This is where a kite surfing Victoria 'thread' belongs : Thank you; Ross, Richard, Jan, Mark, Bob etc. for introducing us to the 'Dark Side' !!!
Local: Keep those excellent designs coming boys.I'm enjoying them, things are looking up in the sport of kite flying. - Sep 02 8:47AM
Bricktop: Wow I missed a total "fact" flame war!!! I sailed on an original Harrington 8m for two years, my wife learnt on it for another year, my brother in law is learning on that same kite. It's a bit faded, but has no rips or tears. It's a great kite, and a true testament to Ross the guy that built it (by hand). The OR kites are great, definitely take time to learn (but so does a Ferrari). Thanks Ross!!! - Sep 02 8:44AM
P H: wurd! - Sep 02 8:32AM
Joe: Here's another perspective: Considering myself as a representative of the average kiter, when I go to the beach, I don’t care when or where the latest gear design came from. I just want to know (1) Does that thing work? (2) Is it more fun than what I have now? And (3) Can I have one? Look at the great improvements in today’s equipment compared to just a few years ago. We should all be thankful for the competitive and innovative spirits of all the guys & gals at Ocean Rodeo, Cabrina, Naish and all the other companies. The greatest beneficiaries are all of us that get to play with the stuff! How would you like to still be riding with your first board or kite? Let those companies compete. They can sit in the offices and debate the details (instead of the rest of us) while we are on the water having fun. A big THANK YOU to ALL the kitesuring companies! - Sep 02 8:24AM
Ross: No not that one (I made the orange LE one in 2000-it had a segmented LE and LE bridles). - Sep 02 8:09AM
Mattdog: Interesting WindWing's Rapture kite is called a "+/- ONE" written on the kite, meaning that it has more range than a traditional LEI. I think WW had the first of this round of commercial foray into the flat tube kite with the the Rapture last fall. Their flatter '06 Rapture looks similar to the OR ONE, maybe slighty higher projected area than the OR, uses a simple bridle to spread front line laod, and uses small plastic spars off the LE to maintain the profile. Their prices are awesome -around $800 US for a 12m. Can you self launch a flat tube kite on our beaches ? - a headache in my experience and not as SAFE as a trad kite. The flat kite offers better range and depower, everything else is as good or better on a trad kite. For now, Most people will probably stick with a trad kite IMHO. - Sep 02 8:08AM
Jan: Ross thanks for clarifying...and yes, that was a nice kite on your lawn with an orange leading edge.. - Sep 02 7:43AM
Ross: I agree with Jan. The quote -The ONE kite in the R&D vault since 1999-means that me, the guy who designs for OR started designs for a flatter arced kite in 1999-Sorry you guys didn`t see everything.And yes , I have nice pictures of them with my 3 year old daughter posing. As for the Bow style kites , credit goes to Andy Wardley and his Oxygen Kite circa 2000-01. - Sep 02 7:29AM
Tom: Riding the wave of tarp mania...A Harington Original Prototype tarp kite for sale- vintage late 90's style, unpredictable handling, unique performance in unstable conditions, bomb proof construction, unique 'aqueous repelling' fabric doubles as emergency shelter. Grab a piece of kiting history. Serious offers only. - Sep 02 7:13AM
Ac: Is that so""? - Sep 02 6:42AM
Jan: It's funny to read all the comments. Since you are all wrong. Bought the Wipikas with BOB in the middle of 98 Ross built the first tarp C-quad in 98. Checked the photo album there are photos of Grant, Mike and I on the 8.5m Wipika at Dallas in March to June 1999. January 2000 photos of Grant on a 5m Wipika and Ross on the first Tarp. April 2000 photos of Grant and Ross on the Harrington 8m kites and myself on the AR5 11.5. Mid 2000 at the lake Harrington 8m and the THE Tarp, the year of the anckle sprains. OR didn't come into play until end of 2000. These are the facts and they are right. There was no OR vault in 1999. - Sep 02 6:08AM


Fact Finder: Interesting fact on the OR website. Quote" The ONE kite in the R&D vault since 1999" OR was founded after the year 2000. Ross built the first proto tarp kite in Feb. 2000 and there are photos of Mark V. flying the tarp kite at the end of the summer 2000. Therefore OR was still non existent. Skipping along to 2005, Mark V. was seen with a Cabrinha Cross Bow at the lake same time the One kite comes out, coincidence, I guess we will never know. Check the facts. - Sep 01 8:39PM

