OK... on a semi-serious note.....
HQ has anounced a bunch of kites for 2010.... dual lines for the most part. Their single lines historically have not been heavily promoted. I expect new models of the latter will be snuck into stores throughout the year. I expect there are a few 2009 SLKs that most people aren't even aware of.
FWIW: I am still not ready to condemn HQ for the Yon yet. The big thing about the Skydance was that it was a variable camber quad. On the Yon the leading edge looks braced. It might have the same shape but fly totally differently as a result of that.... time will tell.
Premier just flat out mystifies me at times. Val Deale and some of the others are great and I expect they would give you the shirt off their back, but new model information is like pulling something out of a rusty bear trap. New colors for the Trick & Track as well as the Vision. Complete redo of the Aero-Gliders. They already market/license some of Carsten Domann's kites, so why they heck they won't do the same with his Genki eludes me (it's been available in EU/UK for a year or two now). The Dimension X looks new. The Corner Box looks new. The Excaliber isn't new (maybe 2 years old, but this is the first year they have included it in the public catalog with any prominence).
I expect that Prism might have something besides the Tensor at KTAI. However, 2 (?) years ago I think Mark decided that instead of doing annual releases, Prism would realease kites as they reached point X in the production cycle. Pluses and minuses to that, but given some of the slippages from both Prism and other manufacturers, not totally without merit.
R-Sky brought out a whole bunch of SLKs. Some more iterations of the Nirvana seem likely. It also seems like they might add a couple of entries on the lower rungs to get people interested at a lower price point.
I consider the Rev Zen a 2010 model for all practical purpose. I think the 1.5 travel frames came along late enough to be counted as 2010 or at least 2009.5.
Ken is baking cookies at Blue Moon... so that looks pretty promising.
Maybe it is narrow margins or distributor exclusivity, but I really, really wish more than one retailer carried stuff by Elliot. At the very, very least, I wish more of the product line was represented in the States.
Things (including marketing) seems to work differently on the other side of the fence. However, with the exception of cross-border manufacturers, not sure some of these folks will be at KTAI.
Ground Industries has a new board line-up, as well as new running gear for 2010. The have been promoting stuff on their Facebook page for weeks now and shipping out 2010 merchandise as fast as they can get it from their warehouses. Not even sure they are KTAI members.
Chargers from Peter Lynn are making their way to the US for 2010. And there are rumours of a Phantom II.
Ozone got a 2010 refresh for their kites and an entry level Fixed-Bridle Snowkite in a box.
HQ has new models of most if not all of their 2009 Power Kite lineup.
It really, really would be a nice thing if there was a 2010 New Kite Booklet/Pamphlet (even e-format) put out shortly after KTAI.
ATB,
Sam
