... but first a word kite from our sponsors.
Today was the first (warm-up) day of the Annual Kite Festival here in Nelson. The other Nelson Kite Club members seemed to have it all under control when I got down to Neale Park after work, so I promptly got my kite stuck in a tree, and followed that with a surprised-man-in-an-ejector-seat impression while buggying in front of a small, but appreciative audience.
It was only the second time I've flown the kite I got last week, and the first time was in a much lighter breeze. After a short, but heated battle to untangle lines, and with a little help from Sam, I got it in the air only to find I had every little steering control. I promptly crashed it into the top of a very tall row of willows. Well, it was more like an emergency park, followed by technical relaunch... and a little luck.
A short while later on the other side of the park...
The wind was strong, but a little gusty and the Arc 630 was giving me plenty of power. At one point I was chasing another buggy, when a gust caught me napping, and lifted me from the buggy seat at a good speed! I had a moment (an IRE* moment) when the only thing keeping me with the buggy were my toes in the foot straps. I made the snap decision to bail and left the buggy, with a roll and a half-pike, coming away with nothing but a grazed knee, and the kite still flying.
Less than an hour into the kite festival and I've already crashed a kite and a buggy. An auspicious start :)
I found time, between buggy stunts, to take some pictures...
I think thats a Flexifoil Scorpion (but I've been wrong before), being flown expertly.
Burgers, beer, and kite talk. The two guys on the right are flying the blue and yellow fighter kites pictured below. I have no idea what Ted (the hand on the left) is describing though :)
This pair were being flown as fighters. They are single-line kites and one flier would try to knock the other kite out of the air. Some of the battles go on for a long time.
The disco fish windsock. Grooovy...
More kites tomorrow!
p.s. Some photos from last years festival are here.
(*IRE = involuntary rectal expansion)
11:12:16 PM 
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