Fast wind and unwind of sport kite lines by Sport Kite

Transcript

1. ›

   Why wind your lines this way

   0:00

   All right, I'm going to show you how to wind up your quad-line lines from your handles to your kite. This is how I wind up every single time. It's great at a festival when you just want to wind up quickly, go eat lunch and unwind later. It adds maybe two or three minutes to my routine, and it keeps the beach clear for everyone else to fly their kites and keeps your equipment safe.

2. ›

   Setting the kite down

   0:32

   I set the kite upside down, so I flip it over. If you're only stopping for a moment on the beach, you can grab the top lines, drag them into the sand a little and lay the kite flat: the sand that builds up lets you pick it up again later. If I'm going to sit down and have lunch, I grab the top lines, make sure they're secure, then drop the bottoms so the kite lies flat, nice and neat. I do it quickly so there's no opportunity for the kite to do something strange.

3. ›

   Starting the wind

   1:10

   With the lines slack, I take the winder I keep on the back of my belt loop; I'll show you how to put it there later. I grab the top lines, bring them all the way down to the bottom of the handles and make a small bundle. I put it right in the notch and lock it into place: now we have a good, secure start.

4. ›

   Winding up to the kite

   1:46

   I get all of this up into my left hand and hold on to the ring in the center of the winder. I like to start with one or two figure eights, then go to a straight wind. Personally I like a straight wind: it holds on to the lines a little better. A figure eight slides down the edge more and is a bit easier to unwind, but it is also more likely to fall off the winder in the bag and become a problem. That's why I wind straight, though there are plenty of opinions on that. We wind all the way up to the kite.

5. ›

   Taking a break

   2:59

   I've reached the kite: as I wind at waist level, I get to where the lines start to pull on the kite a little. If I'm just taking a break to eat lunch, I bundle everything together, throw my bungee around it and lock it in. That's my package: I can set it down next to my chair, it stays out of everybody's way, and I come back later, drop the kite and unwind.

6. ›

   Packing up for the day

   3:30

   If I'm done for the day, I keep winding a little further, then lay my handles on the ground and make sure everything is clean. Then I disconnect the lines, starting with one side: I grab the end of the larks head and pull it off. I always start with the bottoms, because they're the most volatile: if I started with the tops, the bottoms could flare out and I could lose control of the kite.

7. ›

   Pairing the lines

   4:07

   I always forget which line is shorter, so I hold them out and compare: the gray one is a bit longer, so I put the red onto the gray. I pair the two sides, lay them on the ground and do the same with the other side. Then I stay down near the ground and gently wind them up: I don't want them swinging around in the wind, because that creates extra twists. I let them sit on the winder, cover them with the handles and come around with the bungee, twice if it's long enough. There's your quad-line set, a nice little package: pack up your kite and you'll have a fast set-up next time.

8. ›

   Unwinding: setting up on the sand

   5:27

   Now I'll show you how to unwind your lines, going the other direction, so you can get set up and fly in probably under two minutes if I don't pause and talk. I start with the kite on the ground. On the beach I can kick sand up over the leading edge; on grass you can prop one wing up on a post or on another kite, so you can get the kite into the air after setting up the lines. I unbungee my lines, taking care to hold them all together, take the handles in my right hand and unwind a couple of rounds.

9. ›

   Attaching the lines

   6:30

   I go red on top and gray on the bottom with this line set. Here is the larks head more slowly, in case you don't know it: get two fingers in, spread them apart, come around, pinch, and bring that into a loop. I put it on the knots, red on top: the top of the kite is the end with the leading edge. I get the knot right through both loops and always test that it pulls tight. While I'm at it, I make sure the bridle is clean, with no snags, and check the end caps.

10. ›

    Unwinding to the handles

    7:38

    We can unwind all the way out until we reach the end of our handles. While I do this I keep the handles in here; you can even grab the bungee and bundle it all up so everything stays clean as we unwind. Once we reach the end where we locked it over, I take it back off and get my handles in one hand.

11. ›

    Securing the winder

    8:35

    I connect the winder to my belt loop. A pocket works, but the winder falls out much more easily, so I use my back belt loop: I bring the bungee through, around the winder and hook it back on. It's secure and stays at the back, out of the way of the lines. I've lost plenty of winders from my pocket, but never when latched onto my belt loop like that.

12. ›

    Checking the lines before flying

    9:02

    I take a step back. Remember that I put sand on the leading edge, or propped the kite on something, so I should be able to pull the kite clear. I give it a bit of a shimmy and let the lines come clear, then I test which hand is which: I pull on my bottom right line and see which wing responds. Here the kite is upside down, so I expect the top left corner to move right, and that's what I see. I back up a bit to get out of the sand and turn the kite over. There are a couple of little wraps, but that's okay: I clear them one by one, and we're all clear and ready to fly.