Assembly and disassembly by KiteLife

Transcript

1. ›

   Leading edge

   0:00

   In this tutorial I'm going to show you how to assemble and disassemble a Revolution. We've already removed it from the sleeve, so I'll start by unrolling the kite. Once it's unrolled, I separate my two vertical spars from the kite. I lay the kite belly up, bridle side up, and start connecting one leading edge. I do this by feeling for the leading edge joint, called a ferrule, the connection between two rods: feel the two ends, connect them, and slide them together. Then I place the end cap over the wingtip. When I do that, I'm very careful to make sure there are no twists in the bridle — sometimes you see it around the end cap — and pulling on the bridle will often clear it. We'll keep an eye on this with every end cap we connect. I switch to the other side of the kite, feel and connect the leading edge joint once more, and again watch the bridle while placing the end cap over the wingtip.

2. ›

   Vertical spars

   1:23

   With the leading edge assembled, I turn the kite over to get to the back. Notice that the kite is downwind of me: the wind keeps the sail away from me, which makes this easier. To complete the assembly, I take one vertical spar and insert it into the leading edge cap here, then insert the other end into the bottom end cap, checking once more that the bridle is clear. We don't want any wraps there, as they affect the way the kite flies. Then I insert the last vertical spar. Once that's done, I turn the whole kite over so it's on its back, belly and logo up on the ground again, which gives me easy access to the bridle to connect my lines without fighting the wind.

3. ›

   Disassembly

   2:21

   Disassembling your kite correctly is just as important as assembling it. Once more, the kite is on the ground, logo and bridle up. I start by disconnecting one end cap at the wingtip, then separate one ferrule in the leading edge. Note that I've left some space between the ends of the spars: if they're too close when you fold, it can stress or damage both the mesh and the leading edge material. There's probably about 3/4 inch (2 cm) of space between the two spar ends. I fold the wing over, giving a nice fold in the fabric, and remove one vertical spar. Then I repeat on the other side: remove the end cap, separate the leading edge with a little space between the spar ends, fold the wing over and remove the other vertical spar.

4. ›

   Folding and rolling

   3:26

   Notice that I've folded the logo and the bridle inside the kite, which keeps everything tidy for rolling. I set the two vertical spars along the leading edge and begin to roll, keeping the bridle and logo inside, and every once in a while I smooth out the sail to keep it nice. I don't wrap it too tight — still a bit loose, to preserve the life of the sail. After rolling, you're often left with some exposed bridle line here; a neat trick is to hook it over a knot, a sail corner or an end cap, not too tightly, which gives a nice package that stays together. When I'm done for the day, I put the kite under my arm, wind up and go home. Rotate your kite into the sleeve to protect the roll.

5. ›

   Why it matters

   5:56

   Why do assembly and disassembly matter? Proper handling and care increase the lifespan and condition of your kite and make setup and takedown much easier. What to look for: make sure the bridle is not tangled or wrapped, as it makes things uneven and affects performance; take care with the mesh when folding; and never slide your kite into a sleeve with rods already in it — take everything out and slide them in together as a single item.