In 1990 I opened a Kite shop in York Pa. Soon after, Kite buggying was born, delivered to us by the famous dude from New Zealand and my old friend, Peter Lynn.

I bought one of the first ones and after struggling a bit in south beach miami during a sport kite competieion, my buddy Dean and I met other friends in the Dry Lake Beds of Nevada and really learned, very quickly. For many years after, we made many trips to the the desert, both in California and Nevada, and to the beaches on the west and east cosst, often in Wildwood NJ. Treasure Island Florida, Jeckel Island Georgia, Outer Banks NC, oh, just so many places. I even Kite buggied in front of 200,000 spectators in Meddellin Columbia S.A. during a half time break during a national play off soccer game in the Meddellin Soccer Stadium, on the side of a mountain in Columbia, many times on the Beach's of Fano Denmark, In China, France, Italy, Germany, The Canary Islands, Aruba and Spain and probably some more places I cant remember right now, like Ireland, England and more! Those really were the days.

Around 2005 I was filming a Buggy video in Galveston Texas after conducting one of my Flight School Dual Line Classes and felt a pain in my lower back. I kept going, executing tricks like riding on two wheels, spins, power slides, 360's, 540''s and more. Well, I hurt my lower back and that was the last time I ever Kite Buggied.

Until a couple of months ago.

I was flying sport kites with my wife at the beach in Wildwood NJ, testing a competition prototype of the Crossfire. We were flying pairs, following each other around in the sky, having the best time, laughing, getting tangles and crashes, also some very good flying as well, when I saw and old friend I have not seen in 5 or 6 years, Kite buggying. After our greetings, I asked if I could try it. I had also ripped my Rotor Cuff just two years earlier so I was a little nervous.

So I took a short ride and it really was just like riding a bike. I immediately rode backwards, did a power slide and returned the buggy.

As soon as I got home, I dug out my 10 year old rusty buggy, got it fixed up, called Jim at Skydog and asked for a couple of SDT kites which he immediately sent.

Two weeks later I was back in Wildwood N.J. during the A.K.A. (American Kite Association) Convention, but I had no time for that, only buggying. I was surprised I was the only one on the beach Kite Buggying, but I did it for hours and hours and hours for two days logging over 10 hours in a two day period, no back pain, no shoulder pain, i was in heaven!

The two kites were the Sky Dog Traction 2.8 and 4.0. and they performed perfectly! Everyone asked "what was that white kite you were flying, it looked like it performed great!"

Two weeks after that, I returned to Wildwood N.J. for the annual WBB, Wildwood Buggy Blast. Traction kiters from all over the US and Canada showed up for this awesome event. Actually, it takes place twice a year. Fall and Spring. I logged in more time than anyone else with some of the fastest speeds, even compared to the new "depowered" Kites which are based on Kite surfing kites, using a bar controller which are normally much larger and way more expensive.

Great marketing by some companies have some buggiers convinced that they need to have these kites, but at $1000 and up, no thanks!

On a side note, you can get two sizes of Skydog Kites that will meet most wind needs, plus a buggy for that price.

We did have light winds one day, and my 4.0 was not enough, so I borrowed a SDT 5.5 from Dave who is a skydog endorsed kite buggier and that did the trick.

Upon returning home after 4 days of awesome buggying, I booked my ticket to the next event, and called Skydog and asked for a 5.5. which was sent out immediately. (THANKS JIM)

I packed my buggy, my new skydog kites and headed out for an event I have attended many years ago called the Dead Bird Buggy Blast which is a celebration of Thanksgiving on East Beach in Galveston Texas.

One of our close friends had recently passed away, while kite surfing, he was from Houston, and spent a lot of time on East Beach so this was also a memorial fly for Charles Jackson A.K.A. AJ (Action Jackson)

I stayed with my old friends in a house we called the "old school house" because all of us had been kite buggying since the beginning, including the inventor of our sport, Mr. Peter Lynn.

We had such a wonderful time, and I logged many hours every day kite buggying with my new SDT Kites. Every night was awesome with my old and new friends too!

I also spent time on other kites just to compare. I like them too but they were very different, reminded me of my kite surfing kites which I never really liked and although I was fast on them as well, i preferred my quad line foils.

