Plenty of hype recently about those additional toys, that appear to be the must have in any kiter's quiver. (arguably)
Still not convinced that I absolutely need to buy one, but I'm pretty keen to try. I see an application for windskating, where it'd be easier to deploy than a windsurf rig. And on SUP or SUP foil in one wind direction that doesn't quite work for kiting due to sketchy launching spots and gusty winds. More riding time, why not.
Anyway, that's for the background and motivation, there are plenty of topics in the other divisions of the forum to discuss those, but my topic here is essentially to document my journey in trying to turn an old kite into one of those contraptions, and learn along the way with others.
I've been kiting for 20 years, done a few minor repairs on kites and bars, but interestingly enough, I'm totally clueless about sewing, which might be a challenge, and while I can take some parts of the work to be done to the local repair shop, I'll aim for the most DIY option possible, partially to show that it can (hopefully) be done on the cheap and that the big brands are taking the mickey. And of course to extend the life of some kites that have been retired for various reasons.
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, that's always a good lifeline.
So here it goes!
Base kite for this attempt: a GK VSonic 8m² which should yield something in the 5m² range. Kind of stocky, full of 7 struts, but most of all black and red which looks awesome. Built like a tank, with a Dacron skeleton, solid base for it. Only a blown out strut and a worn out bridle. There's also the 11m available if I want to attempt a bigger one.