From: davidn@humboldt1.com (David Neumeier) Subject: Still Trying to Axle my Ion Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 06:59:34 -1000 Organization: Humboldt Internet Message-ID: <4ku3kl$anh@home.humboldt1.com> Okay, please tell me what I'm doing wrong. I took my Ion out this weekend. Conditions were great. There was just enough wind to stall the kite. So here's what I do: I fly the kite horizontally left until I start to get into the edge where I turn the kite nose up and stall it. Then I give a tug with my right hand while my left hand gives slack. The kite does one of two things. The right side of the pivots counter clockwise about 45 deg. then stops or I pull too hard and the right tip points toward me and the kite drops. I'm asking for your help here. Am I doing something wrong or should I just break down and get a Box of Tricks or some kite that is known for its axle-ablity. Thanks in advance. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: fsiegel@linet06.li.net (Frank Siegel) Subject: Re: Still Trying to Axle my Ion Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 12:40:14 -1000 Organization: LI Net (Long Island Network) Message-ID: <4l17ke$isj@linet06.li.net> David Neumeier (davidn@humboldt1.com) wrote: : Okay, please tell me what I'm doing wrong. I took my Ion out this : weekend. Conditions were great. There was just enough wind to stall : the kite. So here's what I do: I fly the kite horizontally left : until I start to get into the edge where I turn the kite nose up and : stall it. Then I give a tug with my right hand while my left hand : gives slack. The kite does one of two things. The right side of the : pivots counter clockwise about 45 deg. then stops or I pull too hard : and the right tip points toward me and the kite drops. David, It sounds like you are having the same problem that I was. First, it is much easier to axle if the "popping" hand is on the *outside*. By flying to the left, and popping with the right hand, you are turning in a direction that is harder. Second, it sounds like you have the stall, but there usually needs to be a small set-up move before the pop. This is usually a small push with the popping hand right before the pop. Dodd's two tapes, Flight School II and III cover the axle, but Dodd is so incredibly fast it's hard to see the quick-little set-up on FS II. Here's the sequence... 1- order the two Flight Schools 2- while you wait for delivery, try this... a- fly left to right, (opposite of what you've done) b- stall the kite with a quick pull of the left (inside) hand (you may need a bit of a "punch" with the right (outside) hand for the stall. c- do a quick push with the right hand, followed by a sharp pop (pull) coupled with a *long* release on the left hand (the line should have no tension). I find that I can pop slightly faster moving the hand down and back (shoulder and elbow) than trying to move up and across. d- watch what the kite does...don't, like I did, get so entranced watching the axle you forget to then fly the kite. 3- Then watch the video, re-watch, watch in slow-motion-(accept that Dodd could probably axle a newspaper tied to two pieces of string)...and go out and try it again. I think you'll find you're then able to axle the prism (most kites will axle, some are much easier than others) Frank (the other one, not nasty at all) Note: I have no connection to DJSKites other than being a customer whose found his videos invaluable. = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: "George W. Gilchrist" Subject: Re: Still Trying to Axle my Ion Message-ID: <3175B5D9.3F2B@eskimo.com> Organization: Eskimo North (206) For-Ever Date: Wed, 17 Apr 1996 17:24:09 -1000 David Neumeier wrote: > > Okay, please tell me what I'm doing wrong. I took my Ion out this > weekend. Conditions were great. There was just enough wind to stall > the kite. So here's what I do: I fly the kite horizontally left > until I start to get into the edge where I turn the kite nose up and > stall it. Then I give a tug with my right hand while my left hand > gives slack. The kite does one of two things. The right side of the > pivots counter clockwise about 45 deg. then stops or I pull too hard > and the right tip points toward me and the kite drops. > > I'm asking for your help here. Am I doing something wrong or should I > just break down and get a Box of Tricks or some kite that is known for > its axle-ablity. > > Thanks in advance. David, Well, I highly recommend purchasing a Box of Tricks just because the kite is such a blast. It will not, however, automatically axel, so we