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Tied to the Sky

It's a Spring Thing - Revolution Reflex Kites

It's a Spring Thing - Revolution Reflex Kites

The Reflex Spring is attached to the vertical spreaders, and the effectively changing the way the sail loads and air moves over the sail.

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Getting the most from your Revolution Reflex

I think this was am amazing step forward for the Beginner Rev flyer who doesn't have the benefit of seasoned quad-line flyers to help them get started.  A great resources to that end is Rev Club 38

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Kite Flying is for Lovers!

flying Kites at Writing on Stone Provincial ParkThis year Andrea and Mike (owners of the Great Canadian Kite Company) are celebrating 30 years of marriage!   They are often asked what the secret to staying married so long is - to which Andrea usually responds -WINE! Lots of wine! LOL!

They will also tell you that developing hobbies and things to do together (aside from work and racing the children) allow you to make time to have fun together!  Kite flying is one of those activities that have provided many hours of fun for them.

Mike enjoys launching the larger single line kites and making a bit of a display.  HeGreat Canadian Kite Company flying kites
enjoys his dual line and quad line sports kites as well.  Andrea tends to reach for her quad-line Revolution kite.  It’s not unusual to find them flying in a local soccer field, or a provincial park somewhere.

The two like flying together and are working away at some semblance of a quad line kite team - which usually ends with laughs and one or two oops!   It has been good for communication, even if that communication involved a few colourful metaphors!

One lesson Mike had to learn was to relax more with his kites when flying with his family.  It took him a while to realize that kite flying needs to be fun for all involved and getting too uptight about the kite getting damaged, or how involved the family was tended to suck a lot of joy out of the family time.

Mike came to realize that kites can be fixed, and with the right attitude even untangling kite line can be a Zen experience too.  It is so great to help your children and friends learn to fly kites.  The big smiles as they complete their first loop is worth the effort!

Mike and Andrea snuck away last evening to a local park with their Rev kites - and even being eaten alive by mosquitos - they had a great time.

It was especially good for Andrea.  She has a stressful job in healthcare with long hours.  She has found flying kites is a great way to unwind, deal with stress and have some fun!  “Even setting up the kite, attaching lines is relaxing.” She said.

Great Canadian Kite Company is owned and operated by a Canadian family of kite flyers - people who enjoy kites - together.  Running one of Canada’s best online kite stores is just an extension of that passion.

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Why I like flying kites

sharing kites with studentsI am often asked why in a world of drones would I still fly kites. I smile and often hand the lines to them to fly my kite and watch them discover their own answer!

I mean no disrespect to drone flyers because I think they are pretty cool. I like technology, but after careful reflection, I find that for me kites are ideal, and here are just a few reasons why:

1) Kites are low tech - what I mean is they are flown by mechanical means (i.e., lines) and not via screens or joysticks. Truth be told I have way more screen time than I need! For fear of turning into a bigger vidiot, and exacerbating the stress injury to my gaming thumbs I prefer kites!  Some of the best kites are the simple ones you can make yourself with newspaper and masking tape.

2) Kites are High Tech - in their own way - there is a lot of science and engineering in good quality kites. From high tech sail cloth to high-tech carbon frames along with geometry there is a lot that goes into a performance kite. Consider many sport kites allow you to change and interchange framing which changes the flight characteristics. Learning the tweaks for your kite can be a lot of fun and produce some pretty amazing results.

3) Crashes are not nearly as catastrophic - Parts to repair your kite are easily accessible from quality kite shops, and you can be back in the air pretty quick. Most repairs can be a successful do-it-yourself project saving time, money and adding some new crafty skills to your bag of tricks!

4) Speaking of tricks! - Have you seen the latest in slack line tricks and expressive quad line kite videos? Wow! Modern stunt kites are capable of some pretty cool maneuvres which require practice and precision. Even someone with few hours can tear up the sky with colour and motion that will attract an audience.

5) Strings attached? You bet! This is one of my favorites because it has strings Great Canadian Kite Company - Mike Roseattached - it provides multi-sensory feedback and interaction with your kite. Not only to see your kite you interact with it directly as you provide the input, and you receive feedback through the lines from the kite. In a counterintuitive way, this is a really grounded experience or maybe a better way to describe it is like a dance where you and your partner respond to each other with each step!

6) Colour your World - I LOVE the colour and the creativity of kites in the sky! If you have visited our Kite shop, you will have noticed the multiplicity of colours, sizes, and shapes and this makes for a dynamic hobby experience. A kite bag with a variety of kites provides a wonderful way to decorate the sky!

7) Quiet, please! - Kites, in general, are very quiet. No whining of engines, they simply ride the wind. In a world that is so darn noisy, it can be a reset to the mind to go quiet. The sound the wind in the trees, a slight whistle on the line makes for a great, stress reducing afternoon. Like a little growl? Some stunt kites make a deep rumble as the wind departs the trailing edge as they tear through the sky .

8) No Batteries required - Kites don't require batteries and as such aren't limited to 20-minute flights, and there is no need for a recharge. The Wind and the lines are all you need to fly - and wind and weather permitting... all day long!

9) There's a kite for that! - No wind? Too much wind? There's a kite for that. Remember I was talking about high-tech materials and engineering? You can get kites that you can learn to fly with no wind! Yep - zip, zero, zilch! We also have kites that are designed for higher winds too - we have a new model coming from Revolution that appears to have way less sail material than frame - like me in a bathing suit (don't picture it!) I have seen video's of this kite performing in very high winds and handling it very well!

Want a kite for water? To pull a kayak? Take pictures from? Pull you on the snow? There's a kite for that!

10) Stress buster! I'm an introvert, and as such, I spend a lot of time in my head. This can sometimes not be a good place to be! So I find going and flying a kite a great way to "get out of my head," get into the present moment and connect in a multi-tactile way with the world. The colours of the kite, actively flying my kite, giving it input to do what I want it to do and getting the feed back from the kite itself demands I stay present. I find this incredibly effective at reducing stress, and often getting a fresh perspective.

Great Canadian Kite Company - online kite storeThere are times where I will put mu earbuds in and listen to whatever kind of music I'm feeling at the moment and flying my kite to that music. It's kind of like dancing, but it allows me to express my inner state of mind through the kite. I can fly my stress out through the lines and the kite. In short order, that stress energy is replaced with a greater sense of peace and the way I fly changes. However you like to fly, I just encourage you to fly your soul, express yourself, and have fun!!

These have been just a few reasons we LOVE flying kites and why we LOVE to share kites with others!

At Great Canadian Kite Company, not only do we pride ourselves in providing a variety of quality kites for many different interests, ages and abilities, we also want to do our best to make sure your kite flying experience is great, and that means we do our best to provide a selection of kite flying tips and advice in our Kite Blog section. Browse our online Canadian kite shop to buy your kites online. We ship throughout Canada. 

Don't see what you are looking for? Have a kite related question? Drop us an email!

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Meet John Barresi - Kite Innovator, Aficionado, Ambassador

John Barresi flying B-Series - B2 quad line kite

I think what makes the difference between a good hobby and a GREAT one is the people you meet and get to share time with.   I have had the pleasure of meeting a few fine individuals on kite fields, and one such is John Barresi.

I have had the privilege of getting to know John personally over the past ten years, and my respect and admiration seems to increase with each meeting.  Not only is he an amazing kite flier, but I have also found him to be a thoughtful, relationally generous, kind soul. 

I joke that John could fly the hood of a car - he's just that good with a kite.  In his forties, John has been flying kites since he was fifteen.   His list of accomplishments are legion - National Championships (7x American Kite Magazine Circuit (cumulative season) 19x AKA Grand Nationals (single event face off))

    Also, John has been active and innovating in the kite industry, kite associations, and kite events.  He has participated in kite events in over a dozen countries.  Not just a very skilled, creative flyer he is a true ambassador of the sport.

    Many people know John from his popular online Kitelife.com and his extensive online video kite tutorials, both free and on a subscription basis.   Kitelife.com is one of the most trusted and significant sources of multi-line kite information anywhere.  

    John is also highly regarded for his work with IQuad. In 2006, John co-founded iQuad and together they prolifically promoted the world of Rev team flying which ultimately led to the creation of his Signature Series with Revolution Kites in 2007 (the B-Series)… This later spawned the B-Pro (2008) and larger Zen kites (2010) which are handmade exclusively by teammate and kite maker extraordinaire Bazzer Poulter.  Barresi, not being content with "good enough" saw another innovation in 2011 with the B-Series Xtra Vent and smaller, nimble B-2.

    After performing at over 125 events worldwide in just seven years, Team iQuad disbanded peacefully in September of 2013.

    If the great outdoors and west coast breeze didn't provide enough opportunity for quality airtime, Barresi also flies indoors. Flying indoors since 1992, John is a master with the Indoor Rev, dual line or various gliders.  Together with his charming wife TK and teammate Spence Watson, he co-founded the indoor show team FlyForm in January of 2012 with an explosive debut routine set to “Pump It” by the Black Eyed Peas.



    Personally,  in addition to all the above (and much more - American Kitefliers Association, Kite Trade Industry Association)) what impresses me most about John Barresi is his generosity of spirit.   I have had several opportunities to share a kite field at festivals with JB, and one can't help but notice how even in the midst a demanding demonstration schedule, John is often found out on the public flying fields giving folks the opportunity to fly his kite, provide one-on-one instruction, and advice to young and old alike.  Barresi is an effective communicator with infectious joy of kites, which in my books makes him a top notch spokesmen for the kite industry and a great guy to share a flying field with.

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    Revolution Kites :: The Story

     This post is all about the history of Revolution Kites.  More than kites, this dynamic and innovative company has developed, hands-down, the best quad-line stunt kite on the market.  Sadly, often copied, the counterfeits are nowhere near the quality or performance standard of the authentic Rev kites.  Not unlike the introduction of dual line stunt kite back in the day, Revolution kites have breathed new vibrancy into a traditional and historic hobby for a new generation of kite enthusiasts.

    I have heard it said by some that the quad line kites are difficult to fly but my experience has been the opposite.  Teaching many folks to get started with these awesome flying kites is usually done within 20 minutes and the basics are well in hand.   Like dual line flying, proficiency and the "cool-ness factor" increase exponentially as you hone your skills.   I think the transition is often most difficult for those who have flown dual-line kites for a while because fly quad-line Rev kites is really a different kind of flying - more wrist action and smaller inputs which as you begin to master them unlock the "Holy Sh&$" of how these kites perform!

    The following history of Revolution Kites was found on their website written by Joe Hadzicki. Enjoy!

    Oh Canada - rev. 1.5A true family business, Revolution Enterprises was founded by three Hadzicki brothers in in 1988… Specializing in carbon fabrication, Revolution produces quality kite products, skateboards, golf shafts and a wide variety of other carbon and related products at their factory in Poway, CA.

    The Revolution sport kite was released at the 1989 KTA Kite trade show in San Diego, California. The kite was in development for about two years prior to that.

    The development of the Revolution design began in 1987. I had recently moved back to San Diego from Santa Barbara, California after completing a degree in mechanical engineering and working with an engineering firm there. While driving by the San Diego Bay one afternoon, I noticed a big husky guy flying a kite and being dragged across the park! I was so fascinated that I looked into this new sport. I soon found out that the best kites cost up in the range of $200 to $300. I quickly enlisted the fun loving company of my two brothers Jim and David. Within two weeks we had designed and built our own set of power dragging kites! For the next several weeks, we spent our afternoons experimenting with this new hobby of ours! After getting the basic controls of two line flying down, we flew team maneuvers, then we flew our delta kites with long flowing tails, then we stacked the kites, then we got kind of bored.

