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Celebrating 32 years in the sky Contents Since 1980, Into The Wind has carried the best Into The Wind ® fl ying kites in the world. For service, selection Kites & Wind Art and the best guarantee under the sun, we let 2 Up Front 32 KAPtions 46 Italian Nice you fl y fi rst class at competitive prices. In an alternate The best photos A pair of 2 • O • universe, here’s from the first festivals on 1 • 2 what you’ll find half of 2012 the Adriatic Sea on the cover Visit our Boulder store. Located on the historic Pearl Street Mall, it has twice the 6 Movie Review The Kite Machine inventory of our website. Touch 37 47 Lincoln City A film about You won’t believe your kite before you buy it and family, fighters, A big festival on what four bits will play with our incredible collec- and family fighting a small beach get you on Long tion of unusual toys. set on India’s Island these days rooftops Get our 2012 Catalog. Request our free catalog fi lled with hundreds of all- 7 Joplin 38 48 time favorites and the Oklahoma! The Lists A newbie gets best of what’s new. Where the wind Because brackets his kicks on comes sweepin’ are just too hard Route 66 down the plain Check out our website. Shop our complete inven- The world’s best flying kites since 1980 tory of Kites and Wind Art at intothewind.com (double the selection that’s in our catalog). Saint-Honore 8 Canal Days 39 3 President’s Page Ignore the F-18s. Lose a kite here 14 Regional Reports This is a kite and it’s headed 24 Merchant Members festival. over the Falls 26 Voices From The Vault 28 Centerfold 30 Empty Spaces In The Sky 35 Fightin’ Words Wildwood 36 Kite Plan Miss America 10 40 37 Book Review and the Harlem No Kites Allowed 52 People Places & Things Globetrotters Decisions are
star in this made by the episode of the people who On the cover: Kevin Bayless flies Jersey Shore. show up his extended rokkaku in Califor- nia. Photo by John Chilese.
Fanø 12 Berkeley 42 This bayside Every June, event has Coming in the Winter issue... the Germans something > Oh!-klahoma invades Denmark > WSIKF for everyone > Dieppe > Best of KAP 23 44 Brookings Windscape The Southern It sure gets Oregon Kite Into The Wind colorful north Festival is the 1408-D Pearl Street, Boulder, Colorado 80302 of the border greatest show 800-541-0314 • www.intothewind.com on turf Wholesale inquiries invited. This logo means you’ll find additional content at www.aka.kite.org/Kiting+
Autumn 2012 | Kiting 1
2012 Kiting ad.indd 1 2/6/12 12:09 PM AKA Directory The President’s Page his is my twelfth and last message to you as president. The involvement of the public. This year in Enid, you will experience Tlast three years have been a pretty intense roller coaster many changes. Your old favorites are still there, but modified. american kitefliers aka committees ride. Once again this year, the AKA will end the year with more One session of workshops each day, not two. Grab something for association money in the bank than we began the year with. Our reserves lunch, head to the field. Put up your kites and enjoy. Acres of Mel Hickman, Executive Director education & public service are slowly building up to a more comfortable level. Kudos to room for you to drive out and park on the fields. Beautiful wide Mailing: PO Box 22365, Portland, OR 97269 Web/Internet Outreach Phone/Fax: 609/755-KITE (5483) John Gillespie 415/927-7430 Cliff Quinn, our treasurer, and Mel Hickman, our executive open spaces just calling for some color in the skies. Kite Records Web: www.aka.kite.org Jim Martin Jr. 704/535-4696 director, for keeping a daily watch on each expenditure, no Competition will be held Tuesday through Thursday. Friday Education E-mail: [email protected] Glenn Davison 781/359-3421 National Kite Month Mike Mosman 410/290-8085 matter how small, and on our accounts receivable to be sure and Saturday are festival days. On Friday, John Barresi and Ben we collect all that is owed us. After the first, and only, audit of Dantonio will do learn to fly lessons in the morning, and then officers and the books two years ago, the membership has more confidence hang out for the afternoon as the group decides what to do. executive committee festivals / competitions in the security of our systems. Will it be a mega-fly, team training, demos, or what? Come out Barbara Meyer, President Fighter Kites Sharon Champie 707/545-6737 Our editor, Phil Broder, continues to do a masterful job and held put on the show! Osseo, MN Kitemaking Mike Mosman 410/290-8085 763/424-2571 [email protected] Sport Kites Ann Vondriska 708/423-8329 with our premier product, Kiting. What I hear is that every On Saturday, Troy Gunn and Team TKO step up. Dual-line Kite Art Rob Cembalest 512/554-5933 issue is better than the last, don’t you agree? He also found a learn to fly and then mystery ballet in the afternoon for your Marla Miller, First Vice President Kite Aerial Photography Jim Powers 610/659-2094 new printer that specializes in niche publications such as ours. participation and enjoyment. Everyone is welcome to enter, Tacoma, WA 253/752-7051 [email protected] administration Just this year, that simple change saved us over $2000 and not just qualified competitors. brought full color to every page. Each quarter sees additional After the mass ascensions, there will be themed flies, just Linda Sanders, Second Vice President Ways & Means Cliff Quinn 610/965-5607 information made available online as Kiting+. Back issues of for fun. Check the schedule elsewhere, and pull out some kites Willunga, SA Australia Contract Services Gayle Woodul 830/598-2414 (+61) 885-562696 [email protected] Safety & Insurance Kiting over five years old are now open online for the general you haven’t flown in a while. By-laws Ted Manekin 716/639-7679 public to enjoy. Every year we do rokkaku battles, single and team. This Cliff Quinn, Treasurer Archives & Records Mel Hickman 609/755-KITE Every day, especially now with the details of conven- year we have added mini-rok battles for the kids of Enid. At Coopersburg, PA Elections 610/965-5607 [email protected] Nominations Kathy Brinnehl 630/271-0765 tion needing to be finalized, we miss our previous convention the same time, there will be bol races for the public to experi- management team, Cameo Management led by Maggie Vohs. ence the power that kites can exert. Alexa King, Secretary promotion & membership Tacoma, WA Membership Linda Sanders (+61) 885-562696 The savings and reduction in convention registration fee have All in all, too much fun to squeeze into one week! 253/531-4924 [email protected] Renewal and Retention Mel Hickman 609/755-KITE been delightful, but the work load generated has not been. At the same time, I’d be lying if there was no mention of International Linda Sanders (+61) 885-562696 Your next administration will have some big decisions to make. the challenges that continue to face the AKA. Just as we were Greg Lamoureux, Director at Large Industry Liaison Will Smoot 540/471-4949 Boston, MA Club Liaison Todd Little 717/975-2852 Do we continue with volunteers filling in? Do we again have a recovering from the decade following 9/11, the stock market 781/925-3277 [email protected] Merchandising Amy Doran 609/755-KITE full-time convention manager? Do we have a blend of the two? and the housing market crashed in 2009. Both of these had a Two years ago we introduced an updated website. Through huge impact on our membership. Many members who were previ- Mike Mosman, Director at Large annual meeting Columbia, MD the work of John Gillespie and Susan Skinner, we are able to bring ously financially secure, now had a major change in employment Annual Meeting Bob Kelly 703/437-7312 410/290-8085 [email protected] even more information to our members and the general public. and income. Although you can go a long time without a new kite, Fly Market Ron Lindner 636/677-3029 Mass Ascensions Al Sparling 630/369-9682 Their work has also automated many chores that previously were justifying a membership is harder without a steady paycheck. Bob Kelly, Director at Large Convention Innovation Bob Kelly 703/437-7312 Reston, VA done manually. Membership renewals, notices of expiring mem- How do we reach out to a younger demographic that is 703/437-7312 [email protected] berships, and convention registration are just a few of the items. used to accessing information digitally, not via print? At the Search engines find our site and bring new visitors daily. same time, people in their twenties are emerging from college Glenn Davison, Director at Large Boston, MA Even though insurance is costing us close to $25,000 a with massive debt, and bleak job outlook. Can the AKA hang on 781/359-3421 [email protected] year, sanctioning fees were reduced to $100 or less for every until they have time and money to come back? event. This is truly a membership benefit that needs to be The AKA depends on volunteers. Who will step up to take easily available and affordable to all events. on additional responsibilities? Who will bring new passions, Last year we listened to the membership through surveys energies, and vision to take us forward? It is easy to criticize, KITING magazine and other feedback to reinvigorate the convention. The most but to formulate solutions is much harder. Phil Broder, Editor often expressed comments were: 1) too expensive 2) too much There are still geographic divisions. When can the per- 904 Bayview Road, Rio Grande, NJ 08242 609/465-6575 competition 3) not enough time or space to just fly and 4) no ceived slights and hurts of the past be buried? Each new ad- E-mail: [email protected] ministration deserves your wholehearted support and a chance to stand on their own record. Kiting is published quarterly by the American Kitefliers Association and distributed free to members. Please Many people help run this association. Thanks to each contact the editor for information on submissions, and every one who has volunteered in any way, especially the advertising, and deadlines. Winter issue deadline: October 20 Board of Directors. The directors devote time and resources to Spring issue deadline: January 20 keeping the AKA on track. Summer issue deadline: April 20 It has been (mostly) a pleasure and always an honor to Autumn issue deadline: July 20 serve as your president. I am looking forward to building more kites; flying more kites; traveling to festivals; attending (and teaching) kite retreats; weeding my garden; maybe even Send address changes to cleaning the house; and NOT spending hours every day on the [email protected] computer. Your support has been much appreciated. Until I see you on a field somewhere, good-bye for now. Founded in 1964 by Robert M. Ingraham, the American Kitefliers Associa- tion is a nonprofit organization dedicated to educating the public in the Time to fly! art, history, technology, and practice of building and flying kites. At the Route 66 Kite Festival, Barbara Meyer introduces kiteflying to Cindy Replogle of Modern Litho, Kiting’s printer. Barbara Meyer 2 Kiting Kiting | | Autumn Winter 20112012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 3 Adam Dawe Doug Isherwood John Chilese Jim Fielder John King Anthony Eichele Under Cover There are plenty of great kite photos out there, and only four issues of Kiting each year, which can make choosing a cover photo tough. But if you can’t get your picture on the cover, you can still submit it to the GWTW Forum contest organized by John Chilese. He’s taken these photos, added the Kiting masthead and some humorous text, and voilá, eighteen alternate covers. What’s it take to get a photo on the cover? Follow these tips to improve your kite photography... • Set your camera for the highest possible image size, at least 11”x13”. Those cell phone pix and 4”x6” snapshots just aren’t big enough to use on the cover. • Take a picture of something, not everything. Wide shots that try to take in the whole festival just end up looking like lots of dots on a blue background. • Look for unique kites. The cover should feature something we haven’t seen before, or something familiar done in a new way. • Add people. Getting the flyer and the kite in the shot together can be tricky (it helps to get down on the ground!), but it’s more visually interesting to have something in the shot besides just the kite surrounded by sky. • Leave some space. There has to be room around every side of the picture for it to “bleed” off the page, which is then trimmed off by the printer. If the subject of your photo fills the frame, some of it is going to get chopped off. • Leave some more space. It’s helpful to have some empty space to put text into. • Think tic-tac-toe. Imagine a tic-tac-toe board in your viewfinder. The best photos will have the subject centered on the intersections of the lines, not in the center square. • Take several shots of the same thing. The chances of getting a great photo with one click are slim, so take a bunch of the same thing. Move around a little to get some different angles. Then, choose the best one and delete the rest. Doug Isherwood Steve K. Brown Francisco Navarro • Get past the clutter. How many times have you taken a great shot, only to find the back of someone’s head in the fore- Dave Sabalino Dan Czechowski Francisco Navarro ground? Move forward, and get out of the crowd. • Have confidence. It doesn’t matter if you’re a professional or not, anyone can take a great picture. If think you can’t, then you probably won’t. k
Dave Downey Anthony Eichele Dave Downey Jim Fielder
4 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 5 The Kite Experience By Chase Replogle hird grade. It’s hard to remember back that far but I think that was the last Ttime I flew a kite. It was a dollar store Star Wars kite. Cheap plastic with some flimsy poles, it was fairly obvious that it was designed to look good in the package, not in the sky. Honestly, that kite is about the extent of my experience with kites. I have never really been short on hobbies though. I love fly fishing, home remodeling, and I have a big obsession with trying every bottle of root beer I can get my hands on. Flying kites has never made it on the list. In fact, I had never really even considered it as a hobby. People fly kites? My mom works for Modern Litho, a printing company that prints Kiting maga- zine for the AKA. She specializes in helping people print and deliver newsletters and magazines around the world. Usually they are full of interesting and unique Amy Doran hobbies. From steam-powered backyard train sets to insulator collectors, the world is in no short supply of hobbies to try or things to collect. When my mom Connor Doran invited me to tag along on a trip to Joplin, Missouri, for the weekend, I was more than willing. Any kid, even adult ones, enjoys free meals. The itinerary for the weekend was designed around the event, Kites Over Route 66. Because my mom’s company prints Kiting and the Joplin event was close by, it gave her a chance to meet some of the association’s officers. I was simply along for the ride. As we pulled into the gravel parking lot for the event, it was impossible to miss the kites. These were not the dollar store versions of my childhood. Kites the size of cars rotated, spun, and glided through the air trailing colorful tails. Other smaller kites twisted and twirled like acrobats just over the ground. What I had expected to be a short walk through to say hello, turned into much more. Everyone we passed was more than willing to visit, explaining the various kites, Ron Gibian how they had been constructed, and sharing their love for the hobby. I could try and explain all the kites we observed that day, but if you’re reading this maga- Island Quad: Terry Wiggle, Brad Bixby, zine, you undoubtedly already know the kind of event I’m describing. You have Mike Tracy, and Mario diLucca seen the kites, sewn the fabric, and caught the wind. You probably have a pretty good idea of what I experienced that afternoon. While I can’t say I ran home and built my Summer Kite Festival first kite, the event Island Quad Lincoln City, OR left a big impression. and iQuad But even more than June 23 - 24, 2012 the kites were the people. Friendly and passionate about their hobby, they were great evangelists for kite photos by lovers everywhere. Brad Bixby I have a lot of hob- bies and though none The Gomberg whales with a Martin Blais bol. of mine involve kites, in many ways they are Park Fleming’s new 11’ delta, made of bubble wrap. all the same. Hobbies are about so much more than the collections on the shelf or the latest new gear. Their real value is the experience. It’s the opportunity to spend time with family and friends, to make new friends, and to pass on our interests to others. Hobbies provide an op- portunity to escape the grind of life and experience something new. They are all an adventure, the pursuit of new experiences. That’s the real collection. In that way, as diverse as our hobbies can be, they really are all the same. I hear there is a big kite event coming up in October in Oklahoma. It’s not too far from my home and I think my parents and I may make the drive over to see it. It will be an experience, another one to add to the shelf. If nothing else, I know I can count on meeting a lot of interesting people, passionate about their kites. Until then, I’ll continue to enjoy my root beer; you keep flying kites.At some point I’m sure our paths will cross again. Thanks for the experience. k 6 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 7 8
