Rob Banks

Windswept Kites

kites, kayaks, corgis

Posts

April 03, 08:20 PM

Just wanted to put a quick note out there that the Yard Sale has been updated again! 
Go check it out!
Windswept Kites

March 21, 01:30 PM

Yes, these super stable xUL wind singles are here again.   The page will be updated very soon with the PayPal link.
We have the standard colored ones (white main skin, black stripe, colored wing tip) and ones with a black main skin (white stripe and colored wing tip), as well as one Zebra print!
The zebra print is a bit heavier than the standard vapids since the edge is fully hemmed and the stripes are all appliqued.   This one looks great!

Get out and fly will ya?
WsK


March 08, 08:03 PM

A big box of Vapids are coming in soon from Robert van Weers in New Zealand.
These are great stable UL wind stable flying kites!

Pix and more info when they box gets cracked open!

February 24, 11:37 AM

Up here it is turning into spring........still good flying weather though, indoors or outdoor.  
Hope that everyone out there is tuning and repairing and building kites.
Good winds
WsK


January 22, 06:26 PM
  • Patriots win
  • iFlites are on order again
  • Some new surprises have been added to the website
  • Vapids are coming from NZ
  • We will be helping build a set for a show at Radio City Music Hall (you will be able to read about it from the Drachen Foundation website afterward)
  • There is snow on the ground
  • From mass produced kites there are some very special kites coming out-check out the ZeroG (you will recognize this as the Plutz variants that we have had for the last two years) and the Emong, the Soar, the Flick - just a couple that have caught our eye
  • The dogs are not shedding as much this week and that is good!


Just a couple of updates!!!
Good winds
rob
January 15, 02:37 PM
There now exists a Windswept Kites Google + page: It is here!    Go on and add us into your circles!
The Windswept Kites facebook page has been up for awhile: WsK on FB 
And here we are on Twitter: WsK on Twitter

Just trying to pass along all of the ways to connect!

Back to shipping the orders that came in this week.
Good winds
rob

January 08, 08:26 PM

Due to a death in the family we will be closed this week, January 8th to the 14th.

January 03, 08:41 PM

We got a large number of kites up for grabs: power foils, single lines, dual lines.......
Also keep watching the website for new offerings as well!
Hints: initials are PT & JL & also SH!    Any guesses???

Cheers everyone, keep flying!

Here is a picture of our New Years Day @ Colt State Park.


December 24, 12:01 PM
Here at Windswept Kites we wish everyone out there a wonderful holiday!   
Hopefully that gift that you REALLY wanted is the one wrapped up right now with your name on it.
Good winds
rob et al
December 14, 09:09 AM

More of the newest phenomenon indoor kite, Patrick Tan's iFlite, are on the way.   Hopefully we will get them in time to ship some back out for the holidays.  What better way to spend Christmas day then flying an iFlite around the tree, kitchen, and holiday revellers.

Keep an eye on this blog or the windswept kites Facebook page for news.

November 12, 11:38 AM

The new kite to get is the iFlite made by layangman in Singapore.    Our shipment just arrived,  check the website to see when his page gets uploaded.

A super sweet indoor fighter style kite at a great price,  these will go quickly!

Good winds


October 14, 03:05 PM
Robert does not know i took this one :)
Well now....it has been 5 days since Robert headed back out of here.   
He is safely back in Tasmania, with his bags a little lighter!   

I cannot begin to guess at how many miles were traveled to get here but we made 17 Concentrix kites, and 11 Wind Tulip Kinetic spinners, sold some more kites, flew some sweet indoor kites (on order btw!) and had a LOT of laughs.  Other fun things to note are that we had three people who had never made a kite before take part, and also that Robert got to see the Stanley Cup up close and personal!
   The Hastings House staff loved having us there, and the question from both kite makers and the HH staff was "when is the next one?" answer: it is in the works.....

Here are some pictures to share

Beth and I want to say thank you to everyone who took part in the workshops.   
We enjoyed having you, and hope you all had fun too!   
See you at the next one!

October 07, 08:46 AM
The Yard Sale has been updated again.   
There are some new pieces in there, some AMAZING pieces, and some new prices too.
A big box kite made by Bill Lockhart, pieces from Normand Girard, Ruth Whiting, sport kites and more!!!
Check it out, there is not much there right now, so grab it while you can!

 

We are up here getting ready for the Workshop weekend with Robert Brasington.   
The amount of colors that will be in the Hastings House workspace will be WONDERFUL!   
I am certain that there will be lots of pictures to follow!


