Photo of Tracer UL added Oct 29:
In October of 2003, there was a gathering of kite fliers in Chico. Shane and Shelly, Steve and Chris, Bambi and myself along with many other good friends. There's over 60 photos starting here:
Our friends, Sean and Mary, came in from Berry Creek. We taught them to fly and at the end of the day as we left to drive back to Cupertino, Bambi told me to give them a kite. I explained that I had no beginner kites to give them and that the wind in Chico was low so they would need a UL. Bambi soaked that in and again told me to give them a kite.
I had just purchased a Tracer UL (framed in Advantage rods) from someone (sorry, can't remember). I was told it was like new and the sail was still crisp. As the other kites in my bag were all very nice (including a then brand new Katana), I handed over the Tracer UL, a lineset and ribbon tail. I hadn't even seen the Tracer.
Over the years, Sean would let me know when he flew the kite and how he was teaching kids to fly. So that felt good and I have a few Tracers anyway.
Well, Sean and Mary are moving and on one of their furniture moving trips, they stopped in. Sean asked a favor and wanted me to exercise one of his "machines". So he "loaned" the Tracer I'd never seen back to me exactly 7 years after I gave it away.
It's on the sofa behind me now, all set up. The sail is still crisp and it's so new there are no photos of it. It's black with a red and orange swoop across it. It looks like these, but in different colors:
Hopefully, when Sean and Mary are settled into their new place, I can unloan the kite back to them.