staff! hugging allofvolunteersandcooking Heck, bytheendofeventwewere their waytoensureweallfeelathome. this massiveevent. They reallygooutof munity volunteersarethebackboneof ladies. It’s allveryEuropean! The com- also exchangedoublekisseswithallthe a hugforgoodfriendsnewandold. You each otherwithhandshakesandwilladd of theQuebecpeople. The mengreet was alsoabigcrowdpleaser! very distinctivesoundingtwinpropsand canary yellowWWIIHarvardtrainerhas a coupleofhundredyardsaway. The ing fly-byswhileyouareflyingkitesjust a Canadian Air ForceF-18jetperform runways andbuggyalldaylong. tion peopletakeoveroneoftheclosed us toflyourkites. A largegroupoftrac By CarlosSimoes Runway Show Kiting |Autumn 2012 Saint-Honore istwohoursnorthof This annualeventextolsthewarmth It istrulyamazingtoseeandhear Normand Girard. latest from The T demonstration fieldsfor rest isdividedupinto off andlandwhilethe for aircrafttotake One runwayisleftopen flying demonstrations. of course,majorkite ties forthepublic,and with interactiveactivi tary aircraft,acarnival tage, modernandmili festival featuresvin feeling. Eachyearthe airport isaveryunique Flying kitesatanactive Aerodrome Airport. Chicotimi-Saint-Honore nual edition,setatthe This wasthe14 world classkitingevent! and Meg Albers and Jacques Letourneau Quebec, festivalisa his Saint-Honore, th an ------national forests.Severaloftheinterna through oneofCanada’s bestpreserved Quebec City. It’s aterrificscenicdrive represented byClaudioCapelli. Hermanos Gonzalez.Finally, Italywas Germany. FromSpaintherewasLos Think Bigand Team Chaoskiterarefrom Canadian and American talenttoo! Team course includessomegreathomegrown flyers fromaroundtheworld. Thisof these funimages. seen severalphotosonFacebookwith Crossing” signsalongthehighway. Ihave get akickoutofthe“BewareMoose their “Kodak moment”inthewild.Many tional fliersstoppedalongtheroutefor of Team Think Bighadsomefunin Remillard arealsokiteartistsbut it’s themes. Christine McGeeandDaniel ing humanformstowhimsical historical from traditionalQuebecart tohaunt Jacques Letourneau. The imagesrange kites artistssuchasRobert Trepanier and In theskyhiskiteslookslike floatingart. flies amazingartworkonframedkites. Claudio Capelliisamasterpainter. He Red DevilsandChineseOperaMaskkites. Gonzalez ofLosHermanosbroughtsome Asterix characters.Pedro andEsteban hero bearsandseveralinflatableFrench Bloem of Team Chaoskiter hadsuper- funky sharkstoo!Walter andStefan as ZumZums,BobtheBuilderandsome flatables. There werehugebugsknown Celtic Dogs Carlos Simoes’ Christian Laskowskiand Alex Ruger This eventfeaturessomeofthebest Canada hasitsownwell-known - - - iQuad. Iknowtheyhadagreattimefly with JohnBarresiandSteveDeRooy of in. have tositbackforabitandtakeitall down therunway!Sometimesyoujust see thegrouptravellingtogetherupand ing forfourpeople.Itwasawesometo particular homemadebuggyhadseat Over onthetractionkiters’ runwayone perfect exampleofgreatQuebectalent! fly threestuntkitestogether. Heisthe Lemire isoneofthefewpeoplethatcan Canadian themedstackofkites.Jean demonstrations forthecrowdwithhis Windjammers andperformedseveral reux isthesoleCanadianmemberof quad- anddual-lineflyers.JeanLamou ones too.Quebechasalargegroupof large showkitesandsomehomemade Gary MarkandIweretherewithour incredible pieces!Ofcoursemybuddy mad cowsandserpents!Somepretty kites thatlooklikesealife,funkyaliens, Campeau. They featureduniqueframed Andre Bernard,DaveRobinson andRene Berube, NormandGirard,CarlBigras, traditional appliquedkitesbyMichele will rememberbest. Also featuredwere their nightflightsetofbannersthatI John BarresiandSteveDeRooy The USA wasalsowellrepresented Claudio Capelli - - - turned ontorevealadeepseawind funky music. Then, thespotlightswere night flightstartedsimplywithsome all thoselights,music,andfliers. The Saint-Honore. It’s ahugejobtoorganize flier attheeventwhoactuallylivesin Patrice Perron. Patrice istheonlykite Girard. HelpinghimwasexpertRev flyer raphy wereputtogetherbyNormand none. The, music,lightsandchoreog of theshowkites. clownfish andsharkswerethejewel basket. Martin’s kitesarecoveredwith just pickedupanewMartinBlaisfoiland colorful foils.Don Tuff and Kim Linehan Reynolds. Kevin hassomefantastichuge kites with2011 AKA awardwinnerKevin historian. Hewasthereflyinghisown Shanken isalsoawell-knownkite Martin LesterandPeter Lynn. Thom one ortwoprototypesfrompeoplelike beautiful kiteslargeandsmalleven with hervariedkitecollection.Shehas historian Meg Albers andwasimpressed and JessicaLaMarche.Iflewbesidekite Denis, SylvainGagnon,DominicGuimond Veronique Regimbald, Jean-Pierre St- fliers. SomeoftheQuebecflyersinclude ing withthehugegroupofQuebecquad Walter Bloem This year’s nightflywassecondto A JacquesLetourneaukite - - rain andlightning frontwouldcoverthe He saidwehad 15minutesuntilamajor all totakeour kitesdownimmediately. walked outtotheflyingfield totellus conditions. Irecallin2008that Mark casts andwarnofanychanging weather each daytogiveuscurrent wind fore would alsowanderthefields afewtimes and takingoffontheopen runway. He morning andadviseonwhatwaslanding would givesusweatherreportseach weather guyfortheweekend!Marc ler attheairportandourpersonalkiting Marc Ahern. Heistheairtrafficcontrol with everyone.Iwillalwaysremember more importantlymadesureallwaswell told afewjokeshereandthere,but little whitegolfcartallweekend.He Henri Bouchard,drovearoundinhis this kiteevent.Specialkiter’s liaison, have everparticipatedin. Dieppe, butthisstandsoutasthebestI night fliesbefore,including Verdun and mensely! Ihaveseenseverallargescale type. Everyoneinvolvedenjoyeditim the skywasfilledwithkitesofevery Kites wereaddedafewattimeuntil garden. Whataterrificperformance! mermaid dancersemergedfromthewind scene quicklytooktolifeasatroupeof fluttered inthefreshnightwinds. The garden. The bannersandgrounddisplay You can’tforgetthefinehostsof Trepanier qudlines. A pair ofRobert - - - Honore anditwasthebestoneyet! volunteers. ItwasmythirdtriptoSaint- of thefestivalorganizersand be thebiggesteventyet! Thanks toall and Lucienarepromisingthatitwill for? 2013willmarkyearfifteen.Brigitte fect nightfly, whatmorecouldyouask event. Three daysofflyingandaper and wifeteamwhoorganizethisfine and LucienVilleneuve arethehusband Brigitte Bussieres the controltower! personal tourof Mark tookusona much thatday tion. Itrainedso 15 minutepredic correct withhis field. Hewas100% It takesavillagetomoveananchor. Claudio Capelli and Anne Sloboda and Anne A deltabyEricCurtis - Autumn 2012 | Kiting - k
More photos! 9 Rainbow Fugu Willi Koch
A Tony Reiser Once again, a beautiful woman cellular Tioman Pointer (in this case, Miss America) pays Ceewan no attention to Pete Dolphin. 27th Wildwoods Int’l Kite Festival Wildwood, NJ May 25 - 28, 2012
Paul Koenig Mike Mosman From the mind of master kite designers to the end of your line. Rise above the ordinary; fly the extraordinary!
Rainbow Arch London Calling: Alden Miller won Judges’ 13’ Flo-Tail Delta Choice and $100 with this quadline creation.
Ian Willoughby Phil Broder’s Mad At The Shore Beatrix Pelton and Harlem Globetrotter Blenda Rodriguez prove that you can spin a basketball on anything.
Paul Dugard
Tecmo Rieleit Foil 20
Tony Reiser’s fled won Kitemakers’ Choice in the Scott E. Spencer Memorial Kitemaking To see more Collection Kites Competition. visit our website Torrey Lindemann www.premierkites.com
10 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 11 Every June 17th... By Till Krapp ome years ago there was a group of enthusiastic young kite- Sflier friends in Germany, who founded the German Kite Flier Association. They spoke about the possibilities of flying kites during the day and night. Where is such a place with steady wind? Wolfgang Schimmelpfenning reported that on the island of Fanø, Denmark, where his parents have spent their holidays for years, there is fantastic weather conditions and space, space, space! So a group of 38 people, including wives and children, The bol of many umbrellas. went in 1985 to Fanø to see if this is right. At that time June 17 was an official holiday in Germany. It was helpful to choose A pair of Michele a holiday weekend for more time in Fanø. This is more or less Gressier kites. the foundation of the kite fliers meeting at Fanø. In the following years, always on the weekend nearest June 17, the kitefliers come together to fly their kites, just for Robert Brasington fun. No commercial background! No championships! Today for many participants one weekend is not enough time. They spend their whole vacation on this marvelous island. That is the reason that you can see the kite spectacle many days before and after June 17. Over the time the enthusiasm swapped over to all our kite friends worldwide and today it is really an International Kite Fliers Meeting. And a tourist spectacle! k
A Brasington fan
A vintage kite, made by Peter Van Erkel’s mother in 1965.
photos by Cat Gabrel, Jim Day, and Bob & Charmayne Umbowers A trio of Peter Schmidt kites.
More from Michele Gressier This bol has 5700 pieces of fabric!
Axel Kostros, Jim Day, and Robert Brasington
Cat Gabrel soaks Getting ready for some serious wind. Erhard up the Danish sun. Kunzelmann’s Leonardo A Michele Gressier arch
Matthias Grimm, Wolfgang Bieck, Jim Day and Ralf Beutnagel 12 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 13 Shenandoah Valley. Since the end of National Kite Month things have slowed egional reports somewhat but there was still kiting to be R found in May, June and July. Atlantic Coast Kite Festival at Virginia This is from the Nor’Easters Kite the many visitors to the beach all the Beach and Portsmouth closed out NKM Region 1 ~ New England Club: “We held the 3rd annual Bug Light aspects of kiting. With the help of John CT-NH-MA-ME-RI-VT-NY with a wonderful two day event. Despite Kite Festival in South Portland on May Ruggiero, Dan and Michelle Delpapa, low winds there were demonstrations 19. With the South Portland Historical John DiMatteo, Glenn Davison, Gary all day. During part of the event a large Society, KONE and the Nor’Easters Kite Quinton and Judy McGinnes, we made in American Flag was unfurled with the Club we had a great day of kites, food excess of 150 kite kits.” help of passersby. A squad of cheer- and music. Featured were Hank Man- New York Kite Enthusiasts attended leaders from their national competition th seau with a Mega Ray and Jan Helbers the 5 Keene Valley Kite Fest and Farm- stopped to help out. AKA members from who managed several candy drops. Be- er’s Market on Father’s Day. This was our NC, VA, MD and DC showed up to help, tween the candy drops and the bol rac- fourth year of participation and it gets along with a few from farther away. ing, hundreds of kids were entertained.” better each year. The event is sponsored The 19th of May brought the 7th an-
Cranston, RI The June monthly ConnectiKITERS fly by the East Branch Friends of the Arts 401/942-3606
Maggie Engvall nual Quetzal Kite Festival in Fluvanna
End of term: 2013 was a fantastic event for one 94-year-old and members of EBFA provide housing for County, VA, at Pleasant Grove Park. [email protected] visitor. She had on her bucket list to fly a fliers and a Welcome Dinner the night About a dozen fliers from RAF and WOW Rich Mervine at Wildwood kite before she died. As a child she was before the event. This year’s theme performed all day and the kids enjoyed In May Steve Santos held a no-sew Between indoor performances in never allowed to fly a kite. She was told was poetry in the haiku form. A booklet racing with bols. Thanks to Lawrence banner making workshop led by Dick Ma- China in June, Lisa Willoughby “Girls did not fly kites.” She had a kite was published with a selection of haiku, Levine for organizing the day. (Richmond-Washington Regional Sport ciel. The seven Revolution fliers attend- makes a furry new friend. put in her hands and sat and flew it for including poems by NYKE members. Old Dominion Sport Kite Champion- Kite Competition) in Taylor Park, near ing made Bargello style Rev banners and some time. To complete her experience The Newport Kite Festival put on by Todd Little writes, “The Keystone ships returned for the 20th year at Dorey Ashland, VA. This event posts the three learned many techniques that can be we had her make her own kite to fly and Ron Kitt of Kitt Kites had lots of kites in Kiters held their annual summer kite- Park outside Richmond on June 16. I figures for the novices so they know what applied to future projects. This workshop take home to keep. the air on two days with nice wind. On making retreat, making the “Magic” had the opportunity to serve as head to practice. On the day of the event the filled up as soon as it was announced, the main field many demos of dual-line, Delta. Cliff Quinn once again provided judge for this event and oversaw every- novices are paired with an experienced so we may see another one in the near quad-line, fighter kites and roks were marvelous instruction. The club also thing from first time Novice fliers to the flier who helps them go through the fig- future. Steve cannot say enough about flown. Gary Engvall, helped by a group plans to host the Mystery Kite Mass As- superb performances of Masters. Fliers ures again, and shows them other things Dick’s skills in leading this very interest- of spectators, launched a couple of large cension at the AKA Convention.” came from all over the East Coast for about flying. At the briefing, everything ing clinic. Maggie Engvall show kites. this competition and with 28 competitors possible is done to help these new fliers Mother’s Day was the date of the Andy Selzer reports, “SJKF fun flies Region One had a busy summer on this was the biggest event of the year. understand what will happen, and make Hammonasset Kite Festival. This year are going great this summer. After a one the calendar. I wish to thank everyone The competition was held mostly in one them as comfortable as possible. The people all over the region attended this day rain delay the Brigantine fighter kite who contributed to this report. I am day, and the evening closed with a won- Open classes uses some of the same fun fly. ConnectiKiters had their monthy festival was moved up to looking forward to seeing you on the fly- derful meal at the home of Janis Worth figures so the Novices get to see them fly at the event and several large kites Long Beach Island so that Lisa Willoughby ing field. and Terry Murray. Everyone is looking again, then the Novices fly. were put up. could get in on the action. Bob forward to next year, and Marc Conklin, One week after the AKA convention I heard from Don McCasland that Hegman also attended all the way from organizer, said he will once again have will be the competition in the Outer Kites Over New England (KONE) worked Region 2 ~ Northeast Michigan.” FYI, Andy won, Lisa was 2nd, The ConnectiKiters a two day schedule so it will be more Banks at Kill Devil Hills, NC, where the with Blue Hill Observatory to continue NJ-PA-(lower) NY Bob 3rd. After the AKA Convention, helped check kitefly- th relaxed. Wright Brothers had their first powered the 127 year history of kites with over 30 SJKF will have its 18 Anniversary Bash ing off this woman’s Traditionally, the Canaan Valley flight. This is also the last outdoor kitemaking workshops in May and June. in North Wildwood on October 14. The bucket list. Resort invites a few fliers to put on kite competition most of us get to until the Over 600 students aged 4 to 74 learned club is also planning another meeting at the Gramkowski’s home in Haddonfield, flying demonstrations over the 4th of July, spring. Please let me know of your plans how to build their own kite and fly them The traction kiters from Nahant NJ, as Fran and Mary continue to clean but this year they moved it to the week- for winter events, building workshops, at the oldest weather station still oper- Beach put on a show for the people com- out their basement and sell off all sorts end after. Saturday and Sunday there etc. and I will gladly announce them for ating in the USA. Blue Hill Observatory ing to see the July 4th fireworks display. of vintage kites, buggies, fabric, maga- were single line, dual-line, and quad-line you. I hope to see you on a kite field also participated in the Boston Kite Fes- It was a nice day for the kiters and the
Weiner Brad demonstrations and plenty of help for somewhere. 856/229-3745 zines, and other kite detritus at bargain tival and Circle the City at Franklin Park; public. Williamstown, NJ Williamstown,
End of term: 2013 prices. the spectators who wanted to fly their
Lex Fly A Kite in conjunction with KONE [email protected] From Archie Stewart: “June 30 was own kites. The kids got into the act by Hello Region Four! The weather in Mother’s Day in Lexington, MA; and had a the kick-off of the Marblehead Festival Hello kitefliers. As I write this it has making sled kites at the nature center the region has been hot, hot, hot! Also, red, white and blue fly on Memorial Day of Arts, and once again members of Kites “cooled down” to 88°, even here in the under the guidance of WOW members. humid! Hopefully some of you have at Great Blue Hill. Over New England and I added to the This is whats been happening in our
Steve Santos The same weekend brought back the braved the weather and found wind and many other holiday events by watching Region Two area.... New Era Kite Festival near Ripley, WV, gotten out to fly. At the Rev banner workshop kids of all ages make and fly their own Andy Gelinas sends, “Pocono Kite Region 3 ~ Mid-Atlantic organized by Max Barker and the New One of the great parts of being the kites on a beautiful and windy summer Symphony was at the Mt. Laurel Festival DC-DE-MD-VA-WV Era Kite Club. Max is one of the most Regional Director is that you get to see day. This festival has been in existence at Big Pocono Mountain. Nothing like be- prolific organizers in our Region with four all aspects of kiting, from demonstra- since 1962. It is held town wide in one ing on top of the mountain with beauti- or more events each year. tions at local schools, all the way to of New England’s oldest sailing ports. ful scenery trying to figure out which The rest of July and August were the AKA National Convention. During Kites Over New England is relatively new way the wind will swirl next, taking your quiet and hot in our area but Labor Day National Kite Month my lovely wife partner to the event, as it was originally kite in yet another direction. Fun! PKS brought an opportunity for fliers to go Laura put on an event at one of the local hosted by John Ruggiero in 1998, who has been busy doing Kids Kitebuilds at just south of our border to the Mile High preschools, taking a bunch of prebuilt made kites for town residents the first schools and summer camps. We have also
Will Smoot festival in Beech Mountain, NC. kites and a few of our regular kites as 540/471-4949 few years. After a few years of assisting been doing workshops making repairs VA Waynesboro September 15-16 is the super Nov- examples, along with a slide show and [email protected] John, I took over the festival, enlist- and new flags. Trying to keep kiting alive End of term: 2013 ice friendly event known as RWRSKC video of kites flying. I received a call, ing KONE to get out there and show in eastern Pennsylvania!”
