Kiting - talking about a REVolution

The classic Rev design was developed in the late 1980s in San Diego, California, by mechanical engineer and kiter Joe Hadzicki. He said it was only when he decided to approach the kite from an airplane-control perspective, rather than a kite perspective, that he finally developed a working model that surpassed his wildest dreams! “Far beyond our main goal of being able to back down and land, this new revolutionary kite was capable of instantaneous stopping, reverse flight in any direction, full speed control in both forward and reverse flight, and propeller-like spins!”

Best of all, with a Rev, the kiter can learn to perform impressive manoeuvres without spending excessive amounts of time training, a major reason why they soon caught on and spread around the world. Today, there are a large number of ‘Rev pilots’, particularly in the USA, Europe, and Asia.

Steven Leonard, from Durban, is one of the most enthusiastic Revolution kiters in South Africa. He describes them as the kite equivalent of a remote-controlled helicopter.For him, the beauty of Revs is that they are excellent for flying solo and also work brilliantly in a team. “If you’ve ever seen air shows where planes fly in formation, then imagine that with kites and that’s exactly what Revs can do,” says Leonard.

Revs are very accessible. Because it’s relatively simple to fly them and little or no power is needed, they are a great option for children or people with physical limitations. They are also easy to set-up and pack away, can fly in a wider range of conditions than any other kites, and need very little maintenance.

Rev kiting in South Africa

According to David Sampson of Hi-Fly Kites, there are a number of active Rev pilots in South Africa. “Most local kiters prefer to fly a range of kite types rather than specialising in just one. Stunt and power kites are probably the most popular kites here,” he says.

Ashley Ware-Lane, kiting advisor to the Cape Town International Kite Festival, is a typical South African kiter. He owns a Rev, enjoys some stunt kiting, but he and his wife Mari have recently become more interested in creating inflatable single-line kites - look out for their latest ‘big kite’ at this year’s Cape Town International Kite Festival on 2 and 3 November.

Steven Leonard became interested in Revs a few years ago when he became bored with power kiting, “I spent too many weekends waiting for the wind to speed up and decided to get a Rev out of desperation.” He taught himself how to fly the kite, using videos on YouTube and advice from fellow kiters. “It didn’t take me long to get hooked, even though I initially had the set-up completely wrong.” Now, four years later, he finds himself well skilled, knowledgeable, and connecting with fellow Revolution pilots around the world. He has twice been to the USA to perform in team and indoor solo demonstrations.

Getting started

The best and fastest way to learn how to fly a Rev kite is to spend time with someone who already knows how.

There are also some great resources online:
www.learnkites.com has tutorials on how to fly a Rev. Some are free and more ‘serious’ enthusiasts can subscribe to a paying section. The videos were created by John Barresi, one of the most successful
sport-kite competitors in the USA. He is also the current President of the American Kite Fliers Association.

www.revkites.com/forum has a platform where you can put questions to the rest of the Rev kiting community. “As simple as a Rev is, it can seem daunting or overwhelming to begin with. The Rev community loves to share and help out, so make use of that to resolve any questions or issues you encounter,” says Leonard.