    I’m always looking for ways to improve things, and it seemed to me this kite could use some improving! Primarily, better landing abilities!Rev. 1.5 sle 2013

    My idea was to modify the kite so that it could back down and land. Over the next several months we tested multiple approaches to effect a “backing down” or reversing action including four line control, three line control, appropriate handle design, and mechanical flap designs among other design concepts. Although the initial attempts quickly affected the general performance of the kite, the ability to reverse down and land was not much closer. As we worked harder and harder to fine tune the design, the effects were becoming less and less noticeable. After about six months of design modifications to the basic delta design, we gave up in frustration.

    Several months later I woke up one morning with a completely new approach to the design problem. I decided to approach the kite from an airplane control perspective as opposed to a kite approach. By controlling each wing independently from a flap or aileron design we could redirect the air flow to cause forward or reverse flight. Within two weeks we had a working model that far surpassed our wildest dreams! Far beyond our main goal of being able to back down and land, this new revolutionary kite was capable of instantaneous stopping, reverse flight in any direction, full speed control in both forward and reverse flight, and propeller like spins! The most impressive fact was that these characteristics are inherent to the basic design and therefore do not take hours and hours to learn complicated techniques.

    Although precise accurate control takes practice, backing down to land takes nothing more than a simple rotation of both wrists!

    Since the initial design of the Revolution I had a nine-foot wingspan, structural integrity quickly became an issue. Fiberglass was too flexible and heavy. The high stiffness aluminum used in the arrow shaft industry works well but begins to bend to shape within an hour or so of flying. My younger brother David just happens to be a pro rated golfer with a lot of connections in the golf industry including access to the graphite shaft design team at Aldila, who at the time was the worlds’ leading graphite golf shaft manufacturer. Within six weeks or so we had designed the ideal shaft for our Rev I (Neos Omega) kite.

    With eighty kites built and two days to go until the international kite trade show in San Diego, Aldila gave us the bad news that they wouldn’t be able to manufacture the shafts for us due to other production obligations.

    The Revolution design was an instant show stopper at the convention, selling out in the first hour followed with orders for 400 more! We had a wall of people, three deep for three days placing orders.

    On Saturday, the kite demonstration day, we had store retailers crowded around with three to six kites under their arms waiting for a lesson. With this information, they would be able to go back to their stores and amaze all their customers, therefore selling thousands of kites! ….. Wrong! We gave people the basic lesson, telling them, thumbs back flies the kite up, left thumb forward turns left, right thumb turns right. Both thumbs forward, backs the kite down. The fact that this method of flying was completely alien to them (no pulling motions), along with the highly sensitive controllability, made the Revolution overwhelming. Add the fact that we had virtually no experience teaching people to fly added to the confusion. It seemed so easy to us! Thumbs back. Left thumb, right thumb, thumbs forward!! The stores had demonstration videos showing performance, but no technique. Only hard-core enthusiasts would dare accept the Revolution challenge!

    Although selling the kites complete with a training video was the original plan, it had been dropped due to advice from store retailers that the cost would be prohibitive. After a couple months of frustration from new Revolution fliers and retailers, we began including the training videos with each Revolution sold. We instantly noticed the difference! New fliers that used to take two weeks to get the basics would now buy the Revolution, watch the training video that night, and learn the basic flying skills by the next day! My brother Jim, over the next couple years was successful in incorporating quad line flying into the international competitions including precision, ballet and team events. From the beginning and through the present virtually all quad line events are dominated by the Revolution design.