14 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 15 “There’s no wind??!,” to which I replied, “You have over 20 A pair of Floridians, Curtiss Mitchell and Heather 30-July 1, got off to a little wind generators!” Bol races and running with their kites, Henson, were joined by Lisa Willoughby and Region 6 ~ Midwest hot start, literally. There the children all loved it, and the teachers were intrigued. An- Heather Morrow for a series of indoor perfor- IA-IL-IN-MN-WI were clear skies both other success. mances in China in May and June. days, which meant the We also get to see the formation of new clubs, the joining temperature, soared into of new members, and new member merchants. In our region the 90s by mid-morning. we’ve had two new clubs form recently and a new kite store in The wind was up and down the Atlanta area, Piedmont Kites. If you are in the Atlanta area (mostly down) during the
check them out. Ed Grys weekend, which made for
John McEntire in North Carolina writes, “We had good Shawano, WI some tough demo flying by 715/526-9399 [email protected]
flying for several days around July 4 here in Holden Beach and End of term: 2014 180GO! and the Windjam- attracted really big crowds. We actually stopped traffic again mers. Everyone gave it on the main drag. Someone unknown posted on YouTube this Hello from Region Six. Warm gentle his or her best in spite video about the “awesome windsocks”. www.youtube.com/ breezes and dry kites have been the of the conditions. Mike Mike Kory keeps the kids entertained watch?v=anJRkYPcNIY trend for the summer thus far. Several Kory bravely ran a 360 in at the Shawano Kite & Balloon Festival. At the end of flying on the 4th I had a ton of “help.” I events have been limited by calm winds the sand in the middle was showing people how to help handle the octopus and of and the sport kite fliers have been work- of a lengthy five-minute chief from the Civil War era with a kite.
the eight who had lug all the junk over the dunes to the road at the end of the ing hard to put on their demonstrations. routine, after which he (semi-mockingly) And for the comic book collectors, all the Bob Klopke hold of tentacles, day. From the Minnesota Kite Society’s collapsed! Kudos to Joel and Patricia great heroes from Porky Pig to Richy Rich Region 4 ~ Southeast only one followed As always keep your eye on the Region Four Event Calen- Brad Klages, we hear that the 5th Annual Majot for organizing what will become a flew a kite on the cover. Tom will display AL-FL-GA-KY-MS-PR-NC-SC-TN instructions. It took dar. That is the resource for all events in the region. If you Wishes for the Sky Earth Day celebration fun annual event! pottery and dishes, all with a kite theme. at least twice as have an event, post it there so that everyone will know. At drew 1100 people to Harriet Island park In May the Hang Up Gallery in Apple- All the items bring either a nostalgic or long to bag Ursula the end of your event, send me a quick couple of lines and in St. Paul. Participants wrote wishes on ton, WI, featured the aerial photography educational experience. than usual and it’ll some pictures so that I can include your event highlights in the rice paper and bamboo Chinese swallow of Craig Wilson and kids kitemaking. Hope to see you in Enid. Keep look- be days getting her Region Four updates. kites and flew them. This free public art Craig made a personal appearance and ing up and hold on tight! untangled and ready As you have probably seen by now, the AKA is doing good event celebrates the arrival of spring and signed his book Hanging by a Thread. to fly. However all financially. Our President, Barbara Meyer, held her last online mixes environmental themes with art, The Shawano Kite & Balloon Festi- Region 7 ~ Great Plains the helpers enjoyed Board of Directors meeting before convention which will then kite flying, music and food. val on June 23 had low winds but a high CO-KS-MO-ND-NE-SD-UT-WY Fort Mill, SC Jim Podlasek 803/548-2698 doing it and at least be her last meeting. Many thanks to Barb for all of her hard turnout with 264 kids showing up to make End of Term: 2013 Term: End of [email protected] there were another work as our President. kites. The new airport venue was a great 15 people helping Go out and fly something. Keep the wind at your back! improvement. Adding to the interest this year was 180GO! and the balloon night glow. kept the crowds at bay, and even some of in Milwaukee on September 8-9. This The Wausau Balloon Rally and Glow Region 5 ~ Great Lakes the kiters turned back. Despite the low is always a great festival and very well MI-OH once again invited the Wisconsin Kiters to CO Denver, turnout, they plan to try again in 2013. attended when the weather cooperates. fly during the day while the balloon took 720/ 237-2727 [email protected] We are looking forward to it. I’ll post it This is the largest gathering of world Dairy air: spectators watch the field in the early morning and late End of term: 2014 on the AKA events calendar as soon as we class fliers in the Midwest. Ed Grys set up in Wisconsin. afternoon. The winds were perfect for Robin Allen McCracken know the date. the kiters and just about anything in the The kiting paradise of Wyoming has The Great Lakes Kite Festival was In May, Bloomington Sister City’s Kite bag could be flown. Saturday evening to be the windiest state in the US yet
great fun and well attended as usual. Bill Miller Day was rained out less than an hour into the wind died, the balloons glowed and has the least amount of kite-related The weather was great. This is currently the event. The annual Kiwanis Kite Fly once safely stowed, the fireworks lit up anything. We hope to change that. On the biggest kite festival in Michigan. If Ann Arbor, MI Arbor, Ann 734/995-3680 was canceled due to rain. The Kiwanis Fly the sky. June 9, kiters from Colorado and Utah Steve Rothwell [email protected]
End of term: 2014 you’ve never been to a kite festival, this has been rescheduled to September 15. We want to remind everyone that the traveled to Laramie for Butch Cassidy is a great one. Eight MKS members traveled to the Upper Midwest Area Kitemaking Event Days at the Wyoming Territorial Prison South Lyon Township was bigger than Burnett County Airport in Siren, WI, to (U-MAKE) will be expanding and chang- museum. Debra Amend and the staff Hello again from Region Five. We ever this year and continues to get bet- put on a kids’ kite making workshop and ing locations for 2013. U-MAKE will hold from this state historical site decided to had a very busy spring, a slower summer ter. We struggled with too much wind, kite fly during the city’s Lilac Fest. About classes at the Lorado Taft Campus near include kites this year among the other and only have a couple of events left this with gusts exceeding 50mph proving suf- 35 kids made kites inside a hangar while Oregon, IL on March 1-3, 2013. Please kids events with mainly a wild west season. ficient to tear two of the big kites free winds of 20-30mph challenged kitefliers on check www.u-make.org for updates. theme. The trimmed field where we St John’s Splash Park Kite Festi- of their mooring. [See page 56.] They an otherwise nice day. Everyone had a The World Kite Museum will have flew was successfully divided by a row of val was a fun first time festival held at proceeded to wrap around some nearby good time though! a guest collector displaying part of his banners and Utah kiter Rachel Wentz’s Uncle John’s Cider Mill in St. Johns, MI. power lines which proved exciting for a For the second year in a row, MKS collection during this year’s Washington various small kites and line laundry on We flew singles and pairs ballet. Terry time. The only long term damage was the members have been invited out to a Ben- State International Kites Festival. Tom poles, and far away from the kids fly McPherson MC’d a fighter kite battle, loss of the large inflatable penguin. Dar- son, MN, school to provide awareness and Cross, a member of the Minnesota Kite area enough to safely fly the larger kites, and provided a fascinating history and ryl Waters wanted me to thank everyone kiteflying experiences to three classes Society, re-entered the kiting world while sport kite stacks, and power kites. The explanation of fighter kites. The Blues who assisted with recovering his kites. of eighth grade social study students of attending WSIKF in 1998 with his son who winds there were phenomenal! SLKs Brothers had two rok battles on light Michigan KiteFest was held in Mil- Barb Schwarz. Last year Dave Herzig and was living in Portland. Tom also enjoys could be anchored and flew unattended lines so it wouldn’t take too long. Each waukee this year. We welcomed Georgia Ron Pegg provided the exposure. They scrapbooking and started collecting post all day, except during the higher gusts. won one battle. We did two candy Bean as a new novice, and met Donn did such a fantastic job, MKS was asked cards and pictures of kites and people Todd Copeland, also from Utah, flew drops. The Mint Queen and her court Boring and Siddha Pinabella for the first to return, and Tom Cross and Pam Hodges flying from around the world. In the his giant foils, which could be seen for presided over the second drop. We gave time. went this year. process he also found other items such several miles from nearby Interstate learn-to-fly lessons. The weather didn’t The only event I know of after you Angie Chau reports that the first as parts of a child’s Staffordshire tea set, 80. Howard Bashant from Denver flew cooperate. It cleared up in St Johns, but receive this issue is the 34th Annual Frank Sam Ritter does some relaxed quad- Michigan City, IN, Kite Festival, held June circa 1835. He has obtained a handker- a vented sport kite with an almost 200’ thunder and lightning in nearby Lansing Mots Kite Festival, at Veteran’s Park, lining on the beach at Grand Haven. 16 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 17 18 Liana Winter
Kiting| Autumn 2012 some, Team 180GO!entertained all as FortStephensonKite Festival. year thisMemorialDayflywillbeknown the kitesinairarebonus.Next looking LakeSakakaweaisenjoyable, put upwith,anydayonthebluffsover All kindsofweatherwereenjoyedand Kansas: “The20 came upfortheday. opted forthat,othersmotels,orjust camp onsiteovernightonFriday. Some his powersled. The eventallowedusto a dog(kite,notrealdog)liftedwith angel fishwiththelifterkites, Todd had Lundberg ofColoradoflewacraband airborne throughthehighestgusts.Jim to bethePower Sledswhichstayed Line Spinoff. Themoststablekiteshad power kites,andavintage Top ofthe dragged alloverbysportkitestacks, but unharmedafteranentiredaygetting tail. Paul Glasspooleendedupexhausted “Deb Lenzen’s 20 Twisted Lineswhatitis.” tions andtheirfriendshipinmaking like tothankeveryonefortheirdona festival. The Topeka Kite Flierswould KS, andbroughttheirkitestoretoour wife SusanownStudio54inGreensburg, to Twisted Linesthisyear. Heandhis and more. We introduced Scott Reinecke ‘The Kite Man’ DavidEllis,SeanBeaver Larkeys, SteveBatliner, Doug Hoffman, ers, theKramers,DonnaHouchins, blessed withseveralnotables:theDerm festival everyyear. This yearwewere we somehowpulloutagoodtogreat along withmotelsandcostoffood, gether. Inthesedaysofhighgasprices, but itsurebringssomegreatfriendsto Festival, fromJune1-3,hasstayedsmall “Jamestown, June9-10,wasawe This cameinfromBobHoman From BernaSmithinNorthDakota: surround MartinBlaisatthe KCKC Kitemakers andmarinemammals Cassidy FestivalinWyoming. The pastoralskiesattheButch th Twisted LinesKite th Skydancewasgreat. workshop. - - - - -
Dick Vogel Enid, asyouwon’t bedisappointed! recommend that youmakethetripto awards banquet,andsocializing! Ihighly sons, massascensions,FlyMart, auction, flying, workshops,demos, games, les and Saturdayarescheduled forfun can’t makeittheentireweek, Friday strong showingandattend.Evenifyou is heldinourregion,solet’s allmakea a goodone!It’s rarethattheConvention held inEnid,OKandisshapinguptobe come! This year’s AKA Conventionwillbe ties inRegion Eight,withthe bestyetto and Lincoln,NE,onSunday, October 14. two upcomingkiteflies,Columbia,MO, for him.” Martin withaminiaturekiteshemade memories. DonnaHouchinspresented great completedprojectandwonderful nifer Tanquary. We allwenthomewitha new tokiting, Terri Stamper, andJen Nine peopleattended,includingtwo home, oradditionaldolphinssharks. to buykitsfora12’ dolphinto sewat Participants alsohadtheopportunity between makinga6’ dolphinorshark. class! Martingavetheenrolleeschoices Point presentationaloneisworththe of productionexperience.HisPower- international outlookonkitingandyears Martin isanexceptionalteacherwith from Martin,pleasetakeadvantageofit. ever gettheopportunitytotakeaclass presenting DolphinsandSharks.Ifyou Workshop inabigwaywithMartinBlais City Kite Clubhaditsfirst Kitemaking in thebackground.” with ourenergyandag-relatedeconomy up andseeourskylineofallsizedkites, our 3 friends, greatskies. ing statesandCanada.Greatfood,great Meyer aswellkitefliersfromneighbor art. OthersflyingwithusincludedBarb well asthelightweightonesandground weekend, thebigkitescameout,as In Albuquerque DouglasandDi It’s beenabusyyearforkiteactivi Linda Larkeyalsoinformedmeof Linda Larkeysends,“TheKansas “September 15-16,Beulahwillhost Region 8~SouthCentral rd CoalCountryKite Fly, comeon AR-LA-NM-OK-TX
Troy Gunn Wichita Falls, TX 940/691-8522
- [email protected] - End of term: 2012 - - - monster whenIgotoutoftheriver!” painted with.Ilookedlikeablue/green it andgotcoveredinthepaintwas kite intotheriver. Iswamouttoretrieve rope camelooseandthewindblew about 45minutesandmyknotinthe that Imade. The studentsflewitfor painted agiantkitetailforsledhead fact, mywifeJanetandherstudents making kitesthisspringandsummer. In they allflewandthechildrenhadfun. We hadthechildrenbuild15”sledkites; library inSan Antonio for50children. event wasaworkshopattheParman dren buildabout200kites. The second in NewBraunfelswherewehelpedchil one wasatwodayeventattheFolkfest kite workshopsinthespring. The first operated byCatherineGabrel. shops camefromwww.KitesintheSky.net it-yourself kitsusedduringthesework play ofbannersandotherwindtoys.Do- down from Taos andputupagreatdis by CarvethandLuellaKramerwhocame safety. We weresupportedthatweekend with flyingandbuildingkites,kite ing andassistingkitefliersofallages However, wehadagreattimeintroduc high forrecreationalkiteflyingweather. querque thatweekendwerealmosttoo a blast,sincethewindspeedsin Albu- community kiteflyingworkshop.Itwas tion producedthesecondwhichwasa programming. A neighborhoodassocia of theirSaturdaymorningchildren’s a kite-themedstoryreadingaspart coordinator, openedtheeventwith Connie, theBookworkschildren’s book That workshopfocusedonkitemaking. seller, hostedthefirstoneattheirstore. Bookworks, anindependentlocalbook workshops duringthepasttwomonths. anne Baileyhaveconductedtwokite Sir Kevin Wolfe reports,“I’vebeen The Alamo Kiteflyers Outfitheldtwo Lines inKansas. Marti DermeratTwisted ------
