Advanced Tricks

Pancake
Landing the kite with the nose away from you on its belly. With the kite overhead, turn the nose down. Just before the kite reaches the ground, push both hands but with a little more emphasis on the right hand. This will cause the kite to rise off its belly to your left. This trick works best in lighter winds.

Belly Launch
Kite is launched from a Pancake position. If the wind is over your left shoulder, then pull with both hands but with a little more emphasis on the right hand. This will cause the kite to rise off its belly to your left. This trick works best in lighter winds.

Axel
It is very important to achieve a perfect and long Stall resulting from a Snap Stall. Once you do that it's time to attack the Axle. Fly to the left edge of the wind window about fifteen feet above the ground and execute a good snap stall on the edge of the window. Slightly push your outside hand forward while maintaining a stall with the wing tips still parallel to the ground. Pushing your outside hand changes the angle of attack on the kite so when you now pull that same line towards you, you are actually pulling the top part of the bridle thus pulling the nose towards you. The belly of the kite which is usually facing you will now be facing the ground as it goes through its rotation along that axis. At the same time that you "pop" with one hand you have to give slack to the inside line. This will allow the wing to rotate. As the kite goes through the Axle both lines must be slack. Once the kite comes all the way around, put tension on both lines by pulling on them at the same time.
Note: To really learn the Axle easily, watch it on Flight School Video II and III.

Spin Axel
Simply initiate a up or down spin on the edge of the wind window. As soon as the wings become parallel, "pop" the Axle. This is a very graceful move that works great during a ballet routine. Being a two part move just match it up with two beats in a song.

Coin Toss
From a wingtip stand, let the nose rotate a little past center and then sharply pull the outside and push or release with the inside hand and the kite will "half axle" either into an opposite wing tip stand or take off depending on the amount of force and timing used.

Axel Takeoff
The kite takes off in one smooth motion into an Axle. With the kite landed near the edge of the window, pull the inside wing towards you about 6 inches. Now with both wingtips on the ground, pull the inside wing sharply causing both wings to rise off the ground. Once the wings are clear, pop the axle with the outside hand. This can also be done starting with the outside hand.

Half Axel / Cascade
Similar to the Coin Toss, only done in the air. This is a great way to change directions quickly. Fly horizontally towards the edge, when the pressure in the sail is reduced, pull sharply on the inside line while releasing the outside and the kite will do a half axle and change directions. As soon as the nose points inside, pull sharply the outside hand while releasing the inside hand. Do this repeatedly while walking forward. This is called the Cascade. To help you learn this move, refer to Flight School III.

540 Flat Spin (Belly Twist)
This is a move that causes the kite to go into an axle type spin from a pancake type maneuver above the ground. Fly the kite nose down near the edge of the window. Just like a pancake, push forward with both hands to flatten the kite with the belly towards the ground. Smaller kites do this very well if you accelerate the kite first by pulling back with both hands and then punching them forward. With the kite near the edge of the window, slightly point the nose towards the center to give a small angle to the kite. As you push quickly forward, abruptly stop the outside hand. When the kite starts to rotate, extend the outside hand again to allow the second rotation while moving forward. The kite's first rotation is 180 degrees and the second is 360 totaling 540 degrees.

Tricks:
New one are being thought of all the time. Most come out of mistakes that are done over and over until it becomes a trick. You may even come up with some of your own! Some of the names that are used vary from region to region. An example would be the Skate versus the Side Slide. They are the same maneuvers just called different names. Just remember to keep exploring the envelope and have fun!

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