Perhaps you have heard that Tim Benson was updating the Gemini ? What would it be ? Would it be a whole new kite or just the old one with rollbars ? Recently I got the privilege of finding out when Frazer loaned me his brand new, updated Gemini. It came with a price though I had to write about it. Being a big fan of Tim’s kites this was more of an honor than a task.

I remember the excitement the first Gemini produced, as Andy Wardley gave the kiting world tidbits of its development. This was going to be a radically new kite with a radically new bridle that in 1999 would change the kiting world. Though it didn’t bring world peace it did create a standard that all new kites after that were measured by. The Gemini was stable in flight yet a radical trickster as well. Reviews referred to it as ‘an instant classic’. The quality of construction, unique design, and excellence in performance made the Gemini one of those rare breed kites that kept its appeal for years to come. But time marches on.

New tricks were created; tricks that exposed the weaknesses of the Gemini. Though the Gemini really is a classic, it began to show its age. Almost everyone has one, yet we pull it out when we want to remember, not when we want to learn new tricks.

Thus, what would a new Gemini fly like ? Tim has already proven that he can keep up with the newest trends with his Deep Space. What would he do with making a new Gemini ? Over the years a few designers have had the pleasure of updating a popular design. Usually the result would be a new kite. I recall one that simply took the old name and tagged it onto a new completely different design.

What joy it was flying the new Gemini and discovering it still is a Gemini! It took me back nine years to that first day of flying the original. What Tim has done in his masterful way is to keep the strengths of the original and improve its weaknesses! And improve them he has! What a thrill it was in flight! Though it was a day that was way too cold to be outside flying, it was such a joy flying the Gemini that I forgot about the temperature; I forgot that I can’t do a taz machine. I was lost in popping effortless backspins (or rotofades as folks on this side of the pond use to call them back when the Gemini first came out). I was lost in popping one of my favorite tricks, a trick that few of the new kites do with ease – double axels. And like the original, beautiful flatspins. As I moved to the newer tricks I was amazed at the ease and speed which it does rolls up. The rollbars work perfectly catching the lines even when my execution was less than perfect. I soon was lost in the thrill of flying a kite that I remembered well, yet performed as if it was ten years younger and made to meet the demands of today’s standards.

There’s no need to write about quality, because it is a BENSON! Tim has and still builds masterpieces in regards to construction. BTW, as I compared this brand new gem with my original that is over eight years old, the only way to tell them apart was the dirt on the old one. There are no signs of construction breakdown, even in the bridle-with its ‘tangled crossover legs’ that many complained had premature wear, somehow mine shows no signs of wear!

Enough of that, what I’m sure you really want to know are the intricate details of how this Gemini is different. More to the point, does it warrant replacing your Gemini. I contacted Tim to get the full scoop from him. Tim shared that from the very beginning this modification was meant to do much more than add rollbars. The frame has changed from Structil to Skyshark rods.

“I wanted to keep the roll bar connector at the ferrule point (like on the Deep Space), it makes production much easier and allows easy access should the connector need replacing, I couldn’t find an effective method of achieving this using Structil but with Skyshark and the internal ferrule it solves the problem. It also helps solve the problem of leading edge breakage. The new set up still retains the core features of the old Gem like flat axels, backspins and general floaty laid back style, but the stiffer frame gives it a more responsive feel and gives an added durability, especially with ground work and hard tip stands.”

Besides the change in rods the kite also got a ‘tummy tuck’. I didn’t notice it at first. It wasn’t until I pulled out the old and switched back and forth between the kites. This new one seemed slightly smaller ? Tim kept the sail the same size and shape but trimmed the spines, top spreader and leading edges. The leading edges are now about 5 cm shorter than the original. With these changes the kite will easily roll up without adding any weights. Of course there are now the usual improvements to the sail’s leading edges, a neat trim nose, with glides over each edge connector.

I asked Tim to describe what changes were made to the wing tips; here is what he said,

“Yes the wing tips are the same style as the Deep Space, the leach line is stitched secure inside the tip, the internal stiffener is to prevent buckling or scrunching from the pull of the leach line, it also provides extra reinforcing for the wing tip tensioning cord. There is also internal reinforcement on all the leading edge covers, not sure how best to describe those BTW, they’re more of a “glide” than a cover I suppose, they have the same effect of course. I am now also machining down the lower connector to give a smoother tension on the sail around the lower cut out.”

One other change from the original is the lower spreader. It is now a three piece spreader with a center section with long internal solid rods for support. All these little changes have a very positive effect on the kite. Though it still feels and flies like a Gemini, it’s a little quicker. Turns have a touch more snap to them. There’s just a touch of over-steer, so that it does not have the rail like tracking of the original, but who flies a Gemini just for precision? I didn’t notice this until I was switching back and forth between the old and the new.

As mentioned in the beginning, it excels at rotational tricks: backspins, axels, double axels, flatspins and slotmachines. Oh, and course flic-flacs, and cascades. Now the rollup tricks are added to its repertoire. Though it still doesn’t sit deep in a turtle, and the Jacob ladders still requires a light touch. I doubt there’s a trick that the kite will not do. But it’s not what the kite will do that makes it special, its HOW it does them. What this kite has that makes it stand out is that intangible – personality! I’ve flown a few kites that were easer to trick but were boring to fly. Tim’s new creation has that trademark he puts in all his kites, that when one flies it the way it was meant to be flown it captures the flyer. This is not a kite to just use to learn a new trick, it’s a kite to enjoy, to experience, to forget about what you can’t do and let it flow from one move to the next and even to those moves that have no name that you can’t repeat. It’s far more than just a pair of rollbars on an old classic. To anyone that enjoyed flying the original Gemini, you will love how Tim has updated it. I can’t wait to be able to get my own.