Donna Houchins the Trinity RiverWind Festival. Kite graffitiunderthebridgeat here. Spinand winaprize”!Myselfand out, “Buyakite, paintyourfaceandhair was actinglike acarnivalbarker, yelling but thenshegotintohergroove, and sey wasabitshytalkingto customers, work hertenttheentireday. At first Kin prizes. MydaughterKinsey helpedGloria people couldspinthewheel andwin ing, andawheeloffortunegamewhere sold kites,didfacepainting,hairpaint 4 Sailkiteshadaretailtentsetupand spectators. GloriaHarmon’s Rainbows in itssixyearhistory, withthousandsof year’s festivalwasthebestattendedyet kite flying,andChineselanterns. This martial artsperformances, Asian food, is dragonboatraces, Asian danceand by theMarcoPolo Foundation.It’s focus festival issponsoredandcoordinated with activitiestopleaseeveryone. The Lantern Festivalwasahugesuccess, Wind Fest! an excellentjobwiththissecondannual force andfestivalcoordinator. Judydid of theCityDallaswasdriving by Dallasareaspectators.JudySchmidt bridge. This festivalwaswellattended ed graffitionthepillarsofadjacent came inandpaintedbeautifulkite-relat performed agreatshow. A graffitiartist fly. TheDallas Wind SymphonyOrchestra to keepspectatorssuppliedwithkites Kites and Rainbows4Sailwereonhand Sport Kite Team. Kite vendorsBigMike’s DAKO kiteclub,Whatakite,and TKO sizes, beingflownbymembersofthe were lotsofkitesvariousshapesand make thiseventspecial.Ofcoursethere event, anduseditsmanyresourcesto region. The CityofDallashostedthis one ofthepremierkitingeventsin tival, heldnearDallasisturninginto The DFWDragonboat,Kite, and This year’s Trinity RiverWind Fes - - - - So takethechallenge, by someonewho lovesit. got introduced tokiting forget thatmostofus what theyaredoingand larly andsomegetinto already dothisregu community. Manyofyou with therestofkite and Iwillsharethem Send meyourstories, experienced itbefore. a personthathasnever a festivalorfunflywith share kiting,kitemaking, you. Ichallengeyouto to eachandeveryoneof have fun! Convention inEnid.Flyhigh,flysafe, formations foralmosttwohoursstraight. HQ Tramontana kites,andflewinteam Team flewwithLEDsattachedtotheir come outduringtheday. TKO SportKite tors comeoutforthenightflyshowthan its nightkiteshow. Often,morespecta became popularwiththespectatorsfor tors chosetocompete.LibertyFesthas but sadly, onlyahandfulofcompeti was alsoasanctionedsportkitefestival, visit andrejoinedthe AKA. This event and daughterMichellemadeasurprise fighter kites.Steveand Pam Thomason foils withspinsocks,buggykites,and the skyfilledwithlargepyrodeltas, Young, andJosh Terry Officerkept Catherine Gabrel,LarryStiles,Dave they flewthebiggestkiteintheirlives! to seethesmileonalltheirfacesas tators toflyallweekend.Itwasgreat 10’ deltasthattheyloanedouttospec AKA membershipinfo. They alsohadtwo workshop allweekend,andpassedout their tentandconductedakidssledkite kites. RichardandMartiDermersetup drove upfromLubbockandsoldflew various stylesofkites.Walt Mitchell Kiters, and TKO SportKite Team flew move! The Tulsa Wind Riders,Oklahoma location, butitturnedouttobeagreat the kitefestivalhadtomoveitsfield was thefirsttimeinabouttenyearsthat lent jobhostingthisevent. This year Edmond, OK. Terry Officerdoesanexcel Festival tookplaceinJune30-July1 pected thathewasnewtoteamflying. caught onquick,andpeopleneversus flying withmorethantwopeople.He getting hisfirsttasteatsportkiteteam Wilson ofMineralWells, TX. Kylewas John Clontsof TKO werejoinedbyKyle I wouldliketoputoutachallenge Hope toseemanyofyouatthe AKA The 22 nd Annual LibertyFestKite ------clouds. A looming90%chanceofrain supposed tobeshroudedwithrainand Lincoln CitySummerKite Festivalwas twice inarow? Yes, wesurecan! The videos withyou. be abletosharehis and wearehappyto in theNorthwest finest videographers may beoneofthe video. standing Cody put togetheranout of thefestival,and Video artistCodyChacoveredbothdays tive, andpulledquiteacrowdthisyear. sunny skies,thewindswerecoopera right outtherefortheentireworld.With put thedefinitionofafirstclassfestival year. Oregon’s gemonthecoast really heads allthewaytoEastCoastthis spread thejoy. Take thechallenge. that madeyoufeeljoy?It’s timeto I haveseen.Remember thefirstkite for joyisoneofthemosttouchingthings closely, Ibelievethechildthatisleaping Lincoln CitySummerKite Festival.Look the greatmomentshownbelowat that saysitall.DonnaWendt caught sometimes allyouneedisonepicture pictures andyourstory. Remember that share itwithsomeonenew, andsendin Region 9~Intermountain Can wedoit The Rockaway Kite Festivalturned ID-MT-OR - Autumn 2012
Amy “Mousie” Doran Bend, OR 609/755-5483 | Kiting - [email protected] End of Term: 2012
Donna Wendt 19 was the forecast right up until the day about the kites were shared by large with Brian Williams on June 28. Jeanette Lummas, Ron Despojado), from (BASKL and Northern California Kite before the festival. Saturday morning show kite flyers, sport kiters, as well as www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/ Region 11 ~ N. California the north (Toby Arndt, Penny Lingenfel- Club) at San Francisco’s Ocean Beach on started out looking pretty grim, but soon kitemakers and festival coordinators. vp/48007076#48007076 Northern CA-NV ter) and from the east (George Halpin, September 8, and the Family Day Kite the sun began peeking out and the winds The actual coverage was shortened due October 13-14 brings us to the Jim Strealy, Jim and Lynn Foster) with Festival at Marina Green on September did their magic. We are very thankful to breaking news, but we are truly happy Lincoln City Fall Kite Festival! With the the silver-throated Arnold Stellema 22-23. This is the first time in recent that they did as many people had done that kites made the national news and summer festival hitting the news, crowds keeping the crowd informed and enter- memory that the FDKF has been held a lot to welcome NBC Rock Center film are very proud of all the kiters, coor- should be big this year and we hope you tained throughout the two day festival. over two days. The Marina Green fea- crews to cover the festival this year. NBC dinators and volunteers that worked so will all join us. For more information see The Fun Run and Kite Festival in tures a world-class view of the Golden reporter Dustin Stephens was in contact hard to create a great display all week- www.oregoncoast.org/fall-kite-festival/ Mountain House was held again this year Gate Bridge, Alcatraz Island and the San
with many of the flyers for weeks before end. Great job everyone! Here is the Share your joy, and share your story. CA Larkspur, in early June. This small local festival Francisco skyline. Check out www.fdkf. 415/927-7430 the festival. Interviews and information segment that appeared on Rock Center John Gillespie brings out a sizable crowd for the live org for more information. End of Term: 2012 Term: End of [email protected] music, vendors and, of course, kite fly- Mark Quirmbach has joined Team World Kite Muse- ing. The Berkeley Kite Wranglers put up AirZone as their “Quadinator.” Although Region 10 ~ Northwest um website. Next, While the rest of the nation has some big kites, and Team AirZone kept the four person sport kite team has been AK - WA we were off to suffered through some hot weather this busy all day long with dual-line feats of flying dual-line Furies for the past nine Grayland. WA, for summer, the Northern California region daring. years, their quad-line Revolution kites the Westport Win- has had relatively cool temperatures. I BASKL held a Fun Fly in Martinez in have been gathering dust. Enter Mark, a driders Festival. hope you have all got a chance to take mid-June. For the past several years, Masters-level quad-line national cham- This year’s invited advantage of the pleasant kite flying this event has coincided with a county pion, who is providing choreographic guest was Scott weather these last few months. barbecue competition. It’s a most pleas- prowess and technical mentoring to the Hampton and his The San Ramon Art and Wind Festival ant problem to have to lick the barbecue team. Look for their five-person routines beautiful display was held over Memorial Day weekend. sauce off of your fingers before launch- appearing at a festival near you in the 360/695-9646 Vancouver, WA Vancouver, Members of the Bay Area Sport Kite ing your kite. coming months.
Theresa Norelius of handcrafted End of Term: 2012 Term: End of [email protected] creations. Thank League joined our friends from the Upcoming events for the rest of 2012 you Westport Win- south, Team Too Much Fun (Mark and include the the Golden Gate Challenge driders for a great Greetings to Region Ten members! event! Another few Then came one of my favorites, Lincoln City, and this year We are full into the kiting season with The NWSKL Region 12 ~ Southwest months have passed was just outstanding. The weather was just perfect for a kite festival after festival just about every had a large field Southern CA-AZ-HI me by and I have festival and as always the city rolled out the red carpet for weekend. The spring clinics were such of fliers, with a few moments to the fliers and the crowds. If you don’t know this sleepy little a big hit, the request for more has been competitions, reflect. This April town turns into kite headquarters two times a year. This year heard. July started out with John and TK demos and just a Dave Shattuck launched this double hexagon at Westport. found me once again was really special cause with the help of David Gomberg and Barresi, Barry Poulter and Spence Watson great good time. in China for the John Barresi kites were once again on television. I must also hosting a Rev Team Clinic in Long Beach. It was wonderful to see some of our old val with vendors, kids kitemaking, sport Weifang Kite Festival mention Amy and Connor Doran who did more than their share More information on upcoming clin- friends competing and doing demos. kite demos by members of PCKA, NWSKL where I get to see of work for the cameras. Lori Tracy Lori ics can be found at Kitelife.com or the There were fliers from out of state who and WKA, and free lessons. Let’s hope first hand one of the Fly a kite, it’s good for the soul. Elliot Brogren 619/750-8770 Ben Dantonio
came to participate and do some demos this becomes an annual event! CA Spring Valley biggest problems in End of Term: 2012 Term: End of Look for indoor flying sessions at the for all to enjoy. You will notice Convention informa- [email protected] the kiting industry: Bellevue Community Center. On the last Saturday in July the tion in this issue. Next year we will be copy cat Pierce County Parks and Recreation in Seaside, OR! Until next time, have fun compa- hosted the first Chambers Bay Kite Festi- flying! nies. This is a family magazine, so I won’t go into my thoughts on the subject, but I will say to the At Westport, some quad-line kiting community, do the right thing and support action from Jim and Lynn those who support the sport. Foster, Carol Pittman, Brad Weifang is a mix of some very talented fliers. Bixby, Mike Tracy, and Cass Even more important, it’s home to some very Pittman. good people, and I’d like to give a shout out to my friend Mingming who took me flying off the Great Wall. What a great adventure. Next I found myself on the beaches of Grand Haven, MI, with my friend Steve Negen of Macki- naw Kites, where one of the stellar events of kiting happens each year. Steve and his staff go above and beyond to pull off a great event where some of the very best of the world seem to show up and just show off. You have the likes of iQuad, Chicago Fire, Sam Ritter, and Lee Sedgwick, all flying sport kites, then add some of the Gomberg big kite crew and some beautiful weather and you have just a really good kite festival. What really Not since the Mongol makes this good for me is that I do lessons from hordes has the Great about 8 am till the end of the day, just doing lesson Wall of China faced an after lesson. For me one of my greatest joys is invasion like this. sharing my passion with others.
20 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 21 22 Frits Sauvé
man Teams, Chaoskiterand Think Big) David Tuttle andtwoimpressive Ger celebrity kite flyers (includingCanada’s prolific nativewinds. A diversegroupof of 8000visitorsmadegood use ofthe held July23-24.Largestcrowd ever in SwiftCurrent,Saskatchewan was Something historicfromFritsSauvé. ask, orsayhi! kite.org teresting! Mycontactis the 8 Cerfs-volants byJosephLecornu. classic designs,butstartfirstwith to joineveryonein2013enjoysome above us?”Fritsasks.He’s invitedus all havingenoughspacetobebeautiful ever seen10,000kitesintheskyand music. Justkitesandfriends.“Haveyou regulations, nocommercialsalesand for twoweeksofnoorganisation, west coasthasseenkiteloversgather a must,hesays.For25yearsDenmark’s historical kites, and Fanø Kite Meeting is chuckled. your minddoesnotworkproperly,” he sion, invertedpanels.“Don’tgetold, dirty floorusedasstorage,wrongten cutting tooshort,trimmingmuch, time. Adrian wroteabouthisbadday: Conn, wehopeyouhaveasmashing tendee fromOntario,Canada! Adrian our Region hasitsfirstconfirmedat
Kiting |Autumn 2012 Region 13~International 35 Region Thirteen: sodiverseandin CANADA —ShannGowan’s news: NETHERLANDS —FritsSauvémakes th annualWindscape Kite Festival th AKA Convention— As Iwrite, incaseyou’dliketocomment,
region13@aka. Linda Sanders P. O. Box 758 Willunga SA 5172 AUSTRALIA (+61) 885-562696 Les -
- End of Term: 2012 to theformerQueenCharlotteIsland, of KAPing ablackbear. Hetravelled trip with45°weatherandthechance shared newsofhisHaidaGwai,BC, the gorgeousweatherandviews!Pierre hopes toattemptsomelocalKAP. Enjoy of theWinds onBondiBeach wherehe Australia intimefortheannualFestival at itsbest! European kitejournal.UnitedNations Festival topreparekitearticlesfora ing of Thailand followingtheSatunKite collaborated withBaewandRon Spauld reports CarlosSimoes. including membersoftheBellfamily, were attendedbyareceptiveaudience, Kites to Flight historicalpresentations home of Alexander GrahamBell, the Scotia attheBellMuseuminBaddeck, many asmileshared.Finally, inNova Some finekitemakingwasdone,and pants plusvisitorsfromovertheborder. along withsouthernOntariopartici Foil workshopinCambridge,Ontario, the 2012Wind ClimberKite ClubPilot Carlos SimoesandVaino Raunattended City Kite Festival.Overtotheeast, with iQuadtoentertainattheLincoln the border, Team IslandQuadjoined 2013. Across and visitorsin more flyers attract still the eventwill They’re sure inflatables. to complex and sport kiting artistic kites erything from talent withev art andsport showed their up thisspectatorasanew AKA member. Pierre Lesagemadenoattempttosign TAHITI —Pierre Lesagewillvisit SWITZERLAND —OlivierReymond - Kite Clubworkshop The Wind Climbers - - peace next,Ron? ternational Kite Festival,France.World Festival Highlightatthe2011DieppeIn featured astheCountryofHonourand Performance. Thailand, withRon’s help, ing theprestigious Award ofOutstanding tive Thai Tourism Promotions,” receiv of Thailand forhis30yearsof“Innova warded inJunebythe Tourism Authority the Thai Kite HeritageGroupwasre 72157630324640520 photos/tahitipix/7458124990/in/set- images assouvenirs. behind afantasticcollectionofKAP Luckily, thebearlopedawayleaving and hopethebeardoesn’tseehim? a rockandrun,orpullitalldownfast Should hetiethekiteandcamerato beach withablackbear!”Hisdilemma? “Suddenly, Iamsharingthisdeserted and setuphisKAP fromthebeach. close to Alaska, viaa1904schooner, 50.) note: beatyoutoit,Linda!Seepage event(s) to the whereandwhyofyourfavourite World”, butneedyourhelp.E-mail ate alistof“BestKite Festivalsofthe New project:wouldlovetocre Until nexttime,lesstalk…morefly! THAILAND —Ron Spauldingof [email protected]. [Ed. www.flickr.com/ - - - - -
Pierre Lesage Carlos Simoes T kites tosuperheroes,aswarmofzum-zumsandeven pair kites rangingfromflyingclotheslinestodragons,chopstick Chaoskiter and Team Think Big,bothfromGermany, brought array oflargeinflatablekiteswelcomingvisitors. Team Germany andtheU.S. teams intheworld,comingfromacrossCanadaand and talentedcelebritykiters,flyingartistscompetition year festival-goerswatchedsomeofthemostexperienced acts fromfartheraway, andthisyearwasnoexception. This the startofSummer. aerial-themed on-andoff-fieldentertainmentcelebrating and flytheirownkitestowatchcelebritykitefliers of theUnitedStatesdescendedonWindscape Fieldtomake from acrosstheprovinceandCanadanortherntier By ShannGowan 24 inSwiftCurrent,Saskatchewan.Over8,000visitors he eighthWindscape Kite FestivaltookflightJuly23and One ofthebiggesthighlightsintermssizewas Each year, Windscape growsbiggerandattractsflying Saskatchewan skies away! so thehighwindsofWindscape Fielddidn’tscarehim all yearlong,evenintheharshwintersCanadacandishout, in thewindtoentertaincrowdsandinspireflyers. Tom flies Tom WhiteofWinnipeg againbroughthishand-builtkitesout His lessonscouldbefosteringfuturecelebrityflyers.Finally, Gallery ofSwiftCurrent,providedsportkitelessonstoguests. the Regina Tornado, andKim Houghtaling,curatoratthe Art terpretive dancetocommemoratethe100yearanniversaryof of aspecialchoreographedshowwithoriginalmusicandin and hisdaughter Alix flewtheirstackeddual-linekitesaspart get theirkitesintheairwithprofessionals!RayGowan ing littleon-the-spotflyinglessonsforpatronssotheycould manned thekitehospital,repairingkitesforchildrenandgiv stunt kitesandflyingartwork.Whentheyweren’tflying, of SwiftCurrent,whoprovidedthecrowdsentertainmentwith pleased tohighlightDrRajHathiramaniandDavid Tuttle, both year arethebackboneofWindscape. This year wewereagain crowds smile. ing asheputkitesintheairpurelyforjoyofseeing that rattledthefieldalldaySundayhewasshirtlessandsmil ports. Raydoesn’tstop;eveninthehurricane-forcewinds him themostsought-afterfaceonchildren’s festivalpass His awe-inspiringfeatswithmultiplemulti-linekitesmakes record holderRayBethell.isaguaranteedcrowdpleaser. the bigtops. they madetheirwaypastthesingle-linefieldonto and thecolorinskiessetatmosphereforvisitorsas they did! The soundofthewindpassingthroughthesekites of eyeballs.Bothteamssaytheyaimtoimpress,andthat of theenergy, see younextyear! an ever-wider audienceandgrowinginpopularity. Beapart lessons andpublic flying,thiseventisa hit thatisachieving the activities.Fromjuggling andkite-makingtosportkite kick-off eventthatencourages everypatrontobeapartof volunteers andstaffwhoprovide afamily-friendlysummer satisfaction withtheirexperience andgratitudetotheflyers, Festival feedbackcontinues toexpressnearly100percent and theiramazingskillstothesouthwesthillofSwiftCurrent. ter eachyear, thankstotheflyerswhobringtheirbestkites Windscape Kite Festivalcontinuestogrowbiggerandbet The localflyerswhodonatetheirtimetothefestivaleach For thefirsttimeeverto Windscape Fieldwasworld- k Autumn 2012 Ray Bethell | Kiting - - - - -