Many kite buggiers asked me (again) "what is that white kite you are flying, it really performs and you are the fastest guy on the beach!" White Kite? Oh yeah, the back is white.....Any way many were impressed with the performance, I was doing a lot of spins with very fast speeds, often passing these kites that are 3 times larger and 3 times more expensive!

Two days I could not buggy because I took my friend to the airport and then it rained, the next day the winds were just too high, over 25mph with gusts to 35 and more...

Monday I was by myself, I had many hours to kill before my evening flight back to Baltimore...So I buggied and buggied until some of my new kite surfing/kite bugging friends showed up.

I am so happy to kite buggying again, and to have such an awesome and affordable quiver of Sky Dog Traction kites to fly. They really were IMO, the best performers on the beach!

I have proof, I have video!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cN-Xi2gk_hk

Sorry, cant seem to get this link, but copy and paste. You can also go to my personal Youtube page to see this video at www.facebook.com/doddtunes

I had an awesome time making this, and I sincerely hope you enjoy!

My next event is NABX in April 2012. North American Buggy Exhibition which takes place at State Line, NV, 40miles from Las Vegas on the dry lake bed Ivanpah which I have been too at least a dozen times in my life, I love that Place!

If you are interested in Kite Buggying, please contact me. I will be happy to help you. Please do not feel that you have to have one of the Depowered kites which cost $800 and up, even if you are a kite surfer. Speed records are set with foils, similar to the SDT, not Depowered kites. They are easy to learn and easy to use and when you are buggying in the park like I am with out a lot of room, much better to use, plus, you can buy all the traction kites you will ever need plus a buggy for the price of one Depowered kite....

Enjoy the video and best wishes and Happy New Year! See you at NABX!

And here is why...

1. The only Sport kite designer with National Competition Championship titles. What does that mean exactly? It means that I competed against the best in the country and came out on top. I learned everything I could about sport kites, not just how to fly them, but how to adjust them and what frames worked the best in different winds etc...Sure other designers have competed too, but in order to be the Master Champion, you need to be consistant and, really know your kites and conditions. And that is why I succeeded. I was not satisfied with being 3rd. I did however, have and advantage, I owned a Kite shop.

2. One of the only Sport Kite Desigers with Wholesale/Retail ownership Experience. What does that mean? It means that for 4 years, I owned my own kite shop and I learned everything. I began sewing and designing at that time, produced kitings first dual line training videos then, and learned everything about making and flying every style of kite! That later translated to a vast amount of knowledge that other designers just didn't have. I knew what the end user, you, needed and wanted first hand and the hard way. With my own money! This is important. Many know some things, but they work for others, they do not have their own money invested. It is very different when your decision affects your own pocket book! Lessons are learned the hard way, and fast or you go out of business.

For 6 years with my wholesale/import company, Dodd's Kite Company, I traveled Europe with the first international Sport kite Pro Classes (Flight School by Master Instructor Dodd Gross) and found the best sport kites in Europe, spent my own money on them and introduced them to the US through my import/wholesale business, many name brands you know today.

3. Factory Time. I spent many months (years of my life), learning the languages, working in and at kite factories all over the world. In many casees, as a "new eye" I was able to improve and come up with new procedures that these factories are now using today.

The first to take the concept of manufacturing a beginner sport kite with the same methods used for upper end kites. And that is why my designs continue to dominate the market.

The first time I stepped into a kite factory I just could not believe that the smaller kites were so bad. The manufacturing is basically the same as a larger sport kite. That is when I said "it is just as easy to make a good flying kite as it is to make a bad one". You just need to start with a good design. Easier said than done!

It is easy to take a proven design and copy it, but what you end up with is a bad clone. Beware of these! They may look good on the wall , but in the air there is a difference.

When I am desiging I always start from scratch. If it does not fly well, I spend some time on the bridle, but if still doesnt match up, I then throw it away and start fresh.

Because of my experience now, it doesnt take as long, but believe me, beginner kites are the most difficult to design and is the reason most companies don't have good flying ones. But we do!

I am proud to have developed a very good reputation for designing great flying kites for all skill levels, focusing on beginners, why? Because I have what others don't have, all that expereince and with successful designs, not just numbers over the years. My competitors know that. So they do look to my designs to find out why they sell, why they fly well.
They say it is a form of flattery. I say, get your own experience!

