Since 2007, Rev flying has been steadily gaining popularity worldwide thanks to the concerted efforts of groups like iQuad, The Flying Squad, Decorators and many others... Just five years ago, an average kite festival would see a ratio of 20 to 1 for dual line kites to quads... These days, you can typically reverse that number, with quad line kites (especially Revolutions) being among the most popular sport kites in the world.

With such strong growth in this area, the demand for information, media and instruction has increased significantly which in turn has given more experienced Rev (and especially team) fliers cause to start holding Rev "clinics" or workshops where folks can come and learn from the best... Such clinics are well known for their inclusive "all are welcome" approach, and for the immediate camaraderie attendees find with other Rev fliers.

In 2008, John Barresi and his teammates on Team iQuad put their heads together with the World Kite Museum in Long Beach (WA) to create the first full-weekend Rev clinic in North America and found resounding success with a whopping THIRTY-ONE students in attendance!

Now entering their 3rd annual edition of this event and due to the significant increase in average skill amongst Rev pilots across the board, iQuad is stepping it up several notches for 2010 with a more focused and systematic curriculum that is designed to increase the amount of information being shared, provide more attention to students with material within their own skill level and to actively make more information and training available for Rev team flying.

While this years WCRC may be more organized than in years past, the prime directive of the event is still to provide full inclusivity and a relaxed, friendly atmosphere, while maximizing the value for those in attendance.

This is also an official scheduled RevGuild and AKA-sanctioned fun fly, so all club members are welcome to join us on the the beach for general flying, even if they're not registered for the actual Rev clinic.

Skill Levels

In the past, the average skill level amongst Rev fliers was significantly lower than we have today and clinic topics were sort of continuous, all lumped together... This year, the focus will be on providing specific training for the three primary skill groups, Novice, Intermediate and Advanced, with each group being taught and assisted by their set of own instructors.

Within this, there will also be "tier I" and "tier II" breakdowns to allow students an easier time of progressing up a skill ladder of sorts, learning specific items in blocks so as to facilitate a strong foundation of knowledge and experience.

Instructors will also rotate between skill levels over the course of the weekend to provide a wide variety of perspectives for attendees, and there will also be a reasonable amount of "open flying" time for folks to work on the things they're interested in... Last but not least, there will also be specific portions of the clinic dedicated to direct, personal feedback for each student to help with the items they are most interested in or may be struggling with.

Schedule

Friday will be an "open flying" day without any official curriculum... With it still being a work day for many, the idea was to add a little bonus "one on one" time for those who are able to attend early without compromising the value or content for those who are onbly able to attend over the weekend.

Saturday will be devoted to tier I and II skills training for all skill levels, as well as an essential team flying introduction and training exercises for each skill group... Closing out the day's flying, there will be a period of time for teaching and practicing the Grid Format (credits to Felix Mottram) which has proven to be so essential for organizing and implementing large mega team flies... Lastly on Saturday, the evening festivities will be at a local pizza place for socializing, fun and a number of special prizes to be given away to paid participants.

Sunday will primarily be focused on helping pilots polish and refine the things they learned on Saturday, with lots of personal coaching from the pilots on iQuad and other experienced attendees... This applies to team flying as well, and again to the Grid practice in the final portion of the day.

What should I bring?

Clothing & Food:

We recommend each participant come prepared with warm clothing (layers are best), including basic rain gear... Even in the event of inclement weather, those who are comfortable should be prepared to enjoy flying, fun and hijinks, unless the conditions turn absolutely sour, in which case we will attempt to move the clinic indoors for a more casual non-flying, hands on, interactive workshop using effective “simulator” techniques.

Also, be sure to pack a lunch, water and sun block! The natural flow of our workshops allow for people to relax and have downtime as people cycle through the learning process... You will find plenty of time to breathe, eat and enjoy your day on the field with other kite fliers.

Equipment:

Absolutely bring a NOTE PAD... There will be a lot of information flowing, and it’s likely that you’ll find it useful to have some way to make notes for your own areas of focus, as well as to identify other items that you’re most interested in learning during the weekend.

For the individual skills, any Revolution or similarly capable quad line kite is acceptable, using pretty much any quality or length of lines, although spectra lines are recommended...For team skills, a Revolution 1.5 of any model (EXP, SLE, B-Series, etc) is required, along with a 120' set of 90lb spectra quad lines, which is generally the accepted international standard for Rev team flying.

While there will be a limited amount of training equipment available during the workshop, it would be beneficial to come equipped with 2, 3 and 4 wrap frames, as well as both standard and vented sails to take full advantage of any wind conditions that might arise... Even so, if you don’t have a Rev yet and still want to learn, come on out, we’ll do what it takes to get you in the sky for some learning and good times!

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Registration

Pre-registration is required for this event, and includes full access to all portions of the clinic and evening festivities, as well as the prize drawings.

Individual (16 and over) - $75
Couple or Parent/Child - $125

* There is a cap of 30 registrants - so register early!
* A portion of clinic proceeds go directly to the World Kite Museum!

Click here for registration links and general pre-event discussion!

There is also a discount available to all RevGuild members through the separate registration links that can be found in the members area of the RevGuild forum.

Membership info - http://www.revguild.org/about#benefits
Discounted links - http://www.revguild.org/forum/index.php?showtopic=141

Note: You must be logged in as a RevGuild member to access the last URL.

Past Reports

2009 - http://kitelife.com/magazine/issue65/wcrc09/content.php
2008 - http://kitelife.com/magazine/issue59/wcrc08/content.php

If it's not evident already, this is one of the most laid back and beneficial events for anyone who is looking for have a good time and increase their skills at the same time... If you have any doubts, jump on the Rev forum and

    I hope to see you all there,

      John Barresi