If you fly duallies, you can choose from an abundance of tricks to include in your flying. Axel’s, 540’ies, backspins, yo-yos, cométes, tip stands, and what have you. When you fly freestyle you blend in all these tricks and make it a flowing experience. When it comes to quad kites, there’s another story. There are only a few tricks to choose from. However, there are a few, and one of those QLK tricks is the Flic Flac.
So when the wind kind of calmed down a little I decided to go for it. I tried to remember what John B said about the Flic Flac back at the quad clinic in September and the first thing that came to mind was to position the kite for the trick.
I don’t quite remember exactly where in the wind window to be the best position, but you need to manage to take away a bit of the pressure in the kite to allow for both the rotation and your lines going slack enough also to allow the rotation.
Ok, now the kite’s set up comes the pilot input fast and furious!(?)
Four things done almost simultaneously, bam! bam! bam! bam!
- A sharp tug on both breaklines
- Slack in all lines
- Another sharp tug on both breaklines
- Slack in all lines
The first sharp tug on the breaklines initiate the rotation of the kite
Then within a split second you gotta give slack in your lines to allow the kite to rotate.
Now is almost time for the next input. Another sharp tug on the breaklines. Make sure the kite has rotated all the way to the position in the photo below.
As you can see from the photo above the kite is now almost in an upside down position. This means that a tugon the breaklines now will pull the trailing edge back down again, and – if giving enough slack in the lines – rotating the kite back into flying position again.
And when the kite once again is back to flying position (leading edge up)… well … Just start flying again!
As you probably can see from the photo above, the kite has lost some altitude when completing the trick. I found that to happen most of the times. It could be because of my input not being quite sharp enough … or caused by other parameters.
Anyway… I could do the trick kind of consistent so I’m onto something here. More practice will definitely improve the performance and so will making my kite more snag free. A nice, small winter project.
Finally… Check out the complete Flic Flac in slow motion in the video below!
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I’m all ears regarding the flic flac. If you get any further future insight, how to think or any possibly very subjective way/simile to describe the feeling I’d be very glad to hear.
Will do!
Things to explore…
Different “feel” depending on where in the wind window you do the trick.
How to minimize loss of altitude.
Making the kite less prone to snag lines.
Different REVS, different feel/input/look.