Kendra: Not True - Ross built tarps kite in '98 and '99. I started kiting in 2000 and Ross, Grant, Jan and Bob were well under way (with tarps) the year and a half before. True that officially OR was created later but businesses don't pop up over night. - Sep 01 11:21PM
Another Fact: Kites like the crossbow and "the one" have been around for more than 5 years. marketing is marketing, don't get too bent outa shape dude. Oh, and I remember seeing Mark V. and Ross and Grant on the Ross Harrington 8m in the spring of 2000, so if Mark V. was on the tarp kite, it must have been as a joke. Check yer facts, mr. fact finder - Sep 01 11:21PM

Martin: Just to clarify for "fact finder". Mark V. was seen on the Crossbow because Paul Betts was kind enough to have it available for demo at the lake. Garreth and Brad from Saltspring tried it as well. I helped them launch and should have tried it myself but hope to get a ride on it or the "One" soon. - Sep 02 8:52AM

I agree with Martin - Mark had no hidden agenda trying the kite at Nitinat.

On another note - with the thread of the original kite prototypes - when I was dating Mark he told me many stories about the Victoria group's original kite designs - Canadian tire tarps and even bars with pop-bottles duct-taped onto them for flotation.

It would be great to see some pictures of those original designs. I am sure that with the current advancements that those original pictures would be great for a laugh.

Grant, Ross?

I tried the cross bow at nitnat because I like to know how the other companies are doing. Ross had been working on that design long before. I also tried a new Naish kite. If other people tried all the kites they would also know that OR builds the best ones.
I did my first kite session on the water in 1988 with some kites that I built in my basement and a 7'11" windsurf board. Ten years later I had the pleasure of meeting Ross and Grant who were working on some kites and boards. Grant was the board guy that had spent many years working on board designs for the water and he built the first real kite boards around here. Ross started working on wing designs about thirty years ago with his dad and has brought many inovations to other wind sports.
Fact - The big companies build hundreds of prototypes each year. Ross builds a few and comes up with a better kite. The man is a genuis and I feel priviledged to ride his kites.
Mark V

For you kite/computer/history geeks, this is an article written by the dude that Ross is talking about:
http://template-toolkit.org/tpc5/kitesurfing/#designs

and a (rather large - sorry) picture of the kite, which may remind you of those that are coming on the market now.


I think we are all starting to realize the 'best' kite is the one you have the most fun on, and that is going to be different from one to another. On a personal note, the I feel grateful to Ross and all the local pioneers and innovators, not just for starting the victoria kiting scene, but for creating a warm and welcoming environment for those who followed. That seems much more important than a particular planform or kite design, IMHO.

Cheers!

Before anyone makes too much out of Mark trying the crossbow, Paul had lent it to me to try out and I forced it on Mark to see if he felt about it the same way as I did. That is all there is to that rumour.

Well, while people are dishing out Kudo's to OR and the pioneers of kiting in Victoria and Vancouver Island I would also like to get my two bits in. I can't say that I have had the priviledge (sp?) to get to know Ross (& family), Richard and Grant as well I would like, but I can say that every conversation I have had has always been friendly, patient and graceous. When O.R. first started and I was still at the Nitinaht store, I wanted to sell O.R. kites. Without going into details I can say ALL at O.R. were very willing to help me out getting things started, I will never forget that. Being and remaining Loyal to the O.R. product and team is very easy as their products in my opinion are top notch and suit my riding style. I am still riding on my 2001/2002 kites which have seen trees, rocks and barnacles and still fly reliably and consistantly under load (I am not a lightweight either ) I think this is a testament to Rosses excellent kite design. Another person that I would like to extend a kudo to and can say that I have gotten to know fairly well is Mark Vincent. The reason for this kudo is that he had LOTS of patience with me getting "educated" with the product in the beginning even though I wasn't selling or purchasing alot of product. And still to this day Mark, Ross and Grant continue to share their stoke and knowledge with me while on the water playing thanks guys! Also a general thanks to all over the years that have shared their knowledge and stoke on the beach.

As for the development and competion of the many products and manufacturers out there I say rock on as this will keep the sport moving forward, but my bias and hope are in O.R. developing into everything that they wish to be.

jimmy lewis wrote:This is where a kite surfing Victoria 'thread' belongs : Thank you; Ross, Richard, Jan, Mark, Bob etc. for introducing us to the 'Dark Side' !!!
Local: Keep those ....

Just another classic example of Historical engineering, that is, cutting off the toes of history to fit the glass slipper.

'T. Milton'..I was trying to make a positive 'spin' on this thread. If YOU wish to read something else into it that is YOUR business. Thank you to the others that have something POSITIVE to add...

When you start to kite your not joining the dark side you are starting to see the light""

Yeh baby AC's got it right on the money!!!!