Good winds
WsK
September 16, 05:18 PM
Heading up to Coppal House Farm in Lee, NH this Saturday to fly at their corn maze.
Come on up and check us out!!!

August 31, 06:44 AM

Prices have been dropped on a few kites from the Longbottom collection for a bit of time.

  • The Angel series are amazing beautiful kites that are beautiful enough to hang in an office and they also fly like a dream as well.   Keep one in your bag for a memorial flight, or add a neat kite to your night fly.   We only have a couple of each of these so, if this kite tempts you grab it while you can!
  • Pterodactyls are a bit lower as well, we picked up a handful from Karl and Sara in Dieppe and these guys are looking to climb into your bags.   Awesome flyers, they are also great to use as part of your Halloween decorations too!
Kites are coming and going all the time here; so keep checking back, or subscribe to the rss feed (link on the right) to get the most current news sent to your email box.

Good winds
WsK
August 29, 06:59 AM
New kites added up onto the website.....have you checked them out yet?
The Pipa fighter from Karl Longbottom, pterodactyls, doves as well.
Handful of new pieces from Robert Brasington, including a new kinetic piece.

The Yard Sale has some new pieces in there as well, including a gorgeous original Bill Lockhart box kite (more on this later).

Hopefully if you were in the path of Hurricane Irene you made it through okay, we had a bit of a blow and a bit of rain, not too bad.

Good winds
WsK

August 20, 06:10 PM
Well, we have all three in from Karl Longbottom, as well as a couple of Swan kite kits.
Go and check them out over at his page:

New things are coming up!
good winds
r
August 05, 05:20 PM
Windswept Kites is headed up to Dieppe, New Brunswick for their festival!
New kites will be picked up from a couple of kite makers :D
So.....make sure to check back here or the website in a couple of weeks!!!!

There are some new Yard Sale kites going up soon as well, some very special creations......

Bon vent everyone
WsK
July 13, 07:43 AM
@7/13 7:45am
Wow, the response was great!  
Registration closed 6 hours after the first person signed up (Thank you Kevin!)

We are able to open the registration up for 5 more spots for each workshop.

Please email me, and I can then I can send a paypal invoice to you for the deposit.
I am sure that these will go very fast, and I will say that the other classmates are going to be a blast!

Head over to the website to grab the email:

Good winds
Rob

July 12, 01:32 PM
As of July 12th at 1:30pm the workshops are full.   
Please send an email if you wish to be put on a waiting list.

Thank you everyone!
rob

July 12, 01:19 PM

As of 7/12/11 @1:00pm 
The Saturday Workshop is FULL.

If you wish to be put on a waiting list please email me: 


Good winds!
thanks you everyone
rob
July 11, 09:32 PM

October 8th & 9th, 2011, we will be hosting Robert Brasington here on the lovely North Shore of Massachusetts!!!
Robert is a master kite maker from Tasmania who has a very distinctive style of colors and patterns that make beautiful kites!!!   He is taking a couple of days off of his traveling schedule for this workshop for us.

You will have the chance to make one of his Concentrix kites, or a spinning Wind Tulip 
(see the picture above) at each of the workshops.   
Some people decided to stick around and take both classes,  if their schedule allows.

These two days are limited to 16 people all together (that means 8&8 of course) 
so if you want to get into one of these get in quickly!
I will be keeping a waiting list in case someone backs out, and the open spot will fall to the next person in line.

Please see the official page on Windsweptkites.com for more details.

Good winds!
r


July 07, 09:35 PM
Are you going to Newport?   Newport RI???  
Well....maybe you should.

This upcoming weekend is the Newport Kite Festival.   
This is one of the best kite festivals around the country.......in one of the prettiest spots!

We will be down there....again (some where around festival #14 for me).

If you are going and there is anything you would like to purchase let me know and it can be tossed into the vehicle for a pickup - nothing like hand delivery!

Good winds

See you on the field!!!
July 06, 10:10 PM
Check this out:

We have Will Sturdy's new single line kite on hand.
These are big gliding kites that are meant to be used indoors or outdoors in xUL wind conditions.

They are quite responsive for their size and can glide quite a distance with ease.   


These are all microcarbon, flat carbon, and icarex handmade by a master kite builder!!!


The Chiropteras are 137$ shipped in the US.
By the by: each kite comes with a .25$ back too!!!

Welcome to summer everyone (in the northern hemisphere)
May 31, 11:44 AM
Welcome to the sunny summer time!

We just received a box of Chiropteras from Sturdy Designs.   
These xUL gliders looks phenomenal!!!   
The webpage will be updated soon to reflect this shipment.