23 Rhode Island Life’s A Breeze Kites Merchants in BOLD sell Kiting! 2125 Staples Mill Road Kitt Kites Richmond, VA 23230 478 Thames Street erchant embers 804/405-4515 Newport, RI 02840 M M [email protected] ARIZONA COLORADO 401/244-5264 IOWA Picture Pretty Kites OREGON AZ Moonlight Enterprises Into The Wind Midwest Kites Elmer’s Flag & Banner, Kites Too! www.kittkites.com 6512 N. 44th St PO Box 36781 1408 Pearl Street 3566 Heatherton Drive 1332 NE Broadway WASHINGTON Omaha, NE 68112 Tucson, AZ 85740 Boulder, CO 80302 Davenport, IA 52804 Portland, OR 97232 Narragansett Flags and Kites Above It All Kites 402/333-0322 520/745-6168 800/541-0314 563/823-8337 800/547-8795 909 Boston Neck Road 312 Pacific Avenue www.pictureprettykites.com www.colorofwindkites.com www.intothewind.com www.midwestkites.com www.kitestoo.com Narragansett, RI 02882 Long Beach, WA 98631 401/782-0318 360/642-3541 www.riflags.com www.aboveitallkites.com ARKANSAS Rocky Mountain Ag KANSAS NEVADA Gomberg Kite Productions Int’l. 5668 E. Hwy 160 A Wind of Change P.O. Box 113 KaleidoKites Kansas Kite Connection Big Kid Kites Monte Vista, CO 81144 th 3870 Russell Road Neotsu, OR 97364 SOUTH CAROLINA 1-C Spring Street 1806 16 Street 14236 142nd Avenue NE 719/852-3241 Las Vegas, NV 89118 541/996-3083 Dyna Kite Corp Eureka Springs, AR 72632 Great Bend, KS 67530-4110 Renton, WA 98059 [email protected] 702/736-1476 www.gombergkites.com 5628A Amboy Avenue 888/836-6251 316/793-6164 206/713-2366 www.awindofchange.com North Charleston, SC 29406 [email protected] Inland Kites www.bigkidkites.com DELAWARE Wind Heaven 843/744-6410 Windpower Sports 499 Willamette Street [email protected] Rehoboth Toy and Kite Company 10939 East Harry Fincher’s Aire Force CALIFORNIA 3111 S. Valley View #A-1116 Grants Pass, OR 97526 1 Virginia Avenue Wichita, KS 67207 541/476-8299 2901-3 Perry Avenue Candy & Kites Las Vegas, NV 89102 Kites Fly’n Hi Rehoboth, DE 19971 877/604-WIND [email protected] Bremerton, WA 98310 1415 Coast Highway 702/220-4340 The Rainbow Market 302/226-KITE www.windheaven.com 360/692-0149 PO Box 8, www.windpowersports.com 40 N. Market Street www.rehobothkite.com In The Breeze [email protected] Bodega Bay, CA 94923 Charleston, SC 29401 WYOMING 707/875-3777 PO Box 6417 Rehoboth Toy and Kite Company MAINE NEW JERSEY 843/577-3529 Have Kite Will Fly www.candyandkites.com Cricket’s Corner Bend, OR 97708 Goodwinds.com 67 Rehoboth Avenue Cobra Kites 2141 Essex 41 Shore Road www.inthebreeze.com 2816 Old Hwy 99 S Road, Suite #4 Rehoboth, DE 19971 2608 Rt. 37E Casper, WY 82604 Farmer’s Kites Ogunquit, ME 03907 Tennessee Mount Vernon, WA 98273 302/227-6996 Toms River, NJ 08753 307/472-0753 1108 Front Street 207/646-2262 kitelife.com Flags and Kites 360/588-4785 732/270-2112 Morro Bay, CA 93442 www.cricketscornertoys.com 1236 N. Killingsworth Street, #3 3846 Shores Road www.goodwinds.com 805/772-0133 www.cobrakites.com Portland, OR 97217 Murfreesboro, TN 37128 AUSTRALIA FLORIDA Kitepower Queensland [email protected] 503/890-0280 615-896-7201 Great Winds Kite Company Extreme Kites 2/10 -22 Hornibrook Esplanade, Clontarf MARYLAND www.kitelife.com www.flagsandkites.com 312 N. 83rd Street 3930 A1A S NEW MEXICO Queensland Australia 4019 Harbor Wind and Kite Company St. Augustine, FL 32080 The Kite Loft Seattle, WA 98103 WeCree8 Kites (+61) 7 3284 1186 1575 Spinnaker Drive #102 511 Boardwalk Northwest Winds - Lincoln City www.greatwinds.com 904/461 9415 2314 Sudderth Drive TEXAS www.kitepower.com.au/catalog/index.html Ventura, CA 93001 Ocean City, MD 21842 130 SE Hwy 101 www.extremekitesonline.com Ruidoso, NM 88345 B & S Kites 805/654-0900 410/289-7855 Lincoln City, OR 97368 Hi-Flyers 575/257-5575 2812 Padre Blvd., Ste. B Kitepower Australia 3 www.harborwindkite.com www.kiteloft.com 541/994-1004 55 Main Street KiteStop.com Online Store www.ruidosokitefestival.com South Padre Island, TX 78597 302 Grand Parade www.NWWinds.biz Pacific Beach, WA 98571 www.kitestop.com 956/761-1248 Sans Souci Highline Kites Of Berkeley Nocturnal Sports 360/276-8377 www.bskites.com Sydney, NSW 2219 6809 Del Monte Avenue Lighten Up Kites 5016 Waterloo Road NEW YORK Northwest Winds - Seaside [email protected] (+61) 2 9529 6894 Richmond View, CA 94805 Ellicott City, MD 21043 Celtic Winds 19 Broadway 348 S. Park Ave Big Mike’s Kites 510/235-5483 203/727-3396 8 Hale Hollow Road Seaside, OR 97138 Ocean Shores Kites Winter Park, FL 32789 8851 CR 946 Kitepower Australia www.HighLineKites.com www.nocturnalsports.com Croton on Hudson, NY 10520 541/994-1004 172 W. Chance A La Mer 407/644-3528 Celina, TX 75009 386 La Trobe Tce 484/554-5225 www.NWWinds.biz Ocean Shores, WA 98569 www.facebook.com/lightenupkites 214/406-7852 Geelong VIC 3220 Into The Blue MASSACHUSETTS www.celticwinds.net 360/289-4103 www.bigmikeskites.com [email protected] (+61) 3 5229 5899 11101 S.R. 1 Windworks Inc. Blue Hill Observatory Phantom Star Design Pt. Reyes Station, CA 94956 13009 Village Blvd Kichi Kites 2818 SE 23rd Dr #C-3 Top of Great Blue HIll Family Fun Kites OzFeathers 415/663-1147 Madeira Beach, FL 33708 81 Old Town Road Lincoln City, OR 97367 The Kite Shoppe Observatory Road 14100 South Hwy. 281 P. O. Box 758, www.into-theblue.com 727/320-9463 Peru, NY 12972 541/994-5812 866/ROK-KAKU Milton, MA 02186 Santo, TX 76472 Willunga, SA 5172 www.floridawindworks.com 518/643-9881 www.phantomstarkites.com www.thekiteshoppe.com 617/696-0562 (+61) 8 8556 2681 Kite Flite Of San Diego www.kichikites.com 817/360-2720 www.bluehill.org www.familyfunkites.com www.ozfeathers.com.au Seaport Village Zephyr Kites Yachats Mercantile Pizazz Kiteworks San Diego, CA 92101 www.zephyrkites.com 130 N. Highway 101 PO Box 266 Sea Side Kites NORTH CAROLINA G&Z International 619/234-KITE Yachats, OR 97498 Coupeville, WA 98239 CANADA 293 Nantasket Avenue Flying Smiles Kites 11424 Chairman Drive www.kiteflitesd.com 541/547-3060 360/678-6266 Aerosport - NB Hull, MA 02045 Corolla Town Center Dallas, TX 75243 IDAHO www.pizazzkites.com 439 Vanier St. E 781/925-3277 Corolla, NC 27927 214/342-1900 Must Like Mud Sunrise Kites Dieppe, NB E1A 6X3 www.SeaSideKites.com 252/453-8442 PENNSYLVANIA www.gzintlinc.com 701 Aldo Avenue, Unit 43 460 Cleveland Street 506/854-4042 www.flyingsmileskites.com Burlesque Kites WISCONSIN Santa Clara, CA 95054 Idaho Falls, ID 83401 ® 1670 Limeport Pike New Tech Kites Aerial Stunt Kites 408/914-8812 208/524-5551 MICHIGAN Alexander Graham Bell Museum Kites Unlimited - Atlantic Beach Coopersburg, PA 18036 7208 McNeil Drive, #207 121 Wrigley Drive [email protected] [email protected] Air-Fun Kites 559 Chebucto Street, PO Box 280 Atlantic Station Shopping Center 610/965-0867 Austin, TX 78729 Lake Geneva, WI 53147 167 S. Hancock Street Baddeck, NS B0E 1B0 PO Box 2278 www.kitesonconsignment.com 512/250-0485 262/249-0631 San Francisco Kite Company Pentwater, MI 49449 902/295-1643 ILLINOIS Atlantic Beach, NC 28512 www.newtechkites.com www.askites.com Pier 41, Fisherman’s Wharf Ade’s Kites 888/AIR-FUN1 www.facebook.com/alexandergrahambell- 252/247-7011 Grandmaster Kites San Francisco, CA 94133 701 North Point Drive www.air-fun.com museum www.kites-birdstuff.com 216 W. Third Street, P. O. Box 276 Windchasers Kites Fish Creek Kite Company 415/291-8770 Winthrop Harbor, IL 60096 3903 Highway 42 Kiteman Jack’s Mifflinville, PA 18631 1514 Padre Blvd. www.sfkites.com 847/731-6081 Fish Creek, WI 54212 Boreal Kites/Gothic Design Newman Street at The Pier Kitty Hawk Kites 570/759-3167 South Padre Island, TX 78597 www.adeskites.com 920/868-3769 45960 Sparta Line East Tawas, MI 48730 PO Box 1839 www.grandmasterkites.com 956/761-7028 Second Wind www.fishcreekkites.com Saint Thomas, ON N5P 3S8 989/362-4615 Nags Head, NC 27959 www.kiteshop.com 1805 N. Highway 1 Chicago Kite/Kite Harbor 519/775-2527 [email protected] 877-359-8447 KitesRUs Bodega Bay, CA, 94923 5445 N. Harlem [email protected] www.kittyhawk.com 1482 River Road Gift of Wings 707/875-WIND Chicago, IL 60656 VIRGINIA 1500 N. Lincoln Memorial Drive Kites & Fun Things New Hope, PA 18938 www.secondwindfun.com 773/467-1428 Hang-em High Fabrics Milwaukee, WI 53202 Great Canadian Kite Company 1049 S. Main Street 866/548-WIND www.chicagokite.com NORTH DAKOTA 1420 Yale Avenue 414/273-5483 4517 Harvest Green Plymouth, MI 48170 www.kitesrus.com Wind Wizard Prairie Wind Kite Company Richmond, VA 23224 www.giftofwings.com Taber, AB T1G 1A1 734/454-3760 771 Myrna Drive 207 Cimarron Drive 804/233-6155 877/382-3956 INDIANA www.skyburner.com Kite Studio Port Hueneme, CA 93041 Roseglen, ND 58775 www.citystar.com/ www.canadiankitecompany.com Play With The Wind 5555 Hamilton Blvd. Gift of Wings 805/271-4747 701/743-4500 hang-em-high JAPAN SCOTLAND 17933 Williamsburg Drive Wescosville, PA 18106 9955 W. Saint Martins Road www.windwizard.com Le Gite Du Cerf Volant AGAIN Gentles Limited Granger, IN 46530 MISSOURI 610/395-3560 Franklin, WI 53132 It’s A Breeze Specialties 935 Rte De La Seigneurie Joyfull Tsurumai 1F 11 Corbiehill Avenue 574/315-6231 Flying High With Charon OHIO www.kitebuilder.com 414/425-8002 Wind & Fun Kites 5633 Carlton Drive 8221 Little Florida Road Saint-Roch-des-Aulnaies 3-14-16 Chiyoda Naka Ku Edinburgh, EH4 5DT [email protected] What’s Up www.giftofwings.com Burns Valley Mall St. Louis, MO 63049 Mechanicsville, VA 23111 PQ G0R 4E0 Nagoya, Achi 460-0012 (+44) 131-3365472 4500 Chagrin River Road Rascal Kites 14824 Olympic Drive 636/677-3029 804/779-0183 418/354-2182 (+81) 52-339-3830 [email protected] Windsongs Chagrin Falls, OH 44022 PO Box 1493 Unique Flying Objects Clearlake, CA 95422 [email protected] www.itsabreez.com 2022 Washington Street www.legiteducerfvolant.ca www.agagas.co.jp/again 707/994-KITE Riverside Market 440/247-4222 Lansdale, PA 19446 Michigan City, IN 46360 [email protected] 215/527-4930 Two Rivers, WI 54241 www.windandfunkites.com Jackite, Inc. The Kite Guys United Kingdom 219/874-5864 NEBRASKA www.rascalkites.com 866/UFO-4FUN NETHERLANDS 2868 W. Landing Rd. www.uniqueflyingobjects.com 2420 Morris Crescent Kiteworld UK [email protected] Breeze Catchers Bults.Biz_KAP.com Oklahoma Virginia Beach, VA 23456 Airdrie, AB T4A 2B8 6 Cottage Grove 5428 S. 185th Street Windstar Kites Broek 2a Kites In The Sky 877/522-5483 www.kiteguys.ca Clacton-on-Sea Omaha, NE 68135 203 Ridgeway Drive Holthees 5824AC www.kitesinthesky.net www.jackite.com Essex CO16 8DQ 402/895-2331 Baden, PA 15005 (+31) 478-636707 United Kingdom www.breezecatchers.net 724/869-4488 www.KAPshop.com www.kiteworld.co.uk [email protected] 24 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 25 the Raven and the Day Lily” is a yin yang fable of how the Raven desires Voices From The Vault the Lily’s stability while the Lily envies the Raven’s mobility. John John Pollock by Patti Gibbons translated the written story through his kitemaking, letting his artwork narrate. No stranger to interpretive rowing up in Big Sky country, John Pollock was primed to storytelling, exhibition organizers love the sky even if his youthful Montana springs carried G selected John to participate in a only the occasional kite. John, like others, bought his annual Lewis and Clark group show at the paper diamond kite from the local hardware store but the Logan International Airport in Bill- kiting bug didn’t bite until his ings. Artists told the explorers’ story children left home for college. through kites and John, demonstrat- Said partly in jest, “I didn’t ing his exceptional representational have anyone to play with art abilities, captured Clark’s harried anymore so I started making return trip through the Yellowstone kites.” Filling his empty nest Valley on his kite panel. Whether with fun, John developed an with words or kite graphics, John interest in kitemaking and ap- weaves captivating tales. proached his new hobby as a Kiting opens hearts and extends serious art form. friendly handshakes, and John and Inherently creative and his wife revel in the friendships visual to the core, John spent they’ve built around the world and his career as a professor of art in their own backyard. Lucky to have at Montana State University Several chatty kitefliers let the tape traveled extensively with his kites, John enjoys meeting kitefliers and the folks who from 1974 until 2010. Early spin and recorded their memories and push their crafts to the limits. In admiration of outstanding kiters, John reflects, “It on, before John had even thoughts about kites, kitefliers, and came to me that anybody that does something special — no matter what it is — ap- heard of the AKA, he cre- the great big sky for the World Kite proaches it with a kind of insanity that somebody else isn’t going to put that effort into ated a few eye-catching kites Museum’s oral history archive proj- it.... It’s that kind of insanity allows them to do something special.” Enamored by the and hung them, unflown, in ect. Interested in telling your stories? magic that creative folks make, John applauds their persistence and sometimes mad- his art studio. As a playful Would you like to hear what other ness, noting that moxie and talent combine spectacularly. nod to things to come, they fliers say? Got time to interview special With a hopeful eye squinting to glimpse organized kiting’s future, John hopes we decorated his walls for about people in your local clubs or friends in retain the joy of “flying kites and the aspect that kites are something beyond what we ten years until his kitemaking far away places? Feel free to contact have to do.” For John kiting is similar to catch and release fly-fishing. Like meal-less interests grew. the Museum if you’d like to learn more fishing, “kiting doesn’t necessarily have much of a practical purpose, but it has value.” Pinpointing the shift that about the oral history tapes. Contact For John Pollock, “Value comes from what we are as a person, and what we share with brought kites to the forefront, us at [email protected]. people in different cultures,” rather than what we take out of kiting. k John recalls a trip when he new challenge that added to John’s artistic process. Trained was in Boulder, CO, exhibit- and experienced in watercolor painting and lithography, John ing his artwork, and during translated the lessons of his art career to kitemaking and tin- his downtime he wandered Membership Dues 1 yr. 2 yrs. 3 yrs. Amount kered with colors and techniques until he found combinations Membership Application into a kite store. “I thought Individual (Kiting via 3rd class mail) $40 $78 $116 ______that popped more than framed art on an easel. Curious about o New Member o Renewal it was pretty ridiculous to o Reinstatement st fabrics, John spent his sabbatical year researching kitemaking (Kiting via 1 class mail) $50 $98 $146 ______spend $50 on a kite,” but he did. He purchased a stunt kite, o Don’t publish my name in the Directory materials. His experiments blossomed and in 2004 he won his Canada, Mexico, and Overseas $50 $98 $146 ______“that got me hooked.” From there John discovered the AKA, first AKA Grand Champion award for his silkscreen on nylon combed through Kite Builders International’s plan files, turned Sponsor $125 $250 $375 ______design. Attracted to Name ______the pages of Kite Lines, (Kiting via 1st class mail, includes tax deductible contribution) the play between and “was fortunate to color and light, John Address ______Additional family members in same household meet very giving people enjoys using translu- Per person add $6/year ______like Ron Gibian, Jon cent colors that take City______Burkhardt, and Scott Please remit in US$ ______on new light in sunny Sorry we cannot accept Canadian cheques Skinner” who encour- skies. Many appreci- Home Phone ______Cell Phone ______aged John’s early kiting ate his kite art and exploration and taught Send this form with your payment to: over the years John’s E-mail ______For information call him practical flying tips American Kitefliers Association creations continue to that kept him aloft. URL ______609/755-KITE (5483) P.O. Box 22365 win awards and en- As an artist, ever Portland, OR 97269 thusiastic praise from on the lookout for new Other family members joining ______passersby. modes of expression, Creative beyond Referred by ______kiting opened creative Visa/MC/Discover/AMEX # ______the brush and canvas, doors for John. Enjoying Exp. ______John writes short sto- Local kite club ______the engineering aspect ries and some inspire of building nimble fli- Signature ______his kitemaking. His ers, creating a stable Join online at www.aka.kite.org story “The Legend of flying canvas became a 26 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 27 “And so in these economic times, we need to be looking forward to what America needs, and I think Miss America needs to represent all.” — Laura Kaeppeler Miss America 2012
At the Wildwoods International KIte Festival in May, Laurel Koenig spent a morning indoors, perfecting the timing of her leaps. Three days earlier, Miss America had a little fun with quad-line flier Jeff Burka on the beach.
