www.my-best-kite.com Table of Contents Introduction.............................................................................................................................6 Chapter format........................................................................................................................................ 6 A Tip For The Frugal............................................................................................................................... 6 STUNT KITES........................................................................................................................7 Delta, Diamond, Parafoil or Quad?.........................................................................................................7 Types Of Stunt Kites............................................................................................................................... 8 The Peter Powell Stunt Kite.......................................................................................................12 Classic Steerable Diamond Kite...........................................................................................................12 'Cayman' Peter Powell Stunt Kite.........................................................................................................12 A History: The Peter Powell Stunt Kite..................................................................................................13 Dual Line Parafoil Kites..............................................................................................................15 Fast And Furious!.................................................................................................................................. 15 The Bridles........................................................................................................................................... 15 Lines And Handles................................................................................................................................ 16 The Pilots.............................................................................................................................................. 16 A History of Stunt Kites..............................................................................................................18 From Peter Powell To Parafoils.............................................................................................................18 The 30s................................................................................................................................................. 18 The 40s................................................................................................................................................. 19 The 60s................................................................................................................................................. 19 The 70s................................................................................................................................................. 19 The 80s................................................................................................................................................. 19 The 90s................................................................................................................................................. 20 Since The 90s....................................................................................................................................... 21 Flying Trick Kites........................................................................................................................22 Is It Different From Stunt Flying?..........................................................................................................22 Kinds Of Trick Kites.............................................................................................................................. 22 Comparing With Precision Kites...........................................................................................................23 Trick Flying........................................................................................................................................... 23 Trick Kites In The Future....................................................................................................................... 24 POWER KITES....................................................................................................................25 Take Me For A Ride!............................................................................................................................. 25 Types Of Power Kites........................................................................................................................... 25 Power Kites in Action............................................................................................................................ 26 Surfing Kites..............................................................................................................................29 C Kites, Bow Kites and Others..............................................................................................................29 The C Kite............................................................................................................................................. 29 The Bow Kite........................................................................................................................................ 30 The Hybrid Kite, or SLE Kite.................................................................................................................31 Page 2 of 95 www.my-best-kite.com The Parafoil Kite................................................................................................................................... 32 Conclusion............................................................................................................................................ 33 Kite Racing................................................................................................................................34 A Fast Growing Kite Sport....................................................................................................................34 Kite Racing - The Spectacle.................................................................................................................34 The Racing Kites.................................................................................................................................. 35 Kite Boarding On Land...............................................................................................................36 A Collection Of Action Photos...............................................................................................................36 Kite Skiing..................................................................................................................................38 Flying Across Flat Snow And Ice...........................................................................................................38 So You Want To Snow Kite........................................................................................................39 Which Kite To Use?..............................................................................................................................39 History Of Power Kites...............................................................................................................42 Flexifoil -> Ozone Access -> Beyond....................................................................................................42 BOX KITES..........................................................................................................................44 And A Few Interesting Variations..........................................................................................................44 Box Kites In Action................................................................................................................................ 46 A History of Box Kites................................................................................................................48 From Hargrave To The EO6..................................................................................................................48 Gibson Girl.................................................................................................................................50 The Box Kite, Not The Radio!...............................................................................................................50 Specs And Other Details....................................................................................................................... 51 Modern Cody Kites....................................................................................................................52 A Great Old Design Lives On................................................................................................................52 Retail And Home-Built Cody Kites........................................................................................................52 The Classic Cody Kite................................................................................................................55 An Oldie But A Goodie..........................................................................................................................55