The alarm kicked off at seven o’ clock and we jumped (?) out of bed, ready for a new day on the field. But first … brekfeast!

We also had to check out today, so the car was kind of stuffed when driving to the field. Nothing too bad and about a quarter to ten we approached the parking beside the grassy flying field at Dragør Fort (castle). Most of the kiters were already there and soon we were all ready for the day’s action.

Today no theory was needed so we hit the flying immediately. Why waste the wind?!

For this second day of the Clinic we would first investigate in fun flying like dog stake flying, throws and catches, axels, flic flacs, one hand flying, and a … dip into the water!

John had already prepared for the dog stake flying…

…and John gave us a quick rundown on the details. Then we all (I think) took a stab at it, and below you’ll see the photos to prove it.

Next on the agenda was catches and throws. John let us all in on the secrets and the details how to nail the trick like a pro. Getting the kite in the best position in the air, how to tug on the front lines, the three different metods of catching, how to throw, how to regain flight and how to top it all of with an axel!

We all gave it a try and with kind guidance of John, most of us nailed both the catch and the throw!

Now it was time to look closer at the axel and flic-flac before we all moved to the dock where John showed us water flying.

Water flying you said? Yes, water’s just dense wind and there is no trouble “flying” your kite completely submerged. Just make sure to always keep the tension in the lines and move/fly slooooowly! It works like stink!

Then it was about time to dig out the food and the coffee. All the flying had built up quite a bit of hunger and coffee is never wrong!

Just to dig in!

After lunch it was time for more team flying. John had split the pilots into smaller groups to get the most out of his “lessons”. Every pilot got useful feedback from John which quantum leaped everyone’s flying skills.

Finally it was time for the grand finale, all pilots flying the Mega Team!

With John’s experience, skill and knowledge we all flew at our best creating beautiful figures and patterns in the sky. From pretty simple ones to the much more complex and technically demanding. However all pilots put their souls into the flying and it all came out pretty good!

Just check out the photos below!

The Clinic was to end at about four o’ clock in the afternoon, but the combination of happy pilots and great conditions made us go on for almost three more hours. We just couldn’t put our kites down.

But finally it was all over. Time to pack up and head home with happiness filling our hearts, our souls and our minds. The memories will last forever!

Finally I would like to thank Dan F. and Louise for making this happen and of course to John B for his time, effort and passion he is putting in, not only in this event but also in the kiting community!

Thank you John! I really hope to see you and fly with you soon!