Name: Laura Kaeppeler Hometown: Kenosha, WI Titles: Miss Wisconsin 2011 Miss America 2012 Turn-ons: Green Bay Packers, helping the children of incarcer- ated parents, quad-line kites Turn-offs: tangled lines, Wild- wood traffic, Chinese knock-offs Ralph Stockbridge Charlie Watson Empty Spaces in The Sky Sergeant Major Ralph Longtime New Zealand kite- Stockbridge, US flier and power kiter Charlie Army, retired, was Watson succumbed to cancer Joe McCaughey Jim Strealy a great friend to all this summer. Fighting to the 1932 - 2012 1944-2012 of us in the Pierce end, Charlie had started a Joseph T. McCaughey died in July In late June Jim County Kitefliers facebook group, Power Kiters at the age of 80. His favorite Strealy was doing Association. His good with Cancer, where, as he pastimes were teasing, fishing, what he loved humor and positive said, fighters could “brag, and golf, and flying kites, but his most: flying his outlook on life will moan and stuff. No commer- greatest joy came from spend- kites at Lake Yo- be missed along cial side or hidden agenda.” ing time with his family. He was semite Park when with his smiles and A kiteflier for over 45 years, a loyal and active member of something went stories. Ralph got Charlie was the son of an- the Wisconsin Kiters Kite Club. terribly wrong and into kiting about 20 other noted Kiwi kiteflier, For several years Joe hosted the we lost a kind and years ago as a mem- Logan Fow. Charlie worked to Club’s 4th of July fly in Appleton, gentle friend. He ber of the Westport preserve the kites collected with the emphasis on red, white loved that lake, in Windriders as well by his father throughout Southeast Asia over forty years ago. and blue. In his later years, Joe fact, I heard him as the PCKA. He was He was in the process of donating many of these kites to the would show up to events with his say once after a mostly a kiteflier but Drachen Foundation upon his untimely passing. golf cart in tow and set up his day at a festival, also made a number Drachen Foundation kites and visit the other fliers us- “If I leave right of kites. He was most proud of his Toucan and Goble Star kites ing his cart. The skies of north- now I can get in a which were prize winners in the local kitemaking competi- eastern Wisconsin have an empty couple hours at the tions. He was a regular in our Kitemaking-4-Kids activities and Jørgen Moller Hansen spot and we will miss his friendship, his kites and his humor. lake.” was determined to be as active as possible despite his cancer. His kites you may well know; the apparently simple, almost Ed Grys Jim was a Ralph was deeply devoted to his family and bride, Harriet, his minimalist graphics based on white, black or grey with the staple at kite festi- five children, ten grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. inclusion of a single colour, the pattern chopped and rear- vals up and down the California coast since he relocated from Ralph was a true American hero as a soldier, father, family man ranged to create balance and tension. Some designs could be Brian Morris Miami in 1998. Many of us helped or watched him put smiles and friend. He will be missed. gently decorative; others could be bold and almost aggressive, Brian Morris, on thousands of kids’ faces with his candy drops. Jim was the Bob Wendt the diagonal lines slashing boldly from left to right, cut and member of South Candy Man for as many as five events a season. He never said, rearranged like collage in a Russian constructivist composition. Houston Area “I can’t go,” or “I can’t help.” He was always on hand when They were undoubtedly some of the most ambitious attempts Recreational Kit- it came time to pack away the big kites or run after one that John Thomas at a pure, fine-art approach to kite design; the kite was Jør- ers, passed away was misbehaving. Also, no one ever went thirsty as he always The Pierce County Kitefliers Association lost another great gen’s canvas, the sky his gallery wall. Jørgen’s kites had the in July after generously had a cold one to offer. Organizers know how Jim friend in July when Lt. Colonel John Thomas, US Army, re- same attention to manufacturing excellence as the sails he a long battle supported their events; he bought something in every auction tired, passed away. John, along with his wife Heather, was a saw in the sail lofts. Close up you’d see the reinforcements with cancer. He he got close to! member of the Westport Windriders and an original member and strengthening strips; the kites were made to last and was known for Jim, Rob Bapti and Vince McMillan put together the Merced of the Pierce County Kitefliers Association. They got started in could seem almost heavy on the ground, but up in the air they his small home Kite Festival. He also helped organize the kiters for the Paso kiting at the 1986 WSIKF after returning from deployment in seemed fragile and delicate and flew superbly, a combination made sled char- Robles event. In addition, he was one of the Northern Califor- Germany. Like many of us he started with sport kites and soon of great craftsmanship and sharp design. acter kites and nia Kite Club’s managers. branched out into all aspects of kiting. He was a kitemaker, Jørgen lived in Aarhus, a port town on Denmark’s east his entertaining videos on youtube, particularly “The Old Man Jim was thoroughly enjoying his second year of retire- festival participant and regular at the PCKA Kitemaking-4-Kids coast, famous for its sailmaking industry and deeply affected and His Kite” series. For S.H.A.R.K.’s annual make-and-take ment. Every day was kite day! He loved his two kids and was events. John loved the creative and design aspects of kit- by its relationship with the sea. When reminded of his Viking in August, the project will be Brian’s “Running Man” sled, in about to become a first-time grandpa. Jim is missed by all who ing. He also played with pin designs and logos. He attended ancestors, he’d usually respond with a cry of “Rape and plun- memory of a good friend and fellow kite enthusiast. knew him. Save me a good spot on that field, Jimmy; I’ll be the Fort Wor- der!,” typical of his robust sense of humour. there soon enough. den Kitemakers Drachen Foundation Brian Champie Conference three Harley Ryan [Brian Champie and George Halpin have started a plan to times. At festi- install a memorial bench with a brass plaque honoring Jim at vals he loved the 1935-2012 mass ascensions Harley E. Ryan passed away the spot where he loved to fly his kites and died flying. Con- and talking with in late July of a combination tact [email protected] to make a donation.] all the people. of Alzheimers and Parkin- John and Heath- son’s diseases. As a long time er along with kiteflier from the Northwest, Pavitran Vittal Ralph and Har- Harley left behind a bunch of I am truly saddened by the passing of Pavitran Vittal, coordina- riet Stockbridge heartsick friends who will miss tor of international kitefliers for the Gujarat International Kite attended many his subtle humor and laughter Festival in India. Pavitran was more than just a friend; he was AKA conventions. on the flying field. He was not an amazing person. He was always so kind and considerate to Several years ago a flier out to make his mark in us that we always welcomed seeing him at every opportunity. he attended the the kite community but he did so none the less. Harley quietly His passing will not only leave a void in our lives, but in the kite festival in Dieppe, France and helped man the AKA booth. stood on the sidelines, flying his 454s, 252s and other large hearts of everyone who knew him. Pavitran’s memory will He was generous with his time, money and creative skills. He kites he had collected over the years. We will miss his laughter always remain deep within my heart. and Heather always had donations for the various raffles and and his smile on the flying field as well as his large display of Paavan Solanki auctions. John was a friend to all. He too will be missed. kites. Bob Wendt
30 Kiting | Autumn 2012 the contrast and saturation of the best GoPro image to make typical Dutch spring evening with mild winds blowing from the it look acceptable. To my surprise, it became instantly popular southwest, easily capable of lifting the delta and the rig to the KAPtions Top KAP So Far on Flickr.com, with many positive comments and views. right. The almost setting sun was casting its beautiful soft light I considered the January session only a scouting expedition on the houses of Uitdam. Spot on! to see if KAP at the Bourtange fort was feasible. I concluded it That evening I wasn’t sure what kite could be used when ictures tell the story. In this issue we present some of the was and had a chance to return in the second half of May. I left home, so I brought two ITW kites: the Triton and my Pbest KAP images of the first half of the year, with narration The weather was much better in late May, but wind left much favorite, the 9’ Levitation Light delta. Launching the Levi Light by the photographers. You’ll find more posted at www.flickr. to be desired. It blew completely opposite to the January was dead easy; it went straight up and stayed at 100’, pinned com/groups/kiteaerialphotography/. wind, which wasn’t a problem, but was weak and variable, to the sky. After changing the rig’s batteries and attaching and that was a problem. I had decided to launch my trusty the camera — my trusty Panasonic LX5, partner in crime since Blue Marlin, by Hans Elbers, Netherlands Fled MkIII kite from one of the embankments, which meant September 2010 — I attached it to the kite line to let it out for I’m addicted to kite flying and KAP for a bit more than two I didn’t have much space to move around. There were kite- a while. years now. I KAP about twice a week on average. Mostly large grabbing trees in front of me and a steep 20’ drop right behind I was really surprised to see that this photo made it to buildings, cranes and ships, and some windmills of course. I me. With some effort, I managed to launch the Fled and coax flickr’s Explore on May 17. So many comments were related post my best KAP images on Flickr.com (as hanselpedia) and on it to an altitude where it more or less stayed up by itself. I to that. Funny that so many people explore Explore to find my own website (www.fotovlieger.nl). then tied my rig to the line, with the two cameras. Normally, I remarkable stuff. And apparently this one was remarkable would not have flown the extra GoPro camera in such mediocre enough to make it to #118. Totally by coincidence I sold a wind conditions, but given the subject, I decided I couldn’t do copy of this very picture and some more from this series the without it. The fort really needs an ultra wide lens to cover it. day I submitted this article! The Fled didn’t show much enthusiasm in pulling up my sub- 600 gram rig. In a desperate effort to save my rig and cameras Beach Girls, by Brad Slaney, Hawai’i from dropping into the trees, I fell off the fort’s embankment and rolled to the bottom. Luckily, it was all soft grass and I Germany and the city of Groningen, which was controlled by managed to hang on to my kite reel, but I lost my hat and the Spaniards. I put Bourtange on my list of KAP subjects be- pride. The effective airtime of the rig was less than 15 minutes cause of an upcoming book. My publisher thought it was a good and I came away with only about 500 images. But the usable idea, so on a cold January morning, I drove the 50 miles to shots were much better than any of the ones I took in January. the village to see what I could shoot. By the time I got there, I even managed to shoot a three-image horizontal panorama the clouds were thick and the good light had gone. The wind with the GoPro, which gives a great overview of the central seemed weak, so I first tried my Gomberg Triton. It turned out part of the fort. At least three of the May pictures will end up the wind higher up was way too strong for the Triton. It also in the book, the panorama in large format. showed me that the upper wind direction was different from the ground wind, so I moved position and launched my ITW Waterland – Uitdam, by Ramon Pallares, Netherlands Levitation. That went up quite well and took up a steady posi- tion over the fort. I then tied my rig to the line, tied my brand new GoPro This image shows the end of a very special transport: a Hero2 HD to the rig, set both the Panasonic LX3 and GoPro ship carrying ships. I was tipped about it’s arrival by a friend cameras and let the kite take up the rig. Apart from the dreary at work. This huge transport vessel is called Blue Marlin. It weather, things looked good. The GoPro was shooting away by arrived in Rotterdam on March 20 with a cargo of 18 river- itself at one image per second and I took more pictures myself boats and a few large pontoons. This transport took 58 days to with the LX3. At the end of about forty minutes of flying, I had travel from Shanghai to Rotterdam (all the way around Africa, some 1,500 images to choose from. As I expected, the techni- cal quality of the images was mediocre. I had to really push it is too wide for the Suez Canal)! I took this image at one of It’s a cloudy morning in traditionally sunny Honolulu; my my favorite KAP spots near Rotterdam: a spacious accessible last few KAP outings have been marked by high wind speeds green strip in Europort. A lot of interesting ships can be seen and turbulent air. I am painfully aware almost two weeks have here: gigantic crane vessels, pipe layers and other impressive passed without a successful KAP session. I check the weather offshore equipment. I monitor this location closely via the in Kailua: cloudy, 50% chance of rain, 20-25mph winds. I trudge internet. This particular image was taken with a Sony Nex5 to the bus stop anyways with my GoPro HD Hero, Ricoh gx100 +16mm lens. The camera was oriented using a home-built radio (chosen for their built-in continuous shooting timers), Brooxes controlled camera rig. The wind was light but steady, the sun- HoBeak auto rig, and two kites, a Flowform 8 and a Levitation light was soft and the air was clear: optimal conditions for KAP. Delta with a shortened spreader. As I exit the bus in Kailua The camera was lifted on the line of my big rokkaku (2.5m, Uitdam is a small village about eight miles to the northeast I’m already lost. My plan was to get off on the ocean side of specially built for me by a fellow KAPer). Technically this was of Amsterdam. It was founded in the 13th century after a dam town and walk towards Lanikai Beach, only I’m still a mile an easy and relaxing KAP session: holding the line with two was created to connect two tongues of land. The setting was away from the ocean and there’s no main road heading in that fingers while my best camera was hanging motionless in the sky perfect, one hour before sunset. I was surrounded by singing direction. I see a tall ridge on my right and walk towards it aimed at a spectacular subject. Pure happiness! A map showing birds and the soft whisper of reed on the shores of the Uitdam- hoping for a clearer view. Fast-forward to the top of that ridge the location and the rest of this series is on www.fotovlieger. mer Die, a stretched lake, visible in the foreground. Every and it’s pouring diagonally, the smooth breeze is now a choppy nl/project/201203_blue_marlin. now and then birds of prey circled over the Levitation Light gust. My GoPro is on the line of my sinking Flowform kite as I delta to check out the unknown flying object that was occupy- scurry to pull in line. Not a smooth start to the day. Vesting Bourtange, by Erick Kieboom, Netherlands ing their habitat so suddenly. Before I started walking, the car In the two weeks of unsuccessful KAP sessions I had gotten Bourtange is a star fort and village in the northeast Neth- door was still open and the Dutch classical radio station played rusty, or lazy, or stupid. I had forgotten to check the batteries erlands, next to the German border. The fortifications were the first movement of Beethoven’s 6th Symphony, the Pastoral. for the auto-rotating Brooxes rig. They’re dead. In addition, initially built during the Eighty Years’ War (c. 1568–1648) when How appropriate! Passersby were asking about the what, why I also forgot to empty my nearly full SD card for the Ricoh, William I of Orange wanted to control the only road between and how.The weather, just like the setting, was perfect: a and the GoPro had just filled its card. After an hour of trek- Canon G9 CHDK script menu Autumn 2012 | Kiting 33 32 Kiting | Autumn 2012 king through heavy rain I arrived at beautiful Lanikai Beach! The Ricoh’s SD card had room for 15 new photos at best, so I changed the intervalometer from jpeg+raw shooting every Fightin’ Words five seconds to jpeg only and every 15 seconds. The rain has stopped but it’s just as cloudy as ever, the heavy wind is pick- Teaching Newbies By Andy Selzer ing up grains of sand and smashing them against my legs like little needles. The Flowform 8 is the only kite I own that can recent fighter kite contest here on the East Coast brought to handle Oahu’s rare offshore Kona winds. Alight the differences in flying tactics when you encounter high I took a photo for two Japanese girls posing with the Moku- wind conditions. I am going to classify high wind as 20 to 30mph. lua Islands behind them. As I put the kite in the air the girls While most of us have an all-around kite that handles most of began walking along the beach just downwind of my location. our