Re: Trick question: Any advice on how do an upward cascade
| Subject | Re: Trick question: Any advice on how do an upward cascade |
| From | abw@cre.canon.co.uk (Andy Wardley) |
| Date | Wed, 20 May 1998 10:08:42 GMT |
| Newsgroups | rec.kites |
Andrew Phelps wrote:
> This is the only trick that I really haven't a clue on. I know it is
> basically an axel where you finish higher than you start. String them
> together and presto!! an upward cascade. Can I do it?? Can I hell!!
It's called a "Fountain". This is very important. Big Gary named it for me, actually. Whilst it *is* an upwards cascade, it does have a name all of its own. It is not, absolutely *NOT* called an "Up The Fountain" despite anything that it may say on a certain (otherwise excellent) flight video. :-)=
> Is there a trick to doing this trick [sic]??
Nope, none whatsoever. There is no magic secret, knack or trick to doing a Fountain. Just lots, and lots, and lots of practice.
In a light wind (important), I can hit a clean Fontain pretty much every time. It's taken me 2 years to get that far.
Come to think of it, I don't think I've actually ever *seen* anyone else do a clean Fountain. Not exactly the World's most popular trick, is it? But fame and glory await those who master it...
> I have tried it with a Matrix, Stranger, Midi Sandpiper and Aziza.
Midi-Sandpiper, yes, but the others, no. The Aziza is too tricky and the Stranger and Matrix are too laid back.
Start with a Cascade. Practice Cascades 'till your fingers bleed. Then practice some more. You must gradually try to get more and more Axels into the Cascade, by having the kite fall less and less while Axelling. To do this you need to learn the "Patent Wardley Pop and Re-Pop Method". Basically speaking, you pop with one hand and then lift the other wing up with a gently tug on the other hand. When the kite Axels, it falls as it's rotating, particularly during the last half of the rotation. If you pop the wing up and stop the Axel half way round, you don't lose so much height.
It's probably easier if I show you this than describe it, but it's covered to some extent in a certain (excellent, except for it's naming of this particular trick) flight video [*].
Keep practicing until you can do a "Matt's Puddle" (named after Matt Hurrell who lamented that his Fountains didn't go up, they just hang about near the ground in a puddle). When you can Cascade the kite on the spot, you can start to learn to take it up.
But by this point, you'll already know how to do it. It'll have happened by itself a few times and you'll be so experienced at going through the motions that you should be able to accentuate the upward lift and come straight in again with the next pop before the kite falls down again.
Now just practice some more.
A
[*] Flight School 3 by Dodd Gross, in case you hadn't realised. Dodd misunderstood the name of the trick and "popularised" the wrong name. Oh how we laughed! I like to have a wee dig whenever I can, but it's all intentded in the best spirit.