What are you doing in October 2011 the weekend of the 8th/9th?   
We will be having a couple of workshops here in Massachusetts with Robert Brassington!!!!   
This will be the first time that Robert has come up here to teach us little people!   
More info will be announced as it comes in, but this will be a fast filling weekend of classes!!

We will be trying to bring kite makers in for workshops into the Northeast more often.   

Good winds
rob

Profile

Sector Manager at Northeast Fishery Sector 3
Aviation & Aerospace | Greater Boston Area, US

Experience

  • May 2012 - Present
    Sector Manager / Northeast Fishery Sector 3
    As Sector Manager I will be coordinating the effort and business practices of a group of commercial fishing vessels. Northeast Fishery Sector Inc. 3 (NEFS 3) is a non-profit organization comprised of individual Federal limited access groundfish permits in the Northeast. NEFS 3 is comprised of fishermen using gillnets, hooks and hand gear. NEFS 3 members harvest a variety of regulated stocks primarily out of the Gulf of Maine, but also fish in George's Bank and Southern New England. Our vessels predominantly land in the port of Gloucester, Massachusetts.
  • Jan 2008 - Present
    Owner / Windswept Kites
    Artistic hand crafted single line kites and ground display items. Available for artistic installations, and displays. We also have a large selection of used consignment sold kites on the website as well. Check out the Yard Sale!
  • 2007 - Present
    Gear Tester / Mountain Techs
    Mountain Techs are contracted to WL Gore as a product testing and market research group.
  • Sept 2011 - Present
    IDI (Industry Data Investigation) Task Lead / REMSA, Inc.
    Coordinating a staff of 13 people in three factions of IDI investigations for the NOAA/NMFS Northeast Regional Office. -Catch Share - quota managed species i.e Scallops, Fluke -Archive Data - historical landings data for the region -Field - developing and coordinating current federal seafood dealers reporting QA program -Worked with a small internal team and ASQ to Value Stream Map the Field IDI dealer data correction process, as well as our Catch Share IDI RTL investigation process
  • Feb 2011 - Present
    Data Quality Specialist / REMSA Inc
    hand in hand with a North East Fishing Sector (NEFS) sector manager (SM) in reconciling the incoming data surrounding commercial landings - Held biweekly meetings with SM to address anomalies in the data stream such as landings weight differences, dealer reporting and fishing vessel reporting issues - Monitored two sectors' Annual Catch Limits in real time, in reference to percentage caught as well as transfers of quota - Reconciled two sectors data (NEFS 2,5) during the final two months of fishing year 2010 - Assisted in developing protocol for data reconciliation - Worked as a code tester for statisticians developing data modeling programs - Assisted SM in identifying and removing imputed trips - Developed visual aids for the Raw Trip Level (RTL) data stream manual - Organized all fishing vessel contact for fishing year 2010 - Acted as contact person in the FDSD for real time, and archived fishing vessel tracking - Formed a connection between the FDSD and Office of Law Enforcement for data quality purposes - Requested to audit three additional sectors in fishing year 2011 (NEFS 2,3,5,13)
  • May 2010 - Present
    Sales Guy / New England Small Craft
    Working with Joel selling boats and gear.
  • Mar 2009 - Present
    Port Agent, Environmental Technician / REMSA Inc
    Contracted to National NOAA NMFS Fisheries Statistics Office - Collected biological samples from commercial fishing industry landings - Roving biological sampler covering the fishing ports of the Northern New England Region - Collected length measurements for all commercially landed species of fish, invertebrates, and shellfish in the Northeast region - Extracted otoliths (internal age structures) for population studies from the fish species landed - Assisted in starting an Atlantic Blue Fin Tuna (BFT) age structure sampling program for the Northeast region - Created video and printed documentation for BFT sampling protocol collecting otoliths, vertebral column sections and dorsal fin spines - Formed a strong relationship with the largest BFT dealer in the Northeast that resulted in over 100 BFT age samples in FY2010 and currently being sampled by Port Agents in FY 2011
  • 2007 - Present
    Kayak Instructor / Osprey Sea Kayak
    Teaching and guiding kayaking groups and playing in the water.
  • Feb 2004 - Present
    Education Specialist / Audubon Society of Rhode Island (ASRI)
    Developed new educational programs at the Environmental Education Center (EEC) - Created the highly attended "L'il Peeps" (1-2 year old) program; increased participation 400% - Promoted Audubon's educational, advocacy and conservation goals - Recruited members for ASRI at special events, family programs, and day-to-day public interactions - Managed education volunteers and interns - Assigned and supervised volunteers, retirees, and interns with short- and long-term projects - Guided exhibit hall docents, grounds keeping staff, and family program helpers through their daily activities, self-run projects, and at special events
  • 2006 - Present
    Kayak Instructor / Eastern Mountain Sports
    Out paddling.
  • Nov 2003 - Present
    Assistant Manager / Eastern Mountain Sports (EMS)
    - Managed retail store operations by supervising floor staff and guides in daily standard operating procedures - Motivated staff to reach shift, daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, annual sale goals
  • Jun 1997 - Present
    Manager / High Flyers Flight Company, Inc
    - Managed in-store, online, and off-site festival operations
  • Nov 2001 - Present
    EMT / Med-Tech Ambulance
    Emergency medical response; post hospital transport; transport of unstable patients to medical offices, & testing facilities
  • 1999 - Present
    EMT / Alert Ambulance
    Emergency medical response; post hospital transport; transport of unstable patients to medical offices, & testing facilities