everyday needs, there are times when a special kite for high I hastily set my camera at a downward angle, crossed my fin- or low wind is slightly better to use. What constitutes that high gers, and sent it up! This image has received more flickr com- wind kite? This will be up to the flier, but it should be one that is ments than any other I have ever taken. The general consensus more comfortable for you to use in that situation. My preference seems to be that people like it for its simplicity and abstract- is for a kite that is slightly narrower and taller than most of the ness. Also, who doesn’t want to be at the beach? other kites I have. Some kite flyers prefer a stiffer bow, but with a narrower kite you can step down one size and still handle the The Chill Before It Heats Up, by Craig Wilson, Wisconsin speed from the high winds. In the spring of 2011, the political climate heated up to Setting up for the start of a line touch point is all important. a boiling point, which centered on the State Capitol building In high wind conditions I like to use a short line length start of here in Madison. The building became the gathering place of around 50’. Although too short for a crossover to score a top many peaceful protestors opposed to the actions of the Gover- point, I find this distance easier to control for the important nor and Senate, as well as people concerned for the direction start. You’ll find that the blasting breeze will pull your kite out our nation’s democracy seemed to be headed. For nine quickly when you’re ready to make your move. Another differ- months, daily protests continued. November brought cooler ence from low wind flying is the lack of fine control. What this temperatures and a start of the period signatures could be col- leads to is quicker decisions to just go for that point. If it doesn’t lected for a recall effort. That collection of nearly one million look like the kite is in the right position, turn back out and reset. signatures took those protestors from the capitol and out into For those bottom points try not to get that close to the ground. the neighborhoods all around Wisconsin leaving the Capitol Unlike low wind flying you will find that most of your bottom relatively quiet. points are scored at relatively high levels of over 10’. The winter days are short, leaving no time after the work- also there because of an itch that needed to be scratched. This Here’s hoping you get some time in to practice with your day for kite flying and KAP. Several weeks can go by between quiet didn’t last. In two days, many of those protestors returned fighter kite in these conditions. Experience in this type of flying flying sessions and a hankering to fly can quickly grow into an with renewed is the best teacher. As they say, get out here and tug on your kite k itch requiring an urgent scratching. It was mid-January before enthusiasm and today. a proper winter with snow cover finally came to southern the required Wisconsin. On Sunday morning January 15, I flew my kite and number of sig- camera in downtown Madison to capture this aerial view of a natures on the quiet Capitol Square blanketed with fresh snow. I was taking recall petitions. advantage of the wind and weather conditions that allow for The chill before relatively safe access by kite to the Capitol grounds but I was it heats up. k
3434 Kiting Kiting | |Summer Autumn 2012 2012 AutumnSummer 2012 2012 | | Kiting Kiting 35 35 !!
Kite Plan Simon Crafts’ Gizmo Book Review ost amidst the accolades for his winning kites at the AKA ! DecorationFig. 20 of Ripstop Kites with Lconvention in Wildwood was the kite Simon Crafts didn’t compete with. Using Simon’s design for the Gizmo, Cheryl Kear’s red, white and blue kite finished 6th in the Cellular cat- !!!!!!!!!!!Applique Technique Fig. 21 By Olivier Reymond egory. Since then, Simon has been teaching the Gizmo at vari- t his 2011 AKA Convention workshop, Swiss sewing master ous workshops, allowing him to develop very detailed plans for AOlivier Reymond taught 16 people the secrets of his appliqué the winged box kite. You’ll find the entire 23 page plan online technique for making eyecatching works of aerial art. You weren’t at the KITING+ webpage, but here’s a taste of what you’ll need there? Not to worry, Reymond has compiled his workshop into a to get started. well-illustrated booklet to benefit all kitemakers. His technique, similar to that ofAustralia’s William Farber, isn’t for beginners, but once you’ve mastered simple appliqué you’ll be ready to move on to Reymond’s methods. He uses a good deal of tracing, and you’ll need access to a photocopier, but the results speak for themselves. You can find a gallery of Reymond’s kites at http://membres.multimania.fr/acielouvert/olivier.htm. And while you can send $20 to Swit- zerland for a bound copy of the booklet, you can also download it for free from the Publica- tions page at www.aka.kite.org. k
Materials • 9 wrapped spars, 32.5” long • 2 wrapped spars 17” long – upper spreader • 2 wrapped spars 4.25” long – shorter longerons Movie Review • 1 wrapped spar 14” long - longer spine • 5 x 3” internal ferrules (.2400”) iters lucky enough to have celebrated January’s Uttarayan holiday on • 2 x 4” internal ferrules (.2400”) – for center of spreaders Kthe rooftops of Ahmedabad’s old city know that India’s kiting festival is • 2 x “Beman” style center T’s, pre-drilled a swirl of colorful fighters, bright manjha, aromatic food, and the compet- • 4 x ¼” aluminum rings ing din of car horns, traditional music, and blaring hip hop. And above all, • 3 x FSD “side slot” nocks the holiday is about family and friends, moving house to house, terrace to • 2 x custom MKS fittings terrace, catching up with gossip and news, eating, and always flying kites. • 4 x C-Clip “do-hickey” stoppers It can be difficult to describe to someone who hasn’t been there, but it’s • 5 x 1 ¼” .2400” carbon tube for nock inserts clearly a scene like nowhere else in the world. Six years in the making, • 9 x push-in “arrow” nocks director Prashant Bhargava’s first feature film uses Ahmedabad as a back- • 8 x triangular shaped Dacron reinforcement patches drop for a tale of multigenerational family dysfunction that resonates in any • 10 x rectangular shaped Dacron reinforcement strips culture. • 2 x 4” Dacron circles “The seeds for Patang were based on the memories of my uncles’ duel- • 6 x ¼” grosgrain strips, 4” long ing kites,” says Bhargava. “In India kite flying transcends boundaries. Rich • 4 x ¼” grosgrain strips, 4.5” long or poor, Hindu or Muslim, young or old — together they look towards the • 8 x ¼” grosgrain strips, 3.5” long sky with wonder, thoughts and doubts forgotten. Kite flying is meditation in • Pre-folded (¼” doubled) 0.75 oz RSN edge binding its simplest form. In 2005, I visited Ahmedabad to experience their annual • Fabric kite festival, the largest in India. When I first witnessed the entire city on 2 upper keel panels their rooftops, staring up at the sky, their kites dueling ferociously, dancing 2 lower keel panels without inhibition, I knew I had to make this film in Ahmedabad. Inspired by 2 large back panels the spiritual energy of the festival, I returned the next three years, slowly 2 upper wing panels immersing myself in the ways of the old city. I became acquainted with its 2 center wing inserts unwritten codes of conduct, its rhythms and secrets. I would sit on a street ½ Sail 2 lower wing panels corner for hours at a stretch and just observe. Over time, I connected with shopkeepers and street kids, gangsters and grand- mothers. This process formed the foundation for my characters, story and my approach to shooting the film. I found myself dis- covering stories within Ahmedabad’s old city that intrigued me. Fractured relationships, property disputes, the meaning of home and the spirit of celebration were recurring themes that surfaced.” Patang was shot using a combination of actors and locals, with handheld cameras that pick up the jittery energy of the bus- tling city. The Hollywood Reporter noted, “Bhargava knows when to stop and catch the right, fleeting expressions and gestures. There’s a gentleness in this snapshot of a family and all its baggage that seems almost effortless.” The film (in Hindi, with English subtitles) will be avail- able on Amazon and iTunes in mid-October, and is currently playing in limited release at American theaters. But you don’t need to wait to see it: come to the AKA Convention’s special showing of Patang on October 1 in Enid, OK. k
36 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 37 Howdy! Thinking about coming to Enid for the conven- Theme Flies nce a year, Port Colborne, ON, goes all out tion? We would love to have you. While Marti and I are not Every afternoon the mass ascensions will be followed by more Oto embrace its maritime heritage. The Enid natives, we are both lifelong residents of Stillwater, 62 mass ascensions, of kites fitting a theme. Bring the right kites lakeside city has the Welland Ship Canal flowing Kites Over The Canal miles away, and can give you some local information. and join in! right through the middle of it, and most of the By Fred Taylor Enid is excited about hosting our convention! A pleasant Thursday: kites that make noise, kites that fit in your pocket, events of this four day celebration are in sight city of 50,000, it’s the largest city in the northwest quarter kites and/or tails with moving parts, and your favorite kite of it. With a perfect view of Lake Erie from the of Oklahoma, home to Northern Oklahoma College, Vance Air Friday: Art kite fly and kites older than 30 years kite field at HH Knoll Park, you can watch large Force Base, and the largest complex of grain el- Saturday: animal kites and line laundry, and small ships leave or enter the canal. The evators in the Midwest. It’s wheat country, flat red/white/blue kites and laun- Niagara Windriders Kiteflyers Association use as a pancake for miles around, and almost dry, previous convention award this field to stage a great display with winds always windy. (They are building a huge winning kites, and arches and drifting in from the lake. Clubs and fliers from new wind farm a few miles north of trains. Canada and the USA come to Canal Days to be a town.) Friendly, friendly people! part of a city-wide heritage celebration. I can vouch for the fly- KAP of the Year Once again the spectators were treated ing fields, a huge expanse of Members will once again to a dazzling night fly on Saturday evening. mowed grass. We supervised be voting for their favorite Slightly before dusk a fair breeze blew in and mass ascensions of 2,600 and kite aerial photograph. To a few kites went up. As is usual the wind died 2,500 sled kites there a few submit an entry, see the with the setting sun. Gary Maynard of the years ago, and had room to KiteTalk Forum for rules Windjammers treated the folks to a remote spare. The Cherokee Strip Con- and submission guidelines. control Premier canard kite demonstration, ference Center is a great con- a first for Port Colborne. As if on cue, as he vention venue on the downtown Workshops finished the doldrums became a nice steady square, with lots of restaurants A new schedule this year wind and the kites climbed into the dark sky. and bars within a few blocks. gives you a single workshop A steady crowd drifted down from the other While Enid is not a tourist desti- timeslot each day, so you’ll be events to catch the display. nation, it has several local attractions able to spend more time on the Sunday experienced a large change in weather. A stiff wind greeted us that morning. Officially the festival kicked off at like the Cherokee Strip Heritage Center, a field. You can take home several new 1pm but the museum devoted to the land run and over- kites if you attend make-and-take work- early crowd night founding of the city, and the Great Salt shops to build fighter kites, rokkakus, prairie got to see a Plains a few miles to the west (off limits to bug- bird gliders, mini-hearts, and a hishi. Learn Windjammers gies, though). to fly roks, fighters, dual-lines, quad-lines, power kites and display and a If you are driving through or flying into Oklahoma City or big kites. Journey to India, learn kitemaking philosophy from few warm up Tulsa, opportunities abound. Oklahoma is home to 39 different Simon Crafts and Robert Brasington, let Meg Albers explain how demos. The Native American tribes (and 80 tribal casinos), who do not live to teach with kites, and explore the Drachen Foundation with park that day on reservations but are intermingled with the entire popula- Scott Skinner. Plus lots more! is shared with tion. Then there’s the Oklahoma City Bombing Memorial and 550 vintage the Western Heritage Center and Cowboy Hall of Fame in OKC, And Of Course... cars. Both Noble Museum of Natural History in Norman, Philbrook and Gil- Competition for kitemakers, fighter kites, and sport kites. groups were crease art museums in Tulsa, and Ponca City’s opulent mansion The indoor fly. Pin Challenge. Miniature Kite Challenge. The ready to kick built by oil baron and governor E.W. Marland. new Patch Challenge. The bag raffle. The auction. Members’ off with open- Enid’s going to be a weeklong kite party! See you there! Choice. Awards of all sorts. The FlyMarket. Kitemakers’ Show ing ceremonies Richard Dermer & Tell. The annual meeting. A special showing of the new film when a nasty Patang. New friends and old. Oklahoma’s going to be OK! rainstorm Mass Ascensions swept through the region. It closed down the car show Each day at 1:00pm, we’ll fill the sky with one kind of kite. Be but the kiters hunkered down to wait it out. All our ready with a rokkaku on Tuesday, cellular on Wednesday, soft kite on Thursday, sport kite on Friday, and wrap things up with a delta on Saturday. The Tulsa Wind Riders made these 24” mini-roks for the convention. Are you ready to get small? amateur weather forecasters using smart phones with Mini-Rok Challenge weather maps were confidently predicting it to clear. On Saturday, Phil Broder is inviting local kids to join us for a The Mayor of Port Colborne came down at 2pm and mini-rok battle. We’ll pair each child with an AKA mentor, give was happy to hear we had stayed and were getting them a quick lesson in rok flying and battle strategy, and then ready to fly again. Then the sky cleared at 2:30 and begin the fight. We need your help to coach a child!. up went the kites, and our demo field came alive once more. Mystery Ballet Challenge After a challenging day of kiteflying under dif- Troy Gunn wants to know who’s the best improvisational sport ficult conditions the kitefliers end the day with a BBQ. kiter. Bring mystery music for someone else, and come pre- After supper a beautiful steady breeze had some of pared on Saturday afternoon to fly to something new. our fliers back on the field. Also there were families coming out to fly kites with them. Bubble master Mystery Mass Ascension Kevin Reynolds broke out his gear and had kids leap- The Keystone Kiters challenge you to be prepared for their ing around chasing his creations. At 10pm there were mystery mass ascension on Friday afternoon. Bring a round amazing fireworks. Many kiters watched and relaxed kite, brown kite, diamond kite, a non-box cellular, and a cloth- before calling it a day. k ing kite. . . one of them will be needed! 