Prism Kites is another one of the many local businesses I like to promote. They’re well-known for their cutting-edge stunt kites; you know, those two-line rigs you see spinning, flipping, and dancing all around at the park. I own two of these, but the fact is, I don’t take them cruising with me.

Why not? Mostly, because I like another Prism kite even better! I love my little Triads. In my opinion, the Triad is Prism’s most versatile kite, and I’ll tell you why:

• It packs very small, so it’s a kite you’re more likely to have with you in the car or boat.
• It’s a single-line kite, easy for children and adults to fly without any special skills.
• It’s looks good, and always draws comments or questions from onlookers.
• It flies well in lighter wind, which can be less intimidating for children.

Although it’s not a “stunt kite”, the Triad is actually very engaging to fly. If you just hold the line steady, it tends to fly in a stable orientation like a traditional single-line kite. But if you alternately tug on the line and give it slack, you can get it to tumble and dance around. It’s a lot of fun to fly, and you can enjoy it on very short line in smaller areas, or let it out on a really long line. I fly mine on 500 feet of line sometimes, if I feel like I want to reel in 500 feet of line when I’m done!

But I’m thinking of getting another Prism kite. A new model, and one guaranteed to draw even more attention than the Triad. Quite a bit larger than the triad, but the “gee-wiz” factor might be enough to offset the larger storage requirements.

It’s the EO (”Expandable Object”) kite, which can be described as a box kite that stores flat and requires, essentially, no assembly at all. Just take it out of its package and it pops open. Attach your line and get it up there. It’s available in two sizes.

Like the Triad, the EO will fly stable with a steady line, or wild-n-crazy if you play the line. I haven’t even seen one in person yet, but I’m convinced…I gotta get me one o’ them. Or maybe one of each!