need to get you up to speed with the Ion first. My favorite axel position is the one you describe, so we'll stick with it. Right to left; nose up and stall near the left edge of the window. Now, take your right hand and push it about 6 inches towards the kite; the right side of the sail should tip forward and the entire kite rotate just slightly towards the left. Immediately bring the right hand back hard and fast, stopping abruptly about 18 inches from where the hand started. As the right hand is moving back, toss your left hand forward a long way, so a wave travels quickly down the line towards the kite. Ideally, the wave will reach the kite just as it flattens and starts to rotate. As soon as your right hand is stopped, throw it forward so a wave travels down the right line. Ideally, the wave will reach the kite as it is rotating away from you, so the nose can make the turn pointing away from you, with the sail flat and parallel to the ground. Keep the slack in your lines. You may need to step towards the kite to keep the lines slack. As soon as the slack leaves your line, the axel is over. Period. From your description, it sounds mostly like you are not getting enough slack in the lines as the kite is rotating. You may have to reach out with the right hand and steer the line around the left tip as it comes towards you. I probably only did about 400-500 failed axels before I caught on. The Ion certainly ought to do them pretty easily, once you get the hang of it. The BoT is a better kite, IMHO, both for tricks and for just plain flying. But the Ion will take a real beating and still deliver good performance. Keep up the effort!!! Cheers, George -- *********************************************************** George W. Gilchrist Biologist and Kiteflyer home/kites: kitesci@eskimo.com biology/office: gilchgw@zoology.washington.edu = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: Joachim_Wiechmann@ol2.maus.de (Joachim Wiechmann) Message-ID: <199604170806.a47036@ol2.maus.de> Organization: Maus BB - Public BBS & Internet Site - member of MausNet(R) Subject: Still Trying to Axle my Ion Date: Tue, 16 Apr 1996 20:06:00 -1000 Hi David! DN> I fly the kite horizontally left DN> until I start to get into the edge where I turn the kite nose up and DN> stall it. Then I give a tug with my right hand while my left hand DN> gives slack. Try axelling with the outside hand instead of the inside hand. This is much easier at the beginning. Don't forget to push the axelling hand forward a bit before giving the tug. This move causes the nose to fall forward, thus slackening the upper bridle line on that side. Have fun, Joachim = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: dbarnes@whidbey.net (dick barnes) Subject: Re: Still Trying to Axle my Ion Date: Thu, 18 Apr 1996 14:46:56 -1000 Organization: Whidbey Internet Services Message-ID: <4l6nq0$iqt@whidbey.whidbey.com> >David Neumeier wrote: >> >> Okay, (snip) I fly the kite horizontally left >> until I start to get into the edge where I turn the kite nose up and >> stall it. Then I give a tug with my right hand while my left hand >> gives slack. The kite does one of two things. The right side of the >> pivots counter clockwise about 45 deg. then stops or I pull too hard >> and the right tip points toward me and the kite drops. David, are saying that you fly the kite to *your left*, stall, and then try to pop the axel with *your right hand*? Try stalling the kite with a "push" (outside hand) to bring the kite to a nose up attitude. Then "pop" (tug sharply) with the *same hand* you pushed with and at the same time feed slack to the opposite hand. Some kites need the nose farther up than others. My BadBoy will axel with the spine nearly parallel to the ground while I need to have my Tracker nearly vertical. dick barnes coupeville wa = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = From: djskites@aol.com (Djskites) Subject: Re: Still Trying to Axle my Ion Date: Fri, 19 Apr 1996 01:11:35 -1000 Organization: America Online, Inc. (1-800-827-6364) Message-ID: <4l7sd7$sfn@newsbf02.news.aol.com> Sorry I got on this thread late. To the original poster: Can you execute a proper snap stall? I mean one that will actually stall for more than 2 seconds! If you can do that, then simply remember to "set up" the kite first. Practice pushing the wings back and fourth on the edge of the window while maintaining a stall from a snap stall. After that, the axel is the next step. Any questions, e-mail me and I will go into more detail for you. Dodd = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =