Boxes...

Both kites reduced to $500 plus postage, or get both for $1000! 

I've even got some boxes ready to send them...

http://www.extremekites.com.au/topic/15572-ozone-manta-ii-10m/?do=getNewComment

http://www.extremekites.com.au/topic/15580-ozone-access-6m/?do=getNewComment

Video - a few days on October...

Kite buggying on Lake Walyungup on a couple of very different October days.

a few days in October from Mark Crook on Vimeo.

Video - winter

My video from buggying at the weekend...

Winter... from Mark Crook on Vimeo.

screen shot

Winter...

I got out for the first time in ages, the winter weather is a nightmare, clear and bright = no wind. Rain = loads of wind!

Today we had clear and kinda cloudy, but there was wind forecast 15-20 knots, got to the salt lake at 8.30 and there was nothing, unpacked the 10m Manta and waited 1/2 an hour then the wind came in! Got an hour and a half of pure buggy bliss!

But it was bloody cold!

Video is edited but can't get it on vimeo until Wednesday!

screen shot

Video - Sideways...

I was playing around with trailers on iMovie and came up with this...

Sideways from Mark Crook on Vimeo.

Why..?

...sometimes I wonder why?

I didn't go out in the buggy this morning, despite epic winds, as we still had some thunder about following storms last night. It didn't seem a good idea - kite + lightening = ouch!

So being lazy, this arvo,  I tried the board with the 10m Manta at my local footie oval. This is always a mistake, the winds at the oval are gusty and swirl all over the place, the manta would luff, power-up, over-fly, float to the ground and then power-up again. Not the best conditions to practice kite land-boarding...

I ended up not moving anywhere, getting frustrated and hot and ended up doing an unintentional static jump of about 8m and then the kite collapsing landing in a heap and twisting my ankle!

Buggying...

Just had a great 4 hours in the buggy and am tired now!

Wind in increased as the morning progressed, started of with the 10m manta and then played wit the 6m access. 

No records as only short runs but absolutely great fun...

Video - JVC Camera Test

I bought a JVC camcorder with my Christmas money. My wife and daughter accompanied me to the Lake Walyungup and got some video of me in action. Unfortunately the wind was only 8-9 knots when they were there and increased to 9-11 once they had left.

I did hit 55kph with the 10m Ozone Manta before I was beaten by the heat!

Kite Buggying - JVC Camera Test from Mark Crook on Vimeo.

Crispy...

Just heading back after a couple of hours in the buggy, 55kph with the 10m Ozone manta in 9-10 knots.

Wind increasing and so is the temperature, forecast for 34 today...

Feeling a bit crispy!

Toy planes...

The model aircraft club are back on the lake...

But it didn't stop me having a blast this morning, south-westerlies, really light to start and I should have really got the 10m Manta out. But I was feeling lazy so started with the 6m Access and for the first hour it took a lot of work to move anywhere.

Eventually the wind did as it was forecast and it was perfect for the 6, I had some great runs and really tried out the Access, up-wind, down wind and across - all over the place. Love it...

Bags packed...

Since getting the Ozone Manta 10m, I have been strapping the large back-pack to the top of my buggy bag - as it was too big to fit in...

Now that I have reduced my quiver I thought it was time to rethink, so have repacked the Manta so that it fits in the kite bag (with my other essentials) and have the Access in its back-pack as I think this is the kite that will get the most use (and it will fit in the buggy-bag if I am flying the Manta)...

Does this make sense? It does to me!

Sunday...

Looks like the wind should be ok to take the Manta out for a run late morning...

Anybody interested...?

I am thinking about selling my 10m Ozone Manta II so that I can fund a 12m Flysurfer Speed 3!

The Manta is a great kite and in excellent condition as I had it form new earlier this year. For a full run down and some more pictures please see my review.

I am after $700 plus postage.

It was looking good...

We have had a lot of rain and storms over the last couple of weeks but despite that the surface of the Lake is looking pretty dry, a picture from yesterday on my way to work...

But it has rained a lot over the last 12 hours, I'm hoping it stops soon so it can dry out again!

The wind is looking pretty decent for Sunday morning as well, I'm hoping to fly the 10m Ozone Manta...

Parapacking...

I have always parapacked my kites for as long as I can remember...

Otherwise it was hours of untangling, and time wasted from flying. Even when I had my first depower kite, a Flysurfer Rookie 2 9m, rather than wrap the lines onto the bar I used to parapack it.

Things have now changed...!

Since owning the Ozone Manta I wrap the lines around the bar in a nice figure eight and haven't had any tangles - it's so easy.

wrapped!

I have to say I am still parapacking my fixed bridle kites (that is until I can convince my wife to let me get an Ozone Turbo Bar for my 4m Method!).

Video - just crusin'

A beautiful winters day yesterday, low wind to start with (7-10 kph) which gradually increased as the morning went on (19-20 kph). Flying the Ozone Manta 2 10m on Lake Walyungup. I got quite a lot of use out of the GoPro line mount for some aerial shots...

Just crusin' from Mark Crook on Vimeo.

It was good to get out in the buggy after about 3 weeks of bad weather!

6 weeks to go...

 … until spring and then hopefully the weather will improve for kite buggying.

We have had another typical winter weekend. When it’s dry and bright there is no wind (and it gets cold), the wind only seems to come to the party when the rain comes (or is imminent) and we get some awesome storms here in Perth.

This also means that after the rain Lake Walyungup takes a long time to dry out and the surface is sticky and cuts up – so I don’t like to buggy.

But within a few days of the commencement of spring (the 1^st September) there is a noticeable change, we couldn’t believe the difference when we first moved here, as the change is dramatic. The days will suddenly start getting warmer and the wind won’t be dependent on the rain.

I will continue to try and fly as and when the weather gives me a break, and I have been out more this winter than the previous year (mainly thanks to a 10m Ozone Manta II) – but we have broken the back of winter…