"UK trick master" Peter Massey...member of the Kent Kite Flyers it looks like.
"Trick master" - in my dreams! - No just someone who is still trying to learn tricks (and didn't get on with learning from videos) - Learn a bit more each year. Despite the location of our home (i.e. near Kent), my partner and I are members of the White Horse Kite fliers. You can read a bit on how we started at
http://www.whkf.org.uk/earlymags/A08.pdf . (pages 4-5).
The book is a nice attempt to get more modern information to todays flyers, however I find it to be a bit one sided. I have flown in several competitions and have competed with modern trick flyers, and have done well by just flying a standard routine that uses basic shapes, crisp turns and track like control. Tricks are nice, but they are not everything. True control of a kite at the end of your lines, can be impressive to any spectator.
Agreed. In the UK there are STACK boot camps and also better flying days, which concentrate on precision and ballet, offer excellent tuition, and were very informative and helpful in getting us flying. So I didn't feel I had to say so much on that aspect.
"Yet the only book that covers this subject, (as opposed to the much more commercial power kiting) was written in 1992, and last published in 1997." (“Stunt Kites to make and fly”.)
- A strong statement to make, and when I wrote it I thought I might be making myself a hostage to fortune. But on the other hand we had been searching the kite festival stalls, kite shops and the internet for over two years by then, and despite attending a boot camp and a better flying day, no-one had mentioned any other available books.
Hmmm. Should we tell him about the Ron Reich or Al Harguss books? Stunt Kites! and Sport Kite Magic are two others that come to mind....
Oh yes please! Thanks for telling me, and much more importantly making "Sport Kite Magic" available on the internet. I read it last week and found it excellent coverage of ballet and precision. - Over the coming months will try following the instructions for the figures.
Will keep a lookout for the Reich and Harguss books. And if I ever to post another edition, these will be some of the many corrections and updates.
...A small point - despite the thread title, the posted "Kite Notes" is only 124 pages??
