[ricki]

I noticed that and am still not sure. Looking at how the kite reacted it seems safe to conclude the kite was too far forward relative to the kiter and stalled when released. This was further aggravated by the position the kite was thrown into by the assistant. When the kite flew 180 degrees across the sky in the opposite direction, a classic crossed line behavior, it seemed to bounce off the surface. I've noticed this in the past when playing with cross lines intentionally in lighter winds. The kite doesn't want to bite into the air but sit there. This is something assistants should look for when helping to launch someone. That is until it loads up and goes off nuking across the sky.