Indoor Rev: assembly and disassembly by John Barresi

Transcript

1. ›

   Unrolling and joining the leading edge

   0:00

   This time around I am going to introduce the basics of how to assemble and disassemble your indoor Rev. This is probably how your Rev came in the bag the first time you got it. I simply start unrolling it. Once it is completely unrolled, you find the two vertical spars. We set those aside, then open the kite and start with the first leading edge. At the leading-edge joint, you feel the space between the ends of the spars inside the leading edge. Push those together and feel the joint until you get it connected and seated completely. Make sure the ferrules are fully seated: if one is only partway in, then when the kite goes up, loaded and under pressure, it can become very weak and break. So it is very important to make sure the ferrules are seated completely. Then go on to the other side, again feeling the two ends connect at the ferrule, slide it all the way together, and put on the other end cap.

2. ›

   The vertical spars go on the back

   1:15

   Once we have done that, the vertical spars go on the back of the kite, so if you can see the logo, you know they need to go on the other side. I generally start by putting this spar into the top end cap, and then into the bottom one as well, and then on to the other side, starting at the top and then connecting the bottom.

3. ›

   No bridle, but check the leaders

   1:45

   And there is our fully assembled Revolution. The indoor Rev does not have a bridle: there is no harness on the front of the kite, just the leaders, so there is not as much of a problem with entanglement or wrapping. You do want to do a basic check and make sure the leader is not wrapped around the end cap unnecessarily at the top or the bottom, and that it comes off the kite cleanly, just as it is attached. So that is your basic assembly.

4. ›

   Taking it down, first method

   2:12

   Let me take you through breaking it down. There are a couple of different ways I do that. First, we always start by undoing one end cap. Then I separate the ferrule on one side. For the way I like to do it, I slide the leading edge, the outer wing, out past the end cap. I will give you a closer look: you can see there is quite a bit of flex or play. I have left no spar behind the vertical, so the vertical is completely unencumbered. Once I have done that, I hold the wingtip inward, take the vertical spar and lift it up to the leading edge. Let me repeat that on the other side: take off the end cap, separate the leading-edge ferrule, make sure it is pulled out completely past the end cap, fold it, and then lift the wing.

5. ›

   Why leave slack behind the vertical

   3:12

   I will point out why I leave so much slack behind the vertical spar. If you just leave the rods close together inside the leading edge, when you do this kind of fold, it is very possible for the fabric, which is fairly lightweight, to be damaged by the end of the spar. That is why there is so much slack there. Having folded the wings in and lifted each upright vertical alongside the leading edge, I have a nice clean sail package, and you can see why I like to do it this way. Then I can roll the kite up very readily, into a nice tight package.

6. ›

   Taking it down, second method

   3:46

   The other way, which you have probably used to assemble your kite and which other people like as well, is to not lift up the verticals. Let me demonstrate. Again we disassemble the leading edge and fold it together, but this time we do not lift up the verticals: we just take them out. Then we can take those rods and put them parallel with the leading edge. It does not matter which side you set those spars on; whatever suits you best. I tend to roll up whatever looks messy: you can see it is smooth on this side, there is only one surface here, while here we have multiple surfaces, so I like to get that rolled up inside.

7. ›

   Rolling the sail loosely

   4:41

   Once you have done that, you just start rolling, smoothing out the sail as you go, not too tightly, because you will start to develop a crease and a potential weakness in the sail. Think of stuffing a sleeping bag: you want it loose, and you can even rotate or change the position of where the fold happens. We continue rolling all the way up. Just about here you can start to see why I prefer the other method myself: we end up with these two separate bits, and when I am rolling the kite they are a little squirrelly to manage and the sail does not roll up as smoothly for me, so I have to put a lot more focus into it. But again it is just a matter of preference; there is nothing wrong with this method at all.

8. ›

   Putting it in the sleeve

   5:23

   Whichever way you have rolled the kite, when you are ready to put it back into the sleeve, insert one end and twist the kite in the direction the sail is rolled, so it stays rolled. If you just push it in, or rotate it the other way, the sail will partly unroll as you put it into the bag. So that is the basics of putting your indoor Rev together and taking it apart. I hope you enjoyed it. On to the next tutorial.