Another reason Skydog sport kites do well is that they are consistant. One full time designer. Most kite companies use sport kite desigers who design for many companies. Freelance. They are competing against them selves and are not always giving their best designs. I ONLY DESIGN FOR SKYDOG. SKYDOG gets my best for each season. My Very best. Not something left over that didnt sell or was bought up last year. I am exclusive to skydog.

Thank you so much for flying, buying and selling my designs over the past 16 years. I really appreciate your support and your business and allowing me to continue to do what I love! Thank you so much and I promise to keep designing the best sport kites for Skydog, for you and your customers, providing you with the best sales tools and training videos! Best winds, Dodd Gross, Master Sport kite Designer/Instructor, Skydog Kites LLC.

Skydog Videos

I am in the middle of shooting and editing video for our site. We have a few up there now, mostly assembly of product but I am working on the instructional videos for all skill levels. Sometimes it takes time to get them posted to the site so I have posted them under my bands youtube account for now.

www.youtube.com/bobnobleband

It is an easy way for me to get them on line and get some feed back. Then I make the changes if needed, send them to Skydog to be embedded on our site.

Please visit us on Facebook. Best wishes, Dodd

We invite you to come out and learn how to fly stunt kites on our complete range of sport kites, featuring the Little Wing.

I have been teaching professionally since the early 90's and have spent many hours of my life over the years in front of the Kite Loft teaching new and experienced sport kite pilots how to fly or improve using my designs.

We are going to have a great time and while we are learning and flying, Jim's band, a classic rock band (the Sky Dog Band) will be performing in front of the Kite Loft on Saturday.

This is for all ages and it is for free! We will be running some promotions during the event to be announced soon.

I will have all of our sport kites there with me of course and invite everyone of all dual line sport kite skill levels to come out and spend some time with me and our kites and maybe you can learn that new trick you have been wanting to learn.

So look for me in front of the Kite Loft both days from around 10-5pm. For more info please email me at doddg@skydogkites.com

The "Learn To fly" Graphics are nothing special,
but a pleasure to look at, and color options on the kite are very good, nice looking, the Skydog packaging of course is very good, but what really sets it this kite apart from other, similar kites small beginner controllabel stunt kites?

I would have to say that is the way people/fliers have responded to it that makes it so special.

The first time anyone saw or even flew this beginner sport kite besides the Skydog Team of course, was at the KTAI that took place this past January in Primm NV.

Every year manufactures are given a time and place to go show off and introduce their new products for the year, on the field, in the air, to the guys (and gals) that buy the stuff you buy! Very important to us, obviously!

This year was a bit different than the last 17 years of doing this for me, of demoing my kites to prospective buyers during the annual Kite Trade convention.

Some people (kite fliers) who came along with one of the shops came into our booth (please email me your names so I can include them in this post, sorry! I really appreciated what you guys did out there)anyway.......asked me to hand over a couple of models of kites that we would like to have demoed for us.................demoed for us? Not sure I liked this idea so much. If they had all of the kites from all of the manufactures, then who would sell them to the customers, I mean, who would do the sales pitch? No one. But, I was busy finishing setting up the booth, took out a Black Dog and a Learn to fly, and Dream On, handed it to them and went on with my work.

Looking back now, it is all very clear. Didn't think of it at the time, but almost from the very start of the show there seemed to be alot more enthusiasm and interest in the sport kites than normal.

Evenutally when I took a break, I went outside during a lull in the rain and customers in the booth, and there were a few kites in the air and a few shops testing kites. Not a huge turnout or anything, there there were a few people out there trying to figure out what thier customers might like, buy... so I saw the Black Dog with a line set up on it, picked up the straps and starting flying. I did see a few people standing in the door way watching, but I was just taking a break and wanted to fly.....after 30 minutes or so I went back inside to man the booth.

To be honest, I really didn't want to just give these kites to someone to demo for me, that's my job, and to not know if they were being flown or shown, or anything. But I did it.

And then I heard a comment about the Learn to Fly, that was music to my ears. Imagine, you designed this thing. It was your experience and knowledge from who knows how many hours of flying, of working at the factories, teaching thousands of people how to fly, designing hundreds of kites over the years, some turned out to be good sellers, some not, just all of it, kite life over the past 20 some years and here it is, a part of you in this package.

Ok, so its not a child, but sort of....and someone says to you that it is the best beginner kite they ever flew, and then go on as only someone who has a lot of experience flying sport kites and teaching beginners how to fly can do. And then they go on about why they loved it so much.

