Assembling A HQ Kites Large Butterfly Kite
The following is a video we made to help explain the set up of an HQ large Butterfly kite. They are pretty simple to assemble and these few tips will help you avoid a few common assemble mistakes!
Tied to the Sky
R-Sky Order Going In
When you list the top performance kites in the world, R-Sky kites are consistently at the top of the list. R-Sky is a legendary kite maker with some of the most elite stunt kites in the world. Made in France, these kites are consistent winners at International competitions and trick parties. Super quality and design makes for a super fun trick machine that will keep you smiling!
Looking for that specific R-Sky kite? We are preparing an order from R-Sky and if you had something special in mind, now would be a great time to get your order in! Maybe you are looking for a Fifteen in your favorite colours, or a custom sail NSE, a team kite like the Next or a freestyle speedster like the KFX. Not many kites can beat the kite that started it all like a classic Nirvana!
Contact us today to discuss how we can get the ball rolling on your new R-Sky kites and special pre-order pricing!
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:
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!
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.
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
Meet HQ Kites
We spend a great deal of time looking for great kites and accessories for our customers. Our goal is to find those kites that are great looking and engaging visually but also are good flyers! How many of us have been frustrated to go and try to fly a kite that looks cool in the store but doesn't fly well? This is no way to spend leisure time especially with our children. We also spend a a lot of time getting to know the manufacturer. We are interested in their customer service. Quite frankly, if they treat us well, do what they say they are going to do and stand behind their products with concrete action (having a flash back to a scene in the Chris Farley movie Tommy Boy when they are talking about "a guarantee on the box") - these are all good indicators of the quality of their products. We have the pleasure of dealing with several of these kinds of Kite manufactures and we wanted to introduce you to one of our favorites HQ Kites.
We have been working with HQ Kites for many years now and hands down they are in the top 3 kite manufacturers for quality, product support and innovation. Add to this outstanding dealer / customer support. Professional from the word "go", HQ strives with all their products; from Windspiration™ lawn and garden spinners, to HQ Powerkites, Stunt kites and other fun and engaging outdoor toys, to appeal to people who value quality, color and beauty.
So we wanted to share a little bit of HQ Kites story with you from their website:
"INVENTO, with its trademark HQ, is well known in the leisure and sport activities markets for more than 20 years. Worldwide, kites 
and Windspiration products have been successfully sold under the trademark of "HQ". In 2007 the share of export business was more than 60%. This figure shows the extraordinary acceptance of the HQ high quality products in Germany and outside the German domestic market.
INVENTO strives to provide the specialty retail market with products demonstrating the highest levels of innovative design and quality. Our entire line of advanced leisure and learning products are developed to appeal to people concerned with quality, educational value, and beauty. The designs we have selected are exceptional both for their sophistication and fascination.
INVENTO is famous for an impressing number of innovations and making the pace for many markets. 
Quality, superior design and strength of innovation are the basis for the enduring success of HQ-products that are made of high grade components to surpass the customers expectations."
HQ Kites has a North American presence as well. HQ Kites & Designs USA is the national sales and distribution company located Powells Point, North Carolina, in the wonderful Outer Banks region. As a 100% own subsidiary of INVENTO, they have an international background using a worldwide network of designers 
and engineers to ensure the highest level of innovation and quality.
and engineers to ensure the highest level of innovation and quality.Great Canadian Kite Company is pleased to offer a wide variety of HQ Kite products including fun and engaging children's kites as well as the more intricate single line and celular style (Box) of kites. We also carry many of their introductory and intermediate dual line stunt kites, both framed and foil kites, for those looking for the ultimate in play value. Likewise, we are pleased to offer the full line up of HQ PowerKites and trainer kites for the adrenaline junkies looking to ride the wind on land or water.
We are excited as we put the finishing touches on our Spring inventory order from HQ Kites and know you will enjoy them as much as we do!
American Kitefliers Association
When I started out flying kites I was bitten by the kite bug in a big way! Imagine my excitement to find what really is a world-wide organization of kite flyers and enthusiast of all stripes. The AKA has been a welcomed place of connection and place to meet new folks, stay abreast of the latest kite news and a great deal more.
There are plenty of benefits to joining the AKA as a Canadian kite enthusiast. Here are just a few:
- Kiting Magazine - a fantastic quarterly publication that is packed with great articles, news and breath taking photo's. Serious, the magazine is worth the price of membership.
- Member Discounts - As a member of the AKA you are entitled to an immediate 10% discount on all purchases made at AKA Member Merchants - 100 of them and you betcha! at the Great Canadian Kite Company is an AKA Member Merchant!
- AKA Website - packed with lots of information and resources along with an active forum, the AKA website is a great way to stay connected and meet new folks and tap into a wealth of knowledge and experience.
About the AKA from their website:
We are men, women, adults and children, from all walks of life. Our interests run from kitebuilding to multi-line kite competition, from miniature kites, to aerial photography and more. Some of us are in the kite trade, but we are not a trade organization.
The AKA is a nonprofit organization dedicated to sharing kiting with the world.
AKA History
The American Kitefliers Association was founded in 1964 by the late Robert M. Ingraham of New Mexico. Now, with over 3,000 members, in 25 countries, we are the largest association of kiters in the world. Our purpose is to educate the public in the art, history, technology, and practice of building and flying kites - to advance the joys and values of kiting in all nations.
