My new custom Jordan Airform 200

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by Zoyd Vo » Tue, 06 Jul 1999 04:00:00


I want to report my extreme satisfaction with, and delight in, my new custom
kite: a Jordan Airform 200, built for me by Dean himself.  Occasionally this
satisfaction devolves into a  gloating pride of ownership, but this is the dark
side of delight, and the kite fights it.

When I originally inquired about a Jordan Airform, I mentioned a price and said
I liked rainbow-colored kites, unoriginal as they may be.  I was thinking, kind
of vaguely, of the usual parafoil/flowform alternation of colors on the tubes,
but dimly.  Dean responded as follows:

Quote:
>> you can have up to three colors for that price, after that we have to talk

custom.  If you want rainbow, unless you want a specific look, it has to be of
my own design...we will use red, yellow, blue, orange(yuck), green, and
purple(yay!).  I will make it like no other, and it will be way cool!<<

I didn't have a specific look in mind, and my notion was so vague and
pedestrian that it didn't qualify as design input, so I said swell.

I'm really really glad I did.  I received the kite almost three weeks ago, but
what with the lack of wind and some medical problems in the family, I didn't
get a chance to fly it until last Tuesday.  That afternoon was perfect --
clear, cool, light breeze -- so I shut down my business at 3PM and my wife and
I took the kite to Lake Erie Metropark (a point of land where the Detroit
Rivere enters Lake Erie) and located an area large enough to set up the kite,
with enough clearance that the very long tails wouldn't get caught in the small
trees standing around.  These trees were only 1012 feet high, but wouldn't
have been easy to climb.

The kite soared up so dramatically that neither my wife nor I could speak.
Very quickly the seemingly-deserted park produced several onlookers, who zipped
over on bikes, on foot,  in cars, or on motorcycles, to see what was happening.
  The park cop came zooming up on his golf cart.  Everyone stood and stared
upward, and no one said a word for about ten minutes.  Then I got a few
"where'd ya get it?" questions.  No one asked how much it cost.  No one asked
what it was.  Eventually the younger ones said "awesome," and the older ones
said "how beautiful!," and I took it down before a veering wind could put it in
the water.

I flew it again yesterday for my mother and sisters, who are visiting for the
holiday, and even they (who are inclined to suspect me -- so unreasonably -- of
being prodigal and improvident with respect to the acquisition of kites, among
other things) were stunned into awed delight, as was everyone within viewing
range though, again, everyone seemed content to just stand and look, without
interruption -- the way you'd expect folks to behave whilst Bach was being
played at Tanglewood.

I've got a few photos which I'd like to put on someone's website, if they'd
email me with instructions on how to upload, and what format they prefer
(bmp,jpg,gif,tif etc) and what file size is advisable.  Meanwhile, to describe:
the kite has eight tubes, there is no bite out of the trailing edge, making it
a rectangular airfoilish curve in flight.  An outside tube is black, the next
two tubes are composed of four*** (I think) diagonal rainbow stripes, the
center two tubes are black, then two more tubes of reverse-diagonal stripes,
then another black tube.  The four colored tubes on the top of the kite,
corresponding of course with the four on the bottom,  make the effect
kaleidoscopic when the sun is behind the kite.  

Then there are the two  hundred-foot-plus tapered tube tails, or drogue.  Those
of you who may have seen the kite at Wildwood didn't see the tails.  I was only
half-interested in the tails myself, until they unfurled.   I thought of them
as add-ons.  But they complete the kite, rather than decorate it.

The kite is a masterpiece.  

Brock Vond

 
 
 

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by SportKit » Tue, 06 Jul 1999 04:00:00

Hi Brock
I'm sure you will be innundated with offers, but I wanted to offer X-Kites up
to you. I'm also a big fan of Rainbow Kites AND Dean Jordan. I'd be pleased to
reprint your posting and pictures in article form plus give Dean a well
deserved plug. I will give it my undivided attention and get it up immediately.
Thanks for a wonderful story and I hope to hear from you VERY soon!

Color My Sky, Ellen
http://www.x-kites.com

 
 
 

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by Bob Pebl » Tue, 06 Jul 1999 04:00:00

Leave it to Dean to put black in the rainbow.  Dean - do you order black by the
square mile or foot?

Bob
...still waiting on my Airform  :-(

Quote:

>...
>I've got a few photos which I'd like to put on someone's website, if they'd
>email me with instructions on how to upload, and what format they prefer
>(bmp,jpg,gif,tif etc) and what file size is advisable.  Meanwhile, to describe:
>the kite has eight tubes, there is no bite out of the trailing edge, making it
>a rectangular airfoilish curve in flight.  An outside tube is black, the next
>two tubes are composed of four*** (I think) diagonal rainbow stripes, the
>center two tubes are black, then two more tubes of reverse-diagonal stripes,
>then another black tube.  The four colored tubes on the top of the kite,
>corresponding of course with the four on the bottom,  make the effect
>kaleidoscopic when the sun is behind the kite.
>...


 
 
 

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by Coreyki » Wed, 07 Jul 1999 04:00:00

Dang...
The guy (dean jordan) is not only a pretty fair buggyer...
(finishing somewhat less than first in most races...
but winning once in awhile, non-the-less)

a fighter kite builder of reknown...

A custom high-performance sport kite builder of wide repute...
(having been there as mentor and teacher to many other builders)

and a pretty fair chap to hang with...

But Oh No!!!  That's not enough...
NO... He's got to build some awesome foils too...

I'ma just gettin' tarred of all this "Praise Dean" stuff..

Can't we give it a rest?

How about a Dean-Free Day?

said with all the respect and humility i can muster right now...

(why do dean and i pick on each other?)

('cause we love each other and we're not gay
- not that there's anything wrong with that)


 
 
 

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by C Lemon » Wed, 07 Jul 1999 04:00:00

Hail Dean !  Praise the Airfoil!!!

Hi Corey - maybe we could have a Dean and Corey weekend - a world wide
holiday
This will of course require a vote and consensus. We will have to get
back to you on this while we are deciding just who "WE" are. It was much
easier with the borg.

Collette

Quote:

> Dang...
> The guy (dean jordan) is not only a pretty fair buggyer...
> (finishing somewhat less than first in most races...
> but winning once in awhile, non-the-less)

> a fighter kite builder of reknown...

> A custom high-performance sport kite builder of wide repute...
> (having been there as mentor and teacher to many other builders)

> and a pretty fair chap to hang with...

> But Oh No!!!  That's not enough...
> NO... He's got to build some awesome foils too...

> I'ma just gettin' tarred of all this "Praise Dean" stuff..

> Can't we give it a rest?

> How about a Dean-Free Day?

> said with all the respect and humility i can muster right now...

> (why do dean and i pick on each other?)

> ('cause we love each other and we're not gay
> - not that there's anything wrong with that)



 
 
 

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by Chas » Thu, 08 Jul 1999 04:00:00



Quote:
> <snip Dean panegyric>
> I'ma just gettin' tarred of all this "Praise Dean" stuff..

> Can't we give it a rest?

> How about a Dean-Free Day?

Absolutely - No more than one 'Dean' posting a week, clearly marked
with a 'DTG' flag (Dean's the greatest:). 'Course if ppl post more
than that then we all have to stop speaking to him..........

Quote:
> said with all the respect and humility i can muster right now...

Not a lot ? :=)

> (why do dean and i pick on each other?)

> ('cause we love each other and we're not gay
> - not that there's anything wrong with that)

Ahhhhhhh..........

Regards,

Chas.

 
 
 

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by Zoyd Vo » Thu, 08 Jul 1999 04:00:00


writes:

Quote:
>This will of course require a vote and consensus. We will have to get
>back to you on this while we are deciding just who "WE" are.

I think WE must emphasize diversity, lest someone be left out, and the only way
to really do it is to include everyone everywhere in any vote or consensus --
whether they like it or not.  One sky, one world, nicht wahr?  This requires
forced universal participation in rec.kites, presumably by force of arms.  Loc.
cit.  AKA & NRA.

Chas has mentioned an idea that I think can be extended, viz.:

Quote:
>>No more than one 'Dean' posting a week, clearly marked

with a 'DTG' flag (Dean's the greatest:)<<

Fair enough, but other flags could be used:  'KB' for kite-building, 'SKF' for
sport-kite-flying, 'KT' for kite traction,  'WLR' for witless legal ramblings,
'HTROX' for how to rip off whomever, and DRPO' for don't rip people off.
Maybe even 'JFS' for a June-free-subject, or a 'SUB-TIEYN' for "shut up Brock
-- that isn't even your real name," etc.  Cumbersome, maybe but universal
suffrage isn't easy.

Of course a consensus would have to be reached with respect to coding, which
brings us back to the ascots, the aristokiters, and the corner of Third and
Clinton in Sioux City.  There's a big hill at that location -- great for
sledding in winter.

Brock Vond

 
 
 

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by Mike Dool » Fri, 09 Jul 1999 04:00:00


Quote:
>I want to report my extreme satisfaction with, and delight in, my new custom
>kite: a Jordan Airform 200, built for me by Dean himself.  Occasionally this
>satisfaction devolves into a  gloating pride of ownership, but this is the dark
>side of delight, and the kite fights it.
<snip>
>The kite is a masterpiece.  

>Brock Vond

Jeez, pardon me for adding my 2 cents in here, but am I the ONLY one
who noticed this line in Ellen's post?

"I will give it my undivided attention and get it up immediately."

And we're wasting our time talking about Dean and Cobey's mutual
admiration society?  tsk, tsk.

(I hadda do it, I just hadda, Ellen... :o)
Nothing is foolproof, to a sufficiently talented fool!

 
 
 

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by SportKit » Fri, 09 Jul 1999 04:00:00

Heh! Don't you just love a sport that a girl can say "I'll get it up" and
actually be telling the truth? ;)

BTW I'm noticing an innordinate amount of giddiness from rk'rs. Spring Fever
fell a little late this year, but I for one am happy to see that it
has.....finally!

Happy Happy Joy Joy (bounce bounce little spikey balls, baskets & bols)
Color My Sky, Ellen
http://www.x-kites.com

 
 
 

My new custom Jordan Airform 200

Post by Jean Lemir » Fri, 09 Jul 1999 04:00:00

Hi Ellen, hi folks.

Maybe it is kite festivals fever :-)

The symptoms are:

1 - The subject experience an increased e***ment in anticipation of the
upcoming weekend festival;

2 - All its energy is concentrated in cleaning and refurbishing kites and
accessories;

3 - He/she tell all its relative about how great it will be and all the nice
folks that he/she will meet there;

4 - After the festival is over, the subject's state of mind is a relaxed
one.  One with a sense of fulfilment and the need to tell others.  This is
often done in funny ways, often using a lot of jokes about all kind of crazy
subjects like ligth bulbs, for example.

The net result is a dropping in the level of aggressivity and more tolerance
for others.

Imagine if this is repeated for four or five or more consecutive weekends
:-)

Wind or no wind, fly for fun :-)

Jean (Johnny) Lemire of team S.T.A.F.F. from Montreal, Canada.