From the easy kite assembly and instructions to the line set up and easy and fun flying of the kite in all areas of the wind window (the area in wind, down wind from you in which the kite will fly). "Smooth like its on rails" is not something you usually hear about a beginner sport kite. And comments about how slow it flew for its size, which is one of my main sales pitches, but it is true. It does fly and even feel more like a much larger kite.

WOW! That was great! And then the orders started coming in for the Learn to Fly. There was a buzz in the air about Skydog Kites and our new beginner kite too! I was, and still am Thrilled!

I have designed a lot of beginner sport kites since my first prototype I made myself in 1990, and have had many in the market place since. I feel that I am always learning and improving with both my designing and my flying.

After one year with Skydog, I feel like I did back when I started. Happy, motivated, and enthusiastic. Only this time, with lots of hands on experience.

Hopefully every year my designs improve, at least that is what I strive for. I feel very good about all of our kites with Skydog and very pleased with how they turned out. The Learn to Fly is that perfect kite to just put in a barrel or hang by the Register, put the price on there, and they will excuse the expression, "fly" out the door, and the seller will have confidence that it is a good product, the best because it came from Skydog, and from me, and that it will be easy for the customer to figure out, get in the air, take the punishment of a first time flyer. And because of this pleasurable experience, they will be back for more fun!

Best Winds,
Dodd

When I heard this, I basically was in a state of shock for a few seconds. A sport kite won best new product? Unheard of! I got off of my chair, followed Jim (the Alpha Dog) up to the stage and looked out at all of KTAI members and all I saw were smiles and clapping and happy people! It was a great feeling. I am not sure what I said except for giving kudos to the core success of our new company, our people, our Skydog Team. And then got off the stage with the award, still in a state of shock! Why so happy for an award? I'll Tell you.

To me this is one of the most prestiqous awards a company can receive. "Best new product introduced at the KTAI" is the only one that is choosen on the spot by the Kite Retailers who are there at the show.

Each exhibitor is handed a card to be placed under or on the product they want the retailers to vote on. This was my 20th Kite Trade Association Trade show in a row, having never missed one, or a banquet in 20 years! 17 of these years, I was an Exhibitor.

The card is always placed at the product the exhibitor believe's catches the retailers and their customers attention, another words, "Best Seller".

So normally, unless the company only sells Sport kites, the card is given to a non-sport kite, something cute, unique, but not a sport kite.

But Jim, for some reason gave me the card and the honor to place the card where ever I wanted.

The choice was easy for me. The Black Dog UL is one of only 3 new Sport Kites for Skydog introduced for the 2010 Season, along with th Learn To Fly, and The Black Dog (standard)

The UL fills a very important Niche in Sport Kiting that is pretty much empty. A high quality UL Slack Line Trick Sport Kite at an affordable price. One that is factory ready with all the bells and whistles found on very expensive sport kites, and one that is designed specifically for tricking in light winds. And the logo, thanks to our Graphic Designer, Scott, is just awesome! The quality is incredible! The look, amazing! Clean lines, just beautiful. But would it win? Probably not, sport kites don't win this award, but I put it on anyway to make a statement. This is our new awesome kite that your customers will love! So in my mind, we already won from the comments we received from almost every customer who walked into our booth. The award itself was just iceing on the cake so to speak.

One comment (not from a Retailer) was about how a logo kite would never win this award, or even sell in the shops. This kind of thinking is too conservative for me personally, and I can't tell you how happy and grateful I am to work with a company that takes a chance and trusts my intuition, my experience, so thanks Jim!

After one of the demos the second day, I heard a lot of customers talking about the "Learn To Fly" (our new beginner sport kite) and how those who demoed it thought it was the best beginner sport kite they ever flew! I almost took the card off of the UL and put it on the Learn to fly, but something told me just to leave it there.

I didn't realize how many people were watching when I was flying the Black Dog during demo, but obviously many were and they were talking about it.

So when they came to the booth and saw our card under the UL, they voted.

So again, I want to thank the Retailers for bestowing upon us this great honor and for trusting us. This product is unique in the fact that it is a sport kite, a niche within a niche, a ul, plus it has our logo, so it had everything going against it, and in my mind, everything going for it!

Thank you so much Retailers! Hope to fly with you soon!

Dodd