Saturday 12 January 2013

Top teams, past and present

Even though we try to fly through the autumn and winter, as much as the weather allows, it's inevitable that flying activity is less than in the spring and summer. As I write this, we haven't been able to get some serious team-flying practice in with L-katz for well over two months ...

So I thought it would be a good idea to brighten up the low season by posting some videos of the top teams, and especially put one of the earliest world champion teams side-by-side with the two teams which are currently the world's finest.

In the early days of team-flying, we're talking 1980s and early 90s, one team was head and shoulders above the rest: Top of the Line. Here is a video from 1990 of one of their performances:


Now compare this routine with that of Red Bull Kite Force, 2nd at the last two World Championships:


And the 2010 routine of the Scratch Bunnies, the 2010 and reigning world champions:


Without meaning to dish Top of the Line, you have to admit kite team-flying has developed a lot in 20-odd years, hasn't it? Of course, to a large part that is due to the evolution of the kites, but also to choreographies building on from each other, new ideas being developed, etc.

If these videos have whetted your appetite, there are plenty more on the World Sport Kite Championship's web-site; enjoy!

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