What goes around comes around

[JohnLM]

Happy to fly kites once again after many years of dormant, non-activity (for the kites)!
In my early days I experimented and learned on my own from single line kites, painting the sky with many singles line kites to flying stunt kites between them. A move into Chicago provided a new venue and as I learned about stunt kites my collection grew (several pictures are posted on Facebook's Stunt Kite Classics group). We had an ad hoc group of flyers who met & flew on North Avenue Beach, before the volleyball nets took over. We flew individual and teams for a day then headed out for food.

I'm still an old school dual line kite flyer who flew more for the roar & speed than the tricks. I did alot of grass & sand plowing with the NSR stack. I stopped flying prior to the advent of trick kites and 'extreme' power kites used by today's kite boarders.

A sampling of my kites includes:

Top of the Line North Shore Radical
Top of the Line North Shore Radical Extreme
Chicago Fire Kite Co Bee
Chicago Fire Kite Co Girl, 10'
Spryro-Jet
Wasp (Texas)
Firedart
Naname
Flexifoil 4' Hotshot
Flexifoil 6'

I'll be trying these out once again in 2017; 17+ years after putting them in storage.

[Mike]

Welcome to the club, John!
It'll be fun to see those old kites in the air.
Of course, you'll have to try a kite with double the strings and double the fun :) Most of our members also fly quads--Steve will help you out, I'm sure.

[goestoeleven]

Yep, I will. I got to fly the Wasp and (I think) the Chicago Fire Girl yesterday. We'll get John on some rev handles sometime . . . . we just need to get a club fly scheduled . . . .

John - BTW, the club festival calendar is here, in case you want to try some other festivals in the near future. IKE members (sometimes) wear red IKE shirts to the festivals. I don't know if anyone from IKE is going to Grand Haven, but I'm sure there will be some Wisconsin Kiters at that event. They tend to wear bright neon green shirts on Saturdays, and red on Sundays. Just FYI, if the weather is good, there's not a lot of room on that beach because it gets covered with people. They only rope off the performance field and the big show kite fields. You can fly if you walk down the beach a ways to the north or south of the festival fields. If the wind is good, there will be a good show to watch.

[makatakam]

Hi, John, and welcome to the forum. I look forward to flying with you. Although I tend to fly quads most of the time, I know my way around a dual and how to fly it old-school, but there are some in the club that can trick them too. Where do you live? If you're out in the Chicago burbs we can get a group together to fly at Busse Woods. Nice field, lots of room.

[edmond]

hi John and welcome. i am i think the newest flyer on this forum but i try to find them with any occasion and trust me is a big gain. how Makatakam said Busee Woods is a good spot to meet in week-ends. during the week i fly on Loyola beach and some time on Montrose beach.if the wind is East or West side i go on Warren Park.i fly quads but mi wife is on dual so she may learn something from you

[JohnLM]

Thanks for the Welcome! I used to live downtown by Lincoln Park Zoo and fly on North Ave Beach & Montrose Park around the hill. However, now I live out by the big zoo. I am familiar with Busee Woods as I flew there a few times mid-90's, usually around event times. I no longer have a 'regular spot' but there are two large parks in the near SW Burbs. I am willing to meet up for a group fly sometime given good winds (edit>) and no plans by my wife!

Yes, goestoeleven flew my Wasp (Texas) & Chicago Fire Kite Co, Girl (10') kite. Both were on their 2000 inaugural fly since storage a long time ago after we met at the Wheaton, IL Kite fest.

[goestoeleven]

We need to help you remove that "former" in your signature

This Saturday I will be at Fair Oaks Farm with 180Go!, and I'm sure there will be a bunch of the Wisconsin Kiters there as well with their big show kites. Tell the wife you have to go to "work"

[chicagokite]

Those were the days we were there every Wed till dusk usually 4 or 5 of us .
Next weekend Glenview kite Fest at the glens 10-4 http://www.chicagokite.com/glkidayap5th.html