AKA Goals
We strive to promote public awareness of the pleasures and educational opportunities that kites provide. They can remind us about how we interact with our environment and each other. Kites can be a source of community building, breaking down barriers that typically prevent us from interacting. No words are needed to fly a kite.
Take a moment to visit the AKA website and check out the membership page!
Elite Kites & More on Sale this week at Great Canadian Kite Co.
Well the big day has come and gone, and we hope it was the best Christmas ever for you! To keep the fun rolling we are offering two sales, offering our already competitively priced Kites at even greater savings!
Sale # 1 is a general Kite sale on all single line, beginner stunt kites, traction kites and accessories. Take 10% all in stock items in these categories!
Discount Code at time of checkout "Boxing Day Sale 2012"
Sale # 2 If this is not enough to get you soaring we are offering a whopping 15% off all instock Elite Kites include the B-Series Revolution Kites, R-Sky and Kitehouse!
Discount Code at time of checkout "Elite Stunt Kites"
Bonus!! On order OVER $200 you also get FREE SHIPPING!
This sale ends December 31, 2012 at 6pm MST. No Rain checks on instock items only!
Autumn Kite Flying on the Prairies
Well it's official. The summer of 2012 has officially ended giving way to autumn. The leaves are changing color and falling from their soon-to-be sleeping hosts, and the smooth gentle winds blow them all into my yard!
I like autumn because with the crops all harvested the flying fields become abundant. The winds tend to come gently from the west and the south and have been 6 - 20 kph (between 4 and 12 mph) and on the lighter side I really enjoy a light wind kite - typically an UL or an SUL and away I go. I like the way that even with a breath of the winds the sails load up and giddy - up. I am no expert pilot - I was told once that you have a choice, you can be an amazing kite flyer or you can sell kites and though I fly a fair bit, selling them along with other things in my life has stunted my learning curve. Well ... not to mention that I am just not all that co-ordinate either! :) Regardless, I am so enjoying the art of flying well-made kites in the soft autumn breeze and for me that's the bottom line - kites are supposed to be fun!
Of late, I have found myself playing with The Echo. The Echo is a Paul DeBakker design and is manufactured by Into the Wind Kites. I am having so much fun with this kite in next-to-nothing winds as it float for what seems like forever and still has a very real presence in the lines. I have enjoyed the liveliness of the kite, but it is quite precise. I like its balance, it's quite comfortable on its back. Wiith a gentle backwards step it is all too ready to go.
I am also impressed with the build quality. Nicely stitched and finished, and I like its size, again for the presence and the generous square centimetre's of sail. I have also come to appreciate that for a zero wind / indoor kite she is pretty durable which is good for my more spazzy moments. I am finding I am referring this kite more and more to folks who are looking for a solid low wind kite. I think its geometry, sail to weight ratio, bridle and some of the little extras like some tail ballast make this an easier kite for those looking for a thrilling, positive low wind kite flying experience.
Here's the Scoop:
Wing Span: 182 cm
Height: 89cm
Sail: 0.6 oz. Icarex
Frame: 3mm carbon tubes
Lines: 50lb (Indoors:12-14ft) (Outdoors: 25-35ft) I've been using 25ft 90lb LPG.
Wind Range: 0 - 10 kph
To me it seems like a value packed, solid performing kite for only $130. I will have to figure out how I can take good video and fly at the same time but in the meantime, here is a video of The Echo in the hands of an amazing flyer - Paul DeBakker
Kite Trick / Stunt Tutorials
Here are a few online, Stunt Kite trick tutorials from a few different sources. Whether you are taking to the sky for the first time or have lots of flight time, these resources are great to help you learn to nail an assortment of some of the coolest tricks. They will demonstrate and explain step-by-step how to do some of the coolest kite maneuvers.
I find these tutorials help break down a stunt in such a way that you can get a sense of what's actually happening - with your body and with the kite. Like most everything, this will take some practice, some perseverance and maybe a few spare parts but learning to do the tricks and combine them is a real hoot!
Kitelife.com - is a fantastic resource for Kite flyers regardless of taste. Kitelife.com , in my honest opinion is the best place on all the web for quality kite information, tutorials, reviews, and news in the kite world. Not only does it draw on the experience of many in the kite world, they are are friendly, down to earth folks. Kitelife.com is worth the subscription! Check them Out
Reed Designs: A UK site, the animations will be added to as they have the time. The numbers after the links are the degree of difficulty according to the Tricks Party rules. Some tricks have different names in Tricks Party from those often used in the UK. For those that do, the Trick Party name is in brackets.
Randy Greenway: An amazing site for pics and video kite trick tutorials. Randy is a Team flyer for R-Sky Kites and has a long list of achievements. A Great Site:
Revolution Quadline Kites Tutorial: Learn how to do the very cool tricks that the pros do with the Quad line sensation Revolution Kites. Informative videos with great explanations.
Learnkites.com - Great for the Rev Fliers.
DPMAMA74 -These youtube vids are great. Keeps the pilot and the kite in the frame so you can see cause and effect. Lots to choose from.
Prism Kites: "Whether you’re a first-time flier or a hot-shot competition pilot, you’ll never run out of new moves to master with your sport kite. Below are some of the basic maneuvers and tricks in an animated format. Don’t expect to learn them all in one session, or even in one season; many will take some serious practice to master. But if you enjoy the challenge of honing your mind and your reflexes, these maneuvers are the building blocks for a whole repertoire of tricks that will give you a lifetime of joy in the sky." Use arrows at the bottom of the illustration to progress to new manuevers.