    The original Revolution I design is extremely stable and is the choice for large stacks but is considered slow by today’s standards. The Rev II is fast and somewhat “twitchy”. I enjoy it most in high winds (12 mph and above) on a 100-foot line set, which makes the flying fast and furious! Forget precision! The Rev 1.5 debuted in 1995 and is by far the favorite of both competition fliers and competitors alike. At a wingspan of 7.5 feet, it has great stability similar to the 9-foot Rev I with a lot of the instant quickness of the 6-foot Rev II. The Speed Series, which debuted in 1998, introduced a new aspect to the Revolution design. With the 4-strut support of the tighter sail, the Revolution Shockwave and Supersonic reach speeds to 70 mph! That’s twice the speed of a standard Rev 1.5! In fact, the Speed Series can fly faster backward than a 1.5 can fly forward!

    Indoor Revolution kiteIn 2001 we introduced the Revolution Blast. With a wingspan of 9.5 feet and a longer chord, this design resulted in significant power and improved stability over the standard Speed Series design. Introduced in 2003 is the Super Blast. With approximately 30% more sail area than the Blast this is a true buggy kite in winds above 12 mph. The up wind performance is unbelievable! One of the greatest advantages of all the Speed Series kites is the ability to instantly dump 90% of the power by simply rolling the thumbs back! This is extremely useful in all power kiting conditions.

    In 2007, we worked with John Barresi to develop the incredibly popular B-Series. Built in the same 1.5 size class as our SLE and EXP, the B-Series incorporated John’s extensive experience as an international competition and performance pilot to provide some of the same advantages to recreational fliers such as the ability to adjust tuning for personal taste, and mulitiple frames to both expand the kite’s wind range and provide the right amount of competition quality precision.

    In 2009, award-winning kitemaker Bazzer Poulter joined in our design efforts with the B-Series PRO – utilizing premium PC31 Icarex fabric, added reinforcements and custom colors for every sail panel. The PRO series went on to become the#1 choice for competitive and hard core recreational pilots all over the world.

    Continuing to innovate in 2010, Bazzer Poulter worked closely with John Barresi and their iQuad teammates to develop the B-Series Zen. This design utilized a larger sail area, special bridle and framing for extreme ultralight conditions.

    In 2011, we introduced a Rev II sized version of the B-Series called the B2 (faster and more responsive), as well as a full sized version of the B-Series PRO called the Xtra Vent for extreme high wind conditions.

    Thank you again for all your interest and support over the years. We couldn’t do it without you. I hope kites has brought you as much fun and enjoyment over the years as it has us.

    In 2010, all three Hadzicki brothers were inducted into the World Kite Museum Hall of Fame.

    New York Minute (NYM) - 2014 saw the introduction of the New York Minute kite. An exciting new look with a 25 panel sail, new logo, and a folded ‘No Fray’ leading edge, this is one of our smoothest flying sails yet.  Built with the best American made, new generation carbon fiber- our highest performing “Green Race Frame” comes standard in this exceptional sail.  Innovative venting provides a selection of vent sail designs for almost every wind condition.

    Reflex - New for 2016 the Reflex is a unique Rev design that is super stable and boasts a larger sail area. With impressive light wind flying and in winds over 12 kph deliver more power, more fun.  Almost like getting 2 kites in One Reflex. Learn More

    For the history of the specific models and framing, check out John Mitchell's website Revolution Kite History.  This Rev enthusiast has put together a really impressive site in homage to an amazing kite.

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    Rev Kite Order Going In!

    Hey friends,
    Just a heads up that we have a fresh shipment coming out of Revolution Kites very soon!  If you are looking for that something special now would be a great time to talk with us to get it included!
    Remember - we fly Rev Kites and we can set you up with the package that you want!  We can customize frames, handles, line sets and we can also help you get a custom sail!   Contact us or call us Toll Free 1-877-382-3956

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    Multi Kite Bag by Revolution Kites - Smart, Secure and Efficient

    Kite Bag by Revolution KitesBack by popular demand - The Revolution Multi Kite roll-up bag. Folks, these are VERY well made. More than a simple bag, it is packed with quality features. Heavy duty construction, attractive embroidery, beefy, durable clips and more. The outside also boasts a nice shoulder strap and good-sized zippered pocket ideal for car keys, sunscreen and various odds and ends.

    Open this case up and you will be impressed with the efficient design - Space for at least 5 kites with a fold-over velcro cover to keep your gear in place. Each slot has quality mesh on the bottom so you can see what kites you have with you, and reduces the chance of the pockets to fill with sand/dirt or grass. There are also plenty of velcro mesh pockets for line sets and flying handles. I love this bag because you can see what you have at a glance. Reduces the instances of getting to the flying field and discovering that you forgot your handles or your vented Rev! (I know I'm not the only one to do this!!!)Kite Bag by Revolution Kites   

    Folks, if you don't have 5+ Revs to fill it, you can carry many of your dual line kites in it as well. This Multi Kite Bag by Revolutions packs your gear safely, securely and smartly and is ideal for travel - car or airplane. Efficient and well thought out for the flying field!

    If you are frustrated with your old sloppy bag where you have to dig and search for everything; then this kite bag is for you!

    Check it out

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    Spring has arrived!

     After a looong winter, Spring has finally arrived in our small corner of the Canadian prairies.  They days are getting warmer, sun shining longer and of course nice wind!   Our fresh stock continues to arrive and being added and updated in our online kite store.  We are really excited with the addition of a few new products and these include:

    Revolution Kites New Sail patterns and colours for the Revolution 1.5 packed with both the SLE and 3-Wrap leading edge making this a really great kite package!   There are quite a few new designs for 2013 and we have also added some new B-Series as well!  

    Remember, if we don't have it - we can get it!  We work very closely with Revolution kites - ask us about your own designed Custom B-Series!

    The O'Canada Rev 1.5 is back by popular demand!  Exclusive to the Great Canadian Kite Company, the classic, edgy, red, maple leaf-esque sail is available in Vented, Mid Vent and Full sail.  New for 2013 with the full sail is a complete 3 wrap frame and a complete 4 wrap frame.  We have dropped the SLE in this model to tweak the performance even more in this kite!  The 4 wrap gives you more upper wind range with all the flex and performance!   We also have expanded our selection of Rev accessories including frames, handles and quality Spectra Shanti quad-line sets!

    The Jazz is a new addition in our beginner kite section.  We have been searching for just the right kite to retire the HQ Bebop.  The 

    Bebop has been a super kite for us but it's time to change things up!  The Jazz is made by popular Seattle based kite maker Prism and is a great intro package - packed with value!Beginner stunt kite
    Next is the Multi-Kite - The frameless Multi-Kite combines all the good things about kiting. The contemplative and relaxing side of single line kite flying and the sporty side of stunt kite flying. With this kite, both becomes so easy that we recommend the Multi-Kite for kids ages 10+. Flown as a single line kite, it develops light but noticeable pull. The long tube tail helps to stabilize its flying characteristics. Simply take out part of the bridle line, attach flying straps and the Multi-Kite becomes a stunt kite. Perfect for beginners, the kite flies slowly which helps the first time flyer to perform loops, turns and dives with ease. The attached tube tail provides a colorful trail that follows the kites every move.
    foil kite
    We have a number of other great new kites in stock which we will feature in future posts.   We hope you will take a good look through our online kite store and check out the many exciting, quality kites!  Remember, we are here to assist you, to answer your questions by email or telephone!  In addition, we are available to help with any kite parts or repairs you may require.
    We are reminded afresh each spring just how much we really enjoy kites and that this is the reason we started selling kites in the first place!  We want to share the fun!  We are also dedicated to being a top-shelf Canadian Kite shop providing quality, great flying kites at fair price with great service in Canada and beyond!

    Good Winds!
    The Rose's

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