[Kitelife]

With Tom finally opening up his new web site, I figured I'd take this opportunity to share my own customer experience with Tom, all bias aside.

I was first exposed to sport kiting in 1990 when I saw someone flying a Team Hawaiian on the Marina Green in San Francisco... Getting all excited and rearing to go, I thumbed through the phone book and actually visited the three Bay Area kite shops at that time, Kite Flite, another near Ghirardelli Square, and of course, Tom's shop at the Berkeley Marina.

At the age of 15, my father and I visited Tom at the Marina and it sticks in my mind to this day how he went through the various options for a first sport (stunt) kite purchase, right down to the quality of line... Tom went the extra mile in making sure we understood what we were getting, putting the kite together, etc... We ended up with a Cheetah and spectra lines which saw hundreds and hundreds of hours in the sky over the following year.

Now flash forward 20 years to today... Kiting has become my life, my work, my passion, heck - I even met my wife flying kites in Japan.

So thank you Tom, from the bottom of my heart... If I'd bought my first kite anywhere else and had a different experience, who knows what direction my life might have gone... Neither of us had any idea at the time, but I am eternally grateful.

+1 for Highline Kites

[Tom McAlister]

Kitelife, on 29 May 2010 - 10:16 PM, said:

With Tom finally opening up his new web site, I figured I'd take this opportunity to share my own customer experience with Tom, all bias aside.

I was first exposed to sport kiting in 1990 when I saw someone flying a Team Hawaiian on the Marina Green in San Francisco... Getting all excited and rearing to go, I thumbed through the phone book and actually visited the three Bay Area kite shops at that time, Kite Flite, another near Ghirardelli Square, and of course, Tom's shop at the Berkeley Marina.

At the age of 15, my father and I visited Tom at the Marina and it sticks in my mind to this day how he went through the various options for a first sport (stunt) kite purchase, right down to the quality of line... Tom went the extra mile in making sure we understood what we were getting, putting the kite together, etc... We ended up with a Cheetah and spectra lines which saw hundreds and hundreds of hours in the sky over the following year.

Now flash forward 20 years to today... Kiting has become my life, my work, my passion, heck - I even met my wife flying kites in Japan.

So thank you Tom, from the bottom of my heart... If I'd bought my first kite anywhere else and had a different experience, who knows what direction my life might have gone... Neither of us had any idea at the time, but I am eternally grateful.

+1 for Highline Kites

John,

I hand no idea that that day, 20 years ago, would be an important day. Your story reminds me to put in the extra effort with every person I see, because you just never now how things can turn out.

Twenty years ago, it didn't take long for you to learn every thing the local gang could teach. Soon you became the teacher, offering lessons to any one on the field. Often John was at the park seven days a week. Often there before I arrived and still flying when I left. Sure, you may have had a good mentor or two along the way, and you may have been born with a bit of talent, but you put in the work. Hours and hours of practice.

So here we are 20 years later, and now as my webmaster you are my teacher. Thank you for helping me implement my vision, reminding me to put in the extra effort with every persons I meet, and for your continued patience with me as we continue to develop this site.

I guess today is an important day.

One of my challenges is to always remember that each day and each person is important, because you just never know how things are gonna turn out.

Thanks again and see you in four weeks!

Tom