38 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 39 and conservationists, and the ire of those wanting unrestricted and unsafe practices. They’ve also continued to educate NPS access to the sand. rangers, explaining the kiteflying rules to officers who over- On Stone Harbor Point, fully half the sand is roped off, zealously tried to enforce a now-nonexistent kiting ban. out of bounds to all but the birds. But federal plover recovery The Chicagoland Skyliners once shared their flying field at guidelines also mandate keeping threats to plovers — kites and suburban Busse Woods with a rugby league. Kiters using the dogs among them, but not pedestrians or vehicles — an extra park befriended the park rangers, followed park rules, and 500’ away, and that effectively makes the entire Point off lim- acted politely toward other park users. For their Sky Circus its. Although fishermen are still allowed to drive trucks along festival, the club made sure to reserve the field and picnic the sand, and shell collectors, joggers, and walkers still trod shelter. When the rugby players tried to claim that they had the beach, dog walkers and kitefliers have had to move on. the right to use the field that day, the Skyliners were quickly How did this happen? What turns a popular kiteflying spot able to bring the problem to the attention of a ranger, who into empty sand and sky overnight? “History is made by those upheld the club’s reservation of the field and kicked the rugby who show up,” said British Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli. match out for the day. And kitefliers simply aren’t showing up when it counts. There’s a lot to be said for making friends with the folks in In early August, the city of Wildwood — strapped for cash charge. I’ve worked in the parks and recreation profession for and looking for new sources of revenue — opened a portion more than twenty years, half of that with various government of its wide beach to recreational vehicles. A campground agencies, and I know for a fact that my coworkers and I played with more than 80 RV spaces sprouted from the sand, filled favorites. We were always more likely to act favorably towards with waist-high posts to delineate each space. Kitefliers will people we knew in a positive way. A club that helped clean up recognize the spot as the sport kite competition field for the litter in the park, or made an annual donation to the Friends of Wildwoods International Kite Festival, or part of the area the Park, or assisted us with purchasing a piece of equipment, were most tolerant of disturbances by pedestrians, and least where the MegaFlag was laid out at last year’s AKA Convention. was always going to get preferential treatment when it came tolerant of dogs, kites, and ORVs. Disturbed plovers may leave Local citizens, enraged by the plan, held last-minute protests, to reserving a picnic shelter, getting a bonfire permit, or hav- their nests unprotected, or be prevented from feeding. Plovers carrying picket signs along the boardwalk in a fruitless attempt ing a ranger block off parking spaces for their cars. Does your reacted to kites at a greater distance than other disturbances to thwart the plan. kite club help maintain the place where you fly? Or are you — they may perceive kites to be birds of prey or some other Once again, nobody was there to protest the plan when it just another bunch of taxpaying citizens complaining that the aerial predator — and kites seems to cause plovers to move the was first proposed in a City Council meeting. Admittedly, the lawn isn’t mowed and the bathrooms need cleaning? greatest distance. At first read, kites seem to be a problem. city kept it quiet and didn’t expressly invite public comment Earlier this year, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Depart- But look at the data closer. Hoopes found that less than 7% early in the process. But if they had, would kiters have shown ment took steps to institute new rules which would have been of plover chick deaths could be attributed to human distur- up in droves? I represent 50% of the AKA members in the Wild- detrimental to kiting. The rules would have potentially banned bance; most deaths were probably from natural causes like wood area, and I doubt I’d have attended any council meet- anchoring kites, required permits and fees for group get- exposure and predators. Hoopes singles out ORVs as a serious No Kites Allowed ings. Earlier kite-unfriendly plans, like building a wind-blocking togethers, and even banned kites from some popular beaches. problem, including one instance where an ORV ran over a plo- hi-rise on the site of the former Rio Motel directly across from Kiters immediately protested, inundating the state agency and ver nest. by Phil Broder the beach, also went unopposed by kitefliers. lawmakers with calls, letters, and e-mails. In a series of public That raises the question of why a beach would be closed meetings, David Gomberg, Amy Doran and others were able to to kites but not ORVs. The answer, I think, is not scientific, explain their position to rulemakers. Ultimately, the new rules but political. The ORVs are often driven by fishermen, who are ogs aren’t allowed down this trail,” the police officer told were altered in favor of kitefliers, but that doesn’t mean the well organized politically. Hold a public meeting where a city Dme. battle is over. Government agencies in search of revenues will council proposes to limit fishermen’s access to fishing, and “Since when?” I responded. “I’ve been walking my dog continue to look at ways to charge park users new user fees, the room will likely be filled with angry citizens who arrived here every afternoon for the last two years.” and insurance agencies with no understanding of kiteflying will in trucks with I fish and I vote stickers on the bumpers. Can “It’s a new law,” the cop answered. continue to insist that agencies enact “safety” rules or risk los- kitefliers say the same? The political consequences of closing a “Can you tell me why?” I asked on that Christmas Eve five ing their coverage. beach to joggers and fishermen are huge; the consequences of years ago. But what about the plovers? Should we really be arguing limiting access to kiteflying simply don’t exist. Decisions go in “It’s to protect migrating birds,” the overmatched patrol- in favor of something that harms a cuddly critter that’s near- favor of those who show up. k man explained. ing extinction? As a kiteflier and a conservationist, I struggle “It’s December 24th! Exactly what birds are migrating?” with that question, and have decided that my answer is, “No, Mentally throwing my hands in the air, my dog and I turned but....” Management decisions like opening or closing public around, left the beach, and returned to the offices of the con- lands should be based on science. In the case of plovers, the servation group I work for. My training in wildlife biology was science is wrapped up in an unpublished 1993 master’s the- no match for a small town cop with a municipal ordinance on sis written by Edwin Mark Hoopes, entitled The Relationship his side. The new look of the more challenging sport kite competi- Between Human Recreation and Piping Plover Foraging Ecology It was dogs in this case, but it could’ve been kites. Stone tion field in Wildwood, days before the RVs arrived. and Chick Survival. My research shows that this lone document Harbor Point, a huge spit of sand pointed south at Wildwood, is cited over and over by wildlife managers, and provides the NJ, just a short distance across Hereford Inlet, had long been In other areas, kiters have been more successful. An at- basis for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service management plan a popular spot for kitefliers, kite surfers, and buggiers, as tempt to ban kite buggies from Nahant Beach, near Boston, for several beach nesting birds. But I also found that few biolo- well as dog owners and fishermen. Extending more than half was met with quick opposition from kiters. They were able to gists have ever read it, although they consider it the gospel. a mile into the ocean, with few beachgoers around (no swim- work with the managing agency to explain buggying, set up It took me more than three months to obtain a copy from ming is allowed due to dangerous currents), it’s a perfect spot guidelines for doing it safely, and keep the beach mostly open. the University of Massachusetts library, and even then they for those who need wide open spaces to launch a kite, ride a At the Washington Monument, the Wings Over Washington wouldn’t loan it to me, but only to a college professor friend buggy, or let a dog romp. club famously acted to keep the monument grounds open to of mine. (As a public service, a PDF of the 118-page document But for those same reasons, it’s perfect habitat for piping kiting. The National Park Service banned kiting there, in a is now available on the KITING+ page of the AKA website.) plovers, a baseball-sized shorebird that nests in the sand and kneejerk response to problems created by Asian immigrants Hoopes studied six beaches in Massachusetts where plovers ventures timidly toward the surf to feed. As an endangered using fighter kites with manjha line. The club was able to nested, with varying amounts of access by pedestrians, dogs, species, it’s gained the protection of state wildlife agencies educate the NPS, showing them the difference between safe kitefliers, and off-road vehicles (ORVs). He found that plovers
40 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 41 Too Much Fun and AirZone
John Gillespie Jeanette Lummas Team AirZone
Arnold Stellema
Jeanette and Marc Lummas Berkeley Kite Festival July 28 - 29, 2012
Berkeley, CA photos by Lori s. Robinson
42 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 43 Aaron Washington
Kevin Bayless Ron Gibian The Bay Area Sundowners: Barry Nash, Kenny Osterlund, John Quitugua, and Team Too Much Fun Gordon Osterlund
A Ron Bohart foil. A Ron Bohart foil. Southern Oregon Kite Festival Brookings, OR Penny Lingenfelter July 21 - 22, 2012 photos by Lori s. Robinson More incredible appliqué by Ron Bohart.
Alexa, Kari, and Sam King Ron Gibian
Connor Doran Amy Doran
John and A Sam King cellular Takako Barresi
Ben Lummas
44 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 45 Welcome To The Machine ou can get almost anything from a vending machine. Candy Ybars and condoms. Hot drinks and cold drinks. Cigarettes and sandwiches. Whitney Richardson and Lee Dares think that in a city where the hours just fly by, vending machines can pro- mote the benefits of looking up. The Brooklyn-based kitemak- Rosolina International Kite Festival ers launched a traveling exhibition called “The Kite Machine,” using an antique vending machine to dispense handmade miniature kites made of repurposed materials. The Kite Machine debuted at Rockaway Beach early in the summer, and has since dispensed more than 500 kites. There were 7” miniature Bermudas, as well as della portas and sleds made in collaboration with local artists. Kites were made from recycled windbreakers donated by Patagonia, bringing new life to old materials to promote sustainability. Kites sold for a 50¢ donation, making the project self-funded by the public. Rosolina, Italy Richardson and Dares formed Kites For Rights “to empower people through education at the local level with the belief May 5 - 6, 2012 that development of individual physical powers is necessary to photos by Patrizio Mariani move forward with global sustainability through economic, so- cial and environmental change.” They work with students using kitemaking workshops to explore human interaction and physi- cal theory in a collaborative setting. The Kite Machine aimed to get New Yorkers thinking about machines and technology in a new way. The artists note, “People go to the beach to relax and refocus the mind and kiteflying is a way to make the expe- rience interactive and hands-on. It allows us the opportunity to reconnect with nature in a way that is sustainable, transient, and magical. The machine will also be a landmark for kite- making workshops, which will bring people together in the joy of kitemaking, a craft that has been lost in our generation.” k
Patrizio Mariani 29th Rimini Kite Festival
Rimini, Italy April 14 - 15, 2012 photos by Patrizio Mariani 46 Kiting | Autumn 2012 Autumn 2012 | Kiting 47 LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS Are You on LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS Ten Most Influential LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS Kitesin no of particular All order Time LISTSLISTS We make everything into lists. Pick out anythingThe in the world, List?and you can find a way to rank it against something else. Would LISTSLISTS by David Gomberg The Book of Lists be so popular if we weren’t obsessed with finding out who or what is the best? ouldW David Letterman be LISTSLISTS a cultural icon if not for his Top Ten? Does anything engender more arguments on ESPN than the coach’s polls in football and LISTSLISTS • Indonesian Fishing Kite or first Chinese Kite: which came basketball? Could we have put a man on the moon without counting backwards from ten first? So we asked some of the most LISTSLISTS first? Who knows. But the first kite flown was something expert kiters in the world to settle all debates once and for all by ranking everything. And of course, their opinion is the last LISTSLISTS really special! word, leaving no room for argument... until the next time two kitefliers get together at the end of string somewhere. Join the LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • Indian Fighter: there are magical smaller fighter kites debate on the KiteTalk Forum. LISTSLISTS flown from Afghanistan to Korea. But the Indian “pa- LISTSLISTS tang” seems most prevalent and influential. It was Ten People I’d Like To Fly With LISTSLISTS brought first to Nagasaki where the Hata evolved, and LISTSLISTS later around the world to the carbon and poly kites we Best Places to Fly by Elizabeth Gordon LISTSLISTS fly today. by Pete Dolphin LISTSLISTS • Edo: each region of Japan has their own special kites. LISTSLISTS 1. David Bui: David was involved in kiting in the 90’s. He was LISTSLISTS The Edo of Tokyo is remarkable for its highly refined 1. Cooper River a kitemaker, a fantastic judge, and an amazing flier. He won LISTSLISTS artistry and construction. Park, Camden many National Championships. He was tragically killed in a LISTSLISTS • Hargraves Box: The first cellular kite came from Oz County, NJ, a.k.a. car accident in 1999. I never met him, nor did I see him fly in LISTSLISTS where the designer was so famous they put his image on Goose Island due person, but I have watched videos of his amazing abilities. I LISTSLISTS the $20 bill. And as we all know, cellular kites then led to the inhabitants hope to be as good a flyer as he was. LISTSLISTS to powered flight. and what they leave 2. Raw Power: Rick and Reid Wolcott won multiple National LISTSLISTS • Garber Target Kite: Lieutenant Garber designed a kite behind. Birth place LISTSLISTS Championships. I’ve watched videos of their routines and LISTSLISTS with two lines that you could steer. They were used of the South Jersey they are so precise and technically remarkable. LISTSLISTS for target practice during World War II. What fun could Kite Flyers, where 3. Susan Shampo: Susan competed nationally for a number LISTSLISTS come from that idea? my former wife of years and in a sport somewhat dominated by men, helped LISTSLISTS • Glite: In 1964, Charles Cleaveland of Bend, OR, brought purchased my first pave the way for me and other girl fliers. LISTSLISTS the first dual-line kite to the commercial market. It A Hargraves box kite (Flexifoil) from 4. Scott Davis: Scott is one of the nicest guys, a really good LISTSLISTS was soon followed by the Peter Powell, and the Rainbow • Rogallo Wing: Francis Rogallo developed a flexible triangu- Fran Gramkowski. kiteflier, and judge. LISTSLISTS Stunt Kite. lar kite. NASA never really used the idea. But the rest of Where I met Scott LISTSLISTS 5. Eos: I may be a little biased, but I think my brothers, Josh LISTSLISTS the world got delta kites, sport kites, and hang gliding. Spencer and Betty and Zach Gordon, are two of the best fliers ever. Their preci- LISTSLISTS Oddly, Rev sells more kites with Ben Dantonio as • Jalbert Parafoil: Domina Jalbert made a dimensional kite Hirschmann, John sion skills and their choreography really set them apart. I LISTSLISTS their poster boy than they did when Shannon Rae that had no sticks! That’s right, no sticks! It soon evolved Smith, John Gabby would like to spend more time flying with them. LISTSLISTS was the face of the company. into the ParaFoil, ParaSled, and ParaGlider. Now even and Ted Dougherty. 6. Mikio Toki: I would really like to fly a beautiful single-line LISTSLISTS parachutes look like kites. 2. Argentina. This Japanese kite with Mikio. He is such a talented kite maker. LISTSLISTS • Hawaiian Team Kite: in the early days of stunt kiting, sev- place is all about the Weymouth, England 7. Mike Delfar: Mike is an awesome pairs and individual flier; LISTSLISTS eral designs competed to capture the exploding maneuver- people, both kitefli- his precision skills are really fantastic. He is also one of the LISTSLISTS able kite market. Don Tabor’s Hawaiian quickly took center ers and the general public. They made me feel so welcome, I LISTSLISTS best field crews out there! LISTSLISTS stage, supported by one of the best performance teams to would return in a heart beat. 8. The Chicago Fire Kite Team: it might seem silly to have LISTSLISTS ever grace a competition field: Reich, Tabor, Streed, and 3. Cornwall and Weymouth, England. I sense a spiritual con- 2 the team on my top ten list seeing as I am related to /3 of LISTSLISTS Kirk. Wow! nection to Cornwall and find them! But they are such an outstanding team and I think it LISTSLISTS • PL Octopus: Peter Lynn of New Zealand took the soft kite it very peaceful. Having flown would be fun to fly with them. I consider myself lucky to LISTSLISTS and twisted it into delightful new flying shapes. Enormous kites at the Weymouth Kite know them. LISTSLISTS “show kites” now dominate the skyline at virtually every Festival numerous times, I have 9. Leonardo daVinci: This genius loved aviation and invented LISTSLISTS festival in the world. many friends and wonderful LISTSLISTS the ornithopter. I can only imagine how it would be to fly LISTSLISTS • Revolution: They haven’t really changed in 20 years. But memories. kites with someone whose designs were inspired by birds. LISTSLISTS every place you go, you see more and more of them! If 4. Jacob Riis Park, Rockaway 10. Benjamin Franklin: He used a kite in a scientific experi- LISTS LISTS there is a surge these days in kiting, it is coming from NY. A very peaceful seaside ment and discovered electricity. LISTSLISTS those ultra- park with the New York skyline LISTSLISTS maneuverable The seminal Hawai’ian Team Kite as a back drop. Oh yes, the hos- LISTSLISTS four-line pitality was great, right down LISTSLISTS creations from to the hourly motel rate where LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS the Hadzicki the kitefliers stayed. Roger LISTSLISTS Brothers. Chewning did a great job. LISTSLISTS 5. Long Beach, WA. Been there LISTSLISTS Yeah, I know that once when I was President. The LISTSLISTS was eleven. What folks there made me feel really LISTSLISTS are you gonna do? special. The beach was great LISTS LISTS Make me be presi- with all the room you needed LISTSLISTS The real reason Pete dent again? to fly. LISTSLISTS Dolphin is eager to LISTