Friday 14 December 2012

One man, three kites

Is one man flying three dual-line kites an example of team-flying?

□ Yes, of course, because there are three kites in the sky, performing an aerial ballet.

□ No, of course not, because it's only one person flying them, not a team.

OK, we can argue until the cows come home, have had their supper and gone to bed, but let's leave that discussion for another time. Let's simply enjoy the spectacle of one man flying three kites (I'm not being sexist here; I've never seen it done by a woman), and let's especially appreciate the skill involved.

Go to youtube, and you'll find quite a few videos of one man flying three kites. I've picked four videos for this blog post. Three of the videos for the simple reason that I personally know the guys flying, and the fourth one because ... well, you'll see.

First up is Carl Wright of Team Spectrum. The very first time I saw one man fly three kites it was Carl, and I keep bumping into him at festivals ever since.


Next is Dave Green; I've seen him fly only once so far.


And then we have Josh Mitcheson; when you watch the video, please keep in mind that Josh is just 14 years old ...


And finally a video of Ray Bethell, purely because he is an absolute legend in the kiting world. Enjoy the show, and make sure you note the ending.


Nuff said, right?

2 comments:

  1. OMG! Excellent post! Such an interesting question and fun videos! I couldn't access the third one but I think I've seen it. I haven't yet been able to control one stunt kite, let alone three! I like Josh's artistry. Thanks for a great post!

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    1. Video works for me; make sure you do get to see Ray's routine, because it is truly amazing. A 3-kite refuel flown by one man??? The mind boggles ...

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