Mike and Rob flying Superkite in West Windsor, NJ. Circa 1996.
Superkite
Have you ever tried to reel in a kite on a mile of string using only a small hand spool? We did. Once. And Superkite was born shortly thereafter.
We converted Mike’s bicycle into a winch that used the power of pedals and gears and wheels to wind up all that string. Superkite made it easy. A task that demanded hours by hand now took mere minutes, and became a valuable lesson in overcoming challenge. Perhaps we went a little overboard, and even got into some mild trouble with our parents for removing the tires and tubes from a perfectly functional bicycle. In the end, a quick reassembly saved us from having to ask for permission, and all was forgiven.
We have always gone big, following our passions and dreams wherever they led. When we both landed in Santa Barbara, CA in 2015, it was only a matter of time before we tried something else big together…
Today, we run West Coast Kite Life, a program dedicated to sharing our love of powerkiting, a truly life-changing experience, with anyone who wants to fly.
While our kites have grown much bigger and the lines gotten shorter, we still bring the same creativity and passion for flight out to the “office” everyday we fly. We hope to see you there.
Rob Robinson
In 2017, Rob decided to make good on a dream he’d been holding onto for almost 20 years; fly a two-line kite. He’d flown one-line kites as a kid with his brother, Mike, but always wanted see what it was like to actually fly through the air like a bird or plane, with will and intention. Starting with a small two line kite (“Boba”), he quickly worked his way up to a four-line 5 meter power kite (affectionately named “B”) and never looked back. Since then, power kiting has been Rob’s passion, practice and purpose. He loves to share this life-changing experience with other flight enthusiasts; the joy and presence that come from hooking into the wind with nothing but your own two hands and a powerkite, and dragging down the beach like a plow behind a bull. Rob is a combat veteran of the United States Air Force Reserve who served as an F-16 Crew Chief in Iraq in 2005-2006.
Mike Ledesma
The combination of mental and physical strength power kiting requires instantly got Mike hooked when Rob introduced him to the then-unknown world of power kiting. He quickly realized it wasn’t the same as the old one-line kites they used to fly back in the day. From the soccer fields of West Windsor, NJ to the sands of East Beach in Santa Barbara, CA, the legacy of flight carries on in the family. Power kiting has proven to be the perfect sport that balances mental and physical fortitude.
Learn to Fly
Learn to Live