Education

  • 2011 - 2012
    Aveta Business Institute
    Six Sigma Yellow Belt, Green Belt, Lean DFSS
  • 1994 - 1999
    Roger Williams University
    BS in Marine Biology
    Activities: Stage Crew (set up of furniture for special events) Tech Crew (set up and implementation of sound systems, lighting systems, projection systems, as well as stage management for concerts, MC as needed)
  • 1991 - 1994
    The Winchendon School
    High School studies
  • Dept. of Homeland Security Emergency Management Institute
    FEMA Incident Command System
    Activities: Animals in Disaster, ICS-00010, ICS-00011 Introduction to the ICS system ICS-00100 National Incident Management System ICS-00700

Additional Information

Websites:
Interests:
kite flying, Kite making, kite repair, Kayaking, Stand Up Paddling, Swedish Vallhunds, Cardigan Welsh Corgis, Playing Bones (Rhythm Bones/Clackers/etc)

Posts

March 20, 09:01 AM
February 23, 08:49 AM
February 13, 04:50 PM
October 28, 11:19 AM
August 29, 02:24 PM
May 23, 10:38 AM
March 23, 04:05 PM
February 13, 02:23 PM
November 10, 02:42 PM
November 10, 02:24 PM
August 13, 02:43 PM
May 26, 02:35 PM
May 27, 07:20 PM
May 16, 12:45 PM
March 30, 07:28 PM
March 20, 11:19 AM
March 19, 06:38 PM
March 18, 08:02 PM
February 26, 08:02 AM
February 10, 11:30 AM
January 27, 07:39 AM
December 17, 08:49 AM
September 10, 08:58 AM

Photos

Favorites

Uploads

Favorites

Posts

May 16, 09:24 PM

When: Fri May 25, 2012 to Mon May 28, 2012 

Where: Wildwood, NJ
Event Status: confirmed

May 16, 09:18 PM

When: Sat May 19, 2012 12pm to 4pm  EDT

Where: Franklin Park, Seaver Street, Dorchester, MA
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Official Website: Boston Kite & Flight Festival Location: Franklin Park, Seaver Street, Dorchester, MA Phone: (617) 953-5315 Dates: Saturday, May 19, 2012 Hours: 12pm-4pm In/Outdoor: Outdoor Cost: Free The Playstead is located between the Franklin Park Zoo and White Stadium. By MBTA, take the Orange Line to Forest Hills and the #16 bus to the zoo. By car, the park can be reached from Blue Hill Ave., Seaver Street, or Circuit Drive. Ample free parking. Fully handicapped accessible.

April 17, 03:46 PM

When: Sat Apr 14, 2012 12pm to Sun Apr 15, 2012 5pm  EDT

Where: Voice of America Park, West Chester, OH
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: www.airwaveskitefest.com

March 27, 08:02 PM

When: Sat May 5, 2012 to Sun May 6, 2012 

Where: 17th Street Park, Virginia Beach, VA
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: May 5: 17th Street Park, Virginia Beach, VA May 6: Portsmouth City Park, 140 City Park Ave., Portsmouth, VA

March 27, 01:59 PM

When: Sun May 13, 2012 10am to 4pm  EDT

Where: Hammonasset State Park, Madison, CT
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: We do not plan to have demos, Bol races or Rok battles. If anyone wishes to manage these venues, they will need to step up and take over … including the running of the Bol races and any requirements for demos and Rok battles. For 2012 this is to be a FUN FLY for all to enjoy.

