Authors: Ben Ruhe
Date Submitted: August 31, 2004
Article Type: Journal

After thinking about it for a decade, Patrick de Koning of Ymuiden, Holland, decided in 2001 to make a manlifting kite system. He had been a convert to single line flying for years, “searching for difficult winds in strange places in the landscape—-gales, or light winds barely touching your cheek. I liked single line kites for their nice behavior and ability to make the wind visible. Soaring skies, chaotic clouds—-the eye rests on a high-flying kite glued to the sky, you dream away.”

Desiring a high-lift kite but not wanting to use the overly copied, in his view, Cody design, De Koning opted for the Conyne, which he altered a bit to increase lift. “Its flying characteristics are unbeatable,” he says.

After making the patterns, De Koning, an engineer, and girlfriend Caroline de Roy cut and sewed kites. “It took seven full weeks to get the system built from paper until the moment the kites flew,” he says.