membership is free and will give you access and search rights to all discussions. Registration is easy and fast: http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/profile.php?mode=register

WHO DO YOU LOVE?
Valentines Day sales are now in effect through February 29 (or until supplies last). Save up to 60% on select items:

• Red, White, Pink, and Raspberry ripstop in .50, .65, .75, and 1.5 ounce styles as low as $2.00/yard.
  
• Red & White 200 Denier banner cloth - 20% off!
  
• Pink flying and bridling line in 50#, 150# and 200# x 3,000 feet lengths, $15.00 each.
  
• View all sale items here: http://www.kitebuilder.com/kitestudio.html
  

KITEBUILDER GEAR:
New shirts, hats, stickers, and buttons available through our partner website, zazzle.com. These make perfect gifts for your favorite kitebuilder. This month, get 5% off two or more shirts… and they don’t have to be identical! Buy two or more sheets of postage and get $2 off each sheet. View our collection here:http://www.zazzle.com/kitestudio*

WIKI REMINDER
Just a reminder, Kitebuilder.com hosts a fully searchable, interactive "encyclopedia" created by, and existing for, the kitebuilder.com community. We archive kite plans and reference information with links all over the web. The cool think about the wiki is YOU can contribute. If you know something about what is written and want to add your two cents (or more), just hit the edit button. The only requirement is you must be logged into the forum while making your edits. Don’t worry about screwing things up, everything is automatically backed up and easily retrieved. Find more information here:http://www.kitebuilder.com/wiki/pmwiki.php

AUCTION REMINDER:
Another reminder about the kitebuilder auctions. Over the holidays, hundreds of dollars and many items were exchanged between kiters. I looked this morning and saw two beautifully tie dyed pieces of fabric listed with an expiration date in seven days. Take a look… if you are planning a new project, this cloth might be just what you need. I have plans to list a few items in the coming week as well.
http://www.kitebuilder.com/kitestudio.html

SMITHSONIAN KITE FESTIVAL
I will be kicking off the 2008 kite flying season by attending the Smithsonian Kite Festival March 29 in Washington DC. When we get good weather, this is my favorite festival of the year. If you plan on attending, be sure to look for me… I’ll be one of the judges. Find more information here: http://kitefestival.org/

UPCOMING EVENTS:
If you would like to discover additional kite festivals and building retreats, be sure to check our website link below. Forum members post events all over the world.
http://www.kitebuilder.com/forums/index.php?c=9

That’s about all for now… have a super February. Spring will be here soon.

Go build a kite!

--Steve


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Kitebuilder Fall Newsletter, part two

Happy holidays kitebuilder! This email is the second part of the Autumn newsletter that was sent out last month, serving as a reminder of a couple "happenings" on the kitebuilder.com website. Click on the headings below for more information.

KITE & KITEBUILDER of the YEAR

It is the time of year to decide the forums' two highest honors: 2007 Kite of the Year, and 2007 Kitebuilder of the Year. Throughout December, we are in the nomination process. In January we will vote and the announcement of the winner will be made on January 15 (or thereabouts :) If you haven’t been to the website lately, check it out. The kites being nominated are the best of the year and great photos have been posted. If you are an active member of the forum, make a nomination! Surely there is one kite that dropped your jaw to the table, or one kitebuilder that challenged your thinking and taught you something particularly useful. We need your input.

KITEBUILDER'S AUCTION

Have you peeked inside the auction room lately? Lots of cool kites and supplies up for bid. As of today, I see lots of fabric, inflatable line laundry items, deltas, double stars, eddy's, facets, a hot tacker, grommet tool, and an assortment of sewing notions. I even see a kit of all the spars and fittings you need to create one of those big circle kites made famous by Andre’ Cassagne, Pete Dolphin, and Jim Swanson. Support your fellow kitebuilder, send him a few bucks, and get a cool item in return! Remember, you must register and log into the forum to bid on auctions.


GIFT CERTIFICATES

Still looking for ideas for your favorite kitebuilder? Kite Studio gift certificates are perfect! Let him pick out what he needs, when he needs it. As a reminder, if you are ordering a gift certificate online, and if it is the only item in your order, the shipping charge will be eliminated and delivered via US postal service. This "adjustment" will not appear during checkout. If you want the certificate sent to a different address and want a note included, be sure to add this info in the "comment" section during checkout. Kite Studio gift certificates are good for one year after the date purchase.



SALE ITEMS

Lots of stuff on sale this month.

- Save 20% on Wrapped Graphite Spars - the lowest prices of the year.

- Our .65 ounce $3.00 sale is still going strong, however several colors are nearing the end - when it is gone, we will not be offering it again.

- Polyester Ripstop as low as $3.33/yard

- .75 and 1.5 nylons in assorted colors, as low as $3.00/yard

- 3,000 foot spools of kite line is selling out, and currently at $16.00 per roll. Price will drop two more times this year, but the inventory is getting very low on certain colors and weights. I guarantee, the price will be higher on Jan 1, 2008

- Great savings on the Engel Super-Pro Hot Knife, and Artograph Opaque Projector

- And more... log into the website.

KITEBUILDER GEAR

New shirts, hats, stickers and buttons are added constantly to our closet; perhaps a few would be good additions to yours?

So that’s about it for now. The biggest thing in this email was to notify you of the year end awards. It really is an important decision and I would like your input and vote. As the forum continually grows, the significance of the award becomes greater and greater. Stop by for a visit, you might learn something too!

I can’t believe the year is almost over… Enjoy the holiday season, and extend my best wishes to your family for a great new year. Thank you for a successful 2007. New winds are on the horizon.


Steve Ferrel
Kite Studio
www.kitebuilder.com
office: 610-395-3560

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Kitebuilder News - Fall 2007

KITEBUILDER.com NEWSLETTER – NOVEMBER 2007

Welcome Fall… and welcome all members of the kitebuilder.com community. This is your ‘occasional’ newsletter from Kite Studio. I would like to update you on some kite happenings and review a few items on sale this month.... Read the full newsletter HERE

AKA Convention - Saturday October 5

Results from the 2007 Comprehensive Kitemakers' Competition can be found HERE

Congratulations to John Pollock, 2007 AKA Grand Champion with his Edo kite, "Party Time"



More in depth coverage of the scores will follow with time. I'll also link the pictures. A big thank you to all who participated and a big congratulations to all the winners....

AKA Convention - Thursday October 4

The 2007 AKA Kitemakers Competition is history AND I KNOW ALL THE WINNERS! The award ceremony is Saturday night and I can't wait to make all the announcements. I am sure there will be a lot of smiling faces, and jumps of joy.

I've been adding to the online gallery of pictures HERE . As soon as I get time, i'll add captions. Most of the photos were taken by my roving cameraman, Rick Agar.

Here's a picture of my entire volunteer staff:


Everyone did a great job - I couldn't run this competition without them.


Overall the event went VERY well. 96 kites were entered, 42 of which were novices. I will not reveal the winners at this time, but I will say, some of the novices will take home awards. On a scale of 1-10, I instructed the ten judges to score the "average" kite at 6.0 and I am happy to report the quality in each four criteria (Visual Appeal, Flight, Craftsmanship, and Structural Design), was above average (7.33, 6.87, 7,77, 6.99).

I will spend the rest of today organizing photos, attending a judges meeting, and preparing for the awards ceremony. Later tonight is the Auction and I look forward to raising my hand to a few items. I poked my head in the auction door earlier today, and saw some spectacular pieces!

I'll report more later....

AKA Convention - Wednesday October 3

Not a whole lot of time to write this morning, I am off to the field for the first time this week! Wednesday competition was held indoors due to rain. We judges 65 kites and have about 30 more to judge on Thursday. The overall quality of craftsmanship and structural design is ABOVE average... lots of good looking kites.

View the growing collection of pictures here:

2007 AKA Kitemakers Competition

More to report later tonight.

--Steve

AKA Convention - Tuesday October 2

One word. RAIN. :(

Tuesday in Ocean Shores was a great day for indoor activities. I began my day with seminar hosts, Ciff Quinn and Debbie VonBokern. They reviewed the four criteria of comprehensive kitebuilding competitions: 1) Flight & Handling, 2) Visual Appeal, 3)Structural Design, 4)Craftsmanship. Most of this information is described in Chapter 6 of the AKA Rules and Guidelines for Kitemakers' Competitions, but Cliff and Deb expanded the four page outline into a two hour presentation. From a judges eye, they discussed how and why a kite gets a score. Standing room only, the seminar generated many questions and answers.

Later in the afternoon, Cliff and I did an impromptu round table discussion on kite materials and and how they relate to kite design.

At 5:00, about twenty kitebuilder.com forum members gathered in the lounge and were treated to a free round of drinks - except for me. Mine was rather expensive :)
We all exchanged introductions and spent about an hour learning things about one another and putting faces to the written words we see on the forum. Some group pictures were taken, but I have yet to get a copy so I will have to post at a later time. As another treat, I unveiled the new kitebuilder.com forum feather flag!



I designed flag with some input from Cliff Quinn. Then Cliff found time to create this sample. We have to make a few adjustments to the panels, which won't take long, then the plan will be available for download. I'll supply the parts in kit form that will include the pole, fabric, and pre-cut insignia letters for "kitebuilder.com". Forum members can put their name on the bottom section and the blank white section is for your imagination. Make the banner your own with any graphic you come up with. This should be a great little flag to display your forum membership. But there's more! The coolest part of this flag is this: Each banner is a single piece to a puzzle. Take a close look and the shape. Imagine two (or more) of these banners side by side. They fit together! Included in the kit will be pieces of Velcro. When forum members get together at a festival, the feather flags can also be "put together" to form one large display. The flag represents the forum coming together just like the forum joins kitebuilder's around the world. I wonder what the record will be for the most number of pieces we can get together?

Wednesday we begin the Comprehensive Kitemakers' Competition. The forecast is a 90% chance of rain, so there is a good chance we will take "Ground Scoring" portion of the competition indoors. I am hopeful that Thursday will be dry and windy so we can get the kites up and score Flight and Visual Appeal.

Still no photos, but Wednesday will bring great camera opportunities.

Stay tuned for more info.....

--Steve

AKA Convention - Monday October 1

I must be getting old. There was a day when I could easily take 24 hours of up-time without problem. Today, I'm not the same. I woke at 4 am in Pennsylvania and went to bed the following night in Washington at 1 am. The three hour time delay makes a big difference - and I feel it. Ahh the good 'ole days.

But the "today's" are still pretty damn good. Monday October 1 is day one for the AKA (American Kitefliers Association) annual convention in Ocean Shores. See convention details here: http://www.aka.kite.org/convention.shtml#2007

From the moment I landed in the Seattle airport I was surrounded by friends I haven't seen for a year. When standing at the car rental counter, all I had to do was say I was traveling to Ocean Shores and someone next to me yelled, "Hey Steve, good to see you again!" So begins the first day of convention. It feels good to be here.



The highlight of the day was the world premier of the film, Kite Runner. The movie was filmed in part at Cesar Chavez Park in Berkeley, CA, using several AKA members. It will release to the world in early November, but 150 lucky convention attendees got special treatment - I was one of them. I wish I could comment on how well the film follows the book. Although I've owned a copy of the book for a couple years, I have yet to read it. I can however, certainly say the film was very good. Lot's of fighter kite action, and a script that will probably bring a tear. The story of a friendship that is tied together with a kite string. Forever lasting... sort of like the friendships we make here at convention. Go see the film.

As I look out my hotel window early Tuesday morning, I get the feeling there will also be a lot of wet eyes this afternoon. It is pouring rain and the forecast is not very dry. We shall see. A perfect day for attending workshops and elbowing up to the bar with a few friends. It's 9 am - I'm off to my first seminar.

Stay tuned... I'll report more.

--Steve

PS: sorry, no pictures yet.... I'm working on it.

YouTube - Summer Kite Contest 2007

Summer Kitebuilding Contest

Six forum members compete in Kite Studio's Summer Kite Contest. View the entries here:
YouTube - Summer Kite Contest 2007

YouTube - Bell Cygnet Kite Centennial CTV News Baddeck Nova Scotia

YouTube - Bell Cygnet Kite Centennial CTV News Baddeck Nova Scotia

Kite Building Videos

Activity TV

AKA Grand Champion, and KiteBuilder.com's Kitebuilder of the Year, Cliff Quinn recently completed a series of nine kite videos for children. Produced by http://www.activitytv.tv/ , each video demonstrates how to build different kites using paper, plastic, and ripstop nylon. The kite types are classified as Beginner, Intermediate, and Expert and include Rokkaku, Sled, Barn Door, Sauruga, Korean, Dragon, Della Porta, and Diamond.

The videos are stored in the "Summer Fun" section, or click here

Kitebuilder, Martin Blais in the news

The Daily Times: A flying guitar, the Mona Lisa, Chinese dragons, a castle, a cow and geometric shapes — all kites — decorate the cafeteria ceiling at Sam Houston Elementary School thanks to a professional kite maker....