News & Notes

The road behind, the trail ahead…

Custom Tsuru, image courtesy of Daniel Gibson.

Early in my life in kiting, I found myself drawn to designing and making kites. I also found myself torn between focusing on sport or single-line kites. Practical considerations, such as market size and nature, and the need to jump in the deep end to create a viable business quickly, led me to focus on sport kites. Don’t get me wrong, I was (and still am) a stunt kite nut! I love flying them, but even more, I love flying with other people who are passionate about kites. Kiting has taken me from coast to coast and brought me many of the dearest friends of my life.

When we lived in northern Illinois, I’d drive an hour and a half every weekend to a field in Schaumburg, IL, called Ned Brown Meadow. Ned Brown was the hot spot for all things kiting in the Chicago region. I was blessed to share that space with a large group of exceptional people, many of whom were also exceptional kiters. We had national sport kite champions, as well as a few single-line legends. In the early days, I was still working a real job, so I’d have to leave early for the drive back to Rockford for my shift.

Continue reading “The road behind, the trail ahead…”

It’s like deja vu all over again

As a friend quoted Yogi Berra, “It’s like deja vu all over again”.

If you’ve made it this far, you’ve probably noticed that sport kites are back at Blue Moon! This is something I’ve been thinking about for a while, and once I made the decision, it took some time to get things in place, to make the switch (back). I’m still gathering materials, finding that some stuff I’d used for years is no longer available. I’m also re-learning things that just a short while ago, I could practically do in my sleep, but it’s coming back to me!

As you may know, this isn’t my first trip down this road, and back. This time around, the U-turn is shaking out to make a little more sense, at least to me. I made the decision a few weeks ago and started asking friends across the country to send me kites I’d made, to have a visual backup to my notes and memory. Fortunately, my patterns are still hanging on their nails, and most of my tools are in good shape.

Continue reading “It’s like deja vu all over again”

The TR-10 takes flight!

I’ve dropped my take on a classic form into the Blue Moon Kites shop. The pre-order page is open for BMK’s TR-10 (a rokkaku variant). Check it out in the shop by clicking on the link below!

I spent a considerable amount of air time with the TR-10 at the beach last weekend, and I am thrilled!

I need to build at least one more TR-10 prototype, with minor tweaks, before it’s final.! Nothing major, just fit and finish stuff. A pucker here, a stress line there, and most of the excess patches and reinforcements. I should have that finished over the coming weekend, and ready to start working on your orders middle of next week!

https://bluemoonkites.net/shop/tr-10/

 

Review your Blue Moon kite?

Please consider leaving a review of your Blue Moon kite. On the shop pages of the BMK website, you’ll find a place to let the world know what you think of your kite and/or doing business with BMK. In addition to displaying on the deposit pages, your review will also be added to the bottom of the main page for each kite. Each of my current kites has a page to order by making a deposit.

I’m looking for any and all feedback. If it’s 5 Stars, thank you, but any honest and considered review is appreciated. This is a good time to suggest improvements!

The pages are:
Ichiban, Reprise, 61/49, TR-10, and MacStar

K•Star, revisited…

Image courtesy of Willy LugoThe first version of the kite that evolved into the K•Star was introduced in 1993. It was primarily an experiment in alternative forms and techniques. I found myself fascinated with the idea of using a basic building block to create very different kites. The first kite was pretty close to the current K•Star, but I also used the same idea to make a couple of cellular kites and even a quad-line. I taught it in a class and made a couple for myself, but never did a production version until about ten years ago. Since then, the star has come and gone a few times.

The star has "traditionally" been matched with a custom "streamer" tail, made from panels much the same as the kite's body. The tail, when made in this fashion, adds a lot of panels, which means a lot of time, and as the saying goes, time is money. If we count the panels in the body of the K•Star, you'll see 36 panels, making up the twelve sail sections. Each of these 12 sections has a significant amount of detail work. After doing a time study, I estimate that in its simplest version, just the body of the K•Star (without a tail) should be priced at about $475. That is fabric, frame, the whole finished deal.

MacStar with the optional ribbon tailsThe tail, as it's been made over the last several years, consists of 57 Individual panels! The construction of the streamer tail is simpler and quicker than that of the body, but it uses considerably more fabric, and still quite a bit of time. My calculations tell me that just the stand-alone streamer tail should be priced at about $410. Combined, the body and tail come to more than I charge for the Ichiban, but the fact is that I have more time and materials in the MacStar than I do in the Ichiban!

I've never flown the K•Star totally without a tail, but I'll be testing that when I fly the personal K•Star I have on the table. I have flown the kite with a simpler tail, as well as multiple ribbon tails. I was very happy with the kite's performance with three 26ft ribbon tails, which can be made considerably less expensively than the streamer. Truth be told, if price is an issue, you don't need my tails at all! You can supply your own ribbon, streamer, or fuzzy tails, either self-made or factory-made.

Turning the page…

The book has been closed on sport kite orders, and I’m busy designing the next generation of BMK single-line kites.

Thank you, to all that have been a part of my business, and my life in kiting. People change, and interests and markets shift. It’s time to turn the page to the next chapter of this kiting story.

Continue reading “Turning the page…”

An anniversary…

2019 was the 20th anniversary of the inception of Blue Moon Kites. The beginning was longer and messier than I would have preferred, and there was that “vacation” a few years ago, but overall it’s been a good ride. It never would have happened without the friendship and support of a lot of fine folks along the way.

Mike Gillard and I first talked about it on the patio of the hotel we were staying at while attending the KTA show in Clearwater, FL in 1999. It became “Blue Moon” at least in part because there were two blue moons early that year. The name was also inspired by the backup band of one of my all-time favorite singer-songwriters, Nanci Griffith.

In September of that year, I brought a handful of new kites to the festival at the Air Force Museum in Dayton. They were well received, and I was encouraged to move forward. After the festival, Holly (my wife) and I spent some time with Mike and his family at their home in Columbus OH, and started dreaming and scheming in earnest.  

Continue reading “An anniversary…”