March 27, 01:52 PM

When: Sat May 12, 2012 11am to 1pm  EDT

Where: Auburn, IN
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Location: National Military History Center Address: 5634 County Rd. 11A, Auburn, IN 46706 Time: 11am - 1pm Contact: Maggie Johnson, 260-920-3602, maggie@ILoveFroggy.com

March 26, 06:42 PM

When: Sat May 5, 2012

Where: Academy of Model Aeronautics, Muncie, IN
Event Status: confirmed

February 28, 07:59 AM

When: Sat Apr 28, 2012 to Sun Apr 29, 2012 

Where: Ocean City, MD
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Mid-Atlanic Sport Kite Championships and Maryland International Kite Exposition

February 10, 01:56 PM

When: Wed Aug 15, 2012 to Sun Aug 19, 2012 

Where: Dover Park, Dieppe, New Brunswick, Canada
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Dieppe International Kite Festival http://www.dieppe.ca/cerfvolant/about_us.cfm

February 09, 11:56 PM

When: Sun Mar 11, 2012 9am to 5pm  EDT

Where: Masonicare, 33 North Plains Industrial Road, Wallingford, CT
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: This is a kite sewing workshop. We will be making a version of John Freeman's Goin' & Comin' kite. Go here for a description. http://kitesandstuff.posterous.com/newest-kite-goin-and-comin

February 09, 08:11 PM

When: Sat Mar 31, 2012 10am to 4pm  EDT

Where: Washington, D.C.
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: On the Mall by the Washington Monument. One of the best attended kite festivals in the country.

February 08, 11:50 AM

When: Sun Feb 12, 2012

Where: Savin Rock, West Haven, CT
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Kite Fly just south of the Rock in West Haven. All welcome. People will start arriving about noon.

February 08, 11:43 AM

When: Sat Jun 16, 2012 to Sun Jun 17, 2012 

Where: Dorey Park, Richmond, VA
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Old Dominion Sport Kite Championships.

January 02, 09:35 AM

When: Fri Feb 10, 2012 to Mon Feb 13, 2012 

Where: Turf Valley, Ellicott City, MD
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: The 2012 retreat will be held in the same location as last year's, which is The Hotel at Turf Valley in Ellicott City, Maryland. The 2012 retreat begins on Friday February 10 and ends on Monday February 13. The featured presenter for the 2012 MKS retreat is Bas Vreeswijk from the Netherlands who will be teaching both a classic Edo and a kite with his novel origami appliqué. Our web sites will have photos of Bas's wonderful kites in the very near future. Other cool projects too. The cost will be $135 per person, just $5 more than last year. http://www.mdkites.org/kite-retreats.html

January 02, 09:10 AM

When: Sat Jan 14, 2012 to Sun Jan 15, 2012 

Where: Treasure Island, FL
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Treasure Island Kite Festival, on the beach behind the Bil Mar hotel.

January 02, 09:06 AM

When: Sun Jan 8, 2012 1pm to 4pm  EST

Where: French American Club, Liberty Street, Meriden, CT
Event Status: confirmed

December 10, 07:25 PM

When: Sat Jul 14, 2012 to Sun Jul 15, 2012 

Who: Kite Events Calendar
Where: Brenton Point State Park, Newport RI
Event Status: confirmed

August 06, 11:44 PM

When: Sun Aug 14, 2011

Where: Harkness State Park, Wallingford, CT
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Christmas in August Fly. Bring food to share and a gift of less than $5 for the "Ain't it a Shame" game.

June 23, 06:52 AM

When: Sat Aug 13, 2011 10am to 3pm  EDT

Where: Birch Plains Field, Beverly, MA.
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: Rain date August 20th. There will be single, dual and quad line demonstrations. Kids programs including kite building, bowl races, candy drops bubble machines and more. Your participation in requested to show off your current creations and invite the public to view your favorite kites. There will again be plenty of space to fly and spread out. We are making kite flying even more flyer friendly with 25 sand bags to provide kite flying and setup more easy. Again, we will be at Birch Plains Field in Beverly, MA off Rte. 27 at eh airport road. Please make this an event you don't want to miss!

May 09, 09:28 PM

When: Sat May 7, 2011

Event Status: confirmed

May 09, 09:28 PM

When: Sat Apr 30, 2011

Event Status: confirmed

May 09, 09:28 PM

When: Sun May 1, 2011

Event Status: confirmed

May 09, 09:28 PM

When: Tue Jan 10, 2012

Where: Ahmedabad Gujarat India
Event Status: confirmed
Event Description: International Kite Festival 2012- Gujarat India Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 8:00am Location: Ahmedabad gujarat India

May 09, 09:28 PM

When: Thu Jun 30, 2011

Event Status: confirmed

May 09, 09:28 PM

When: Sat Jul 30, 2011

Event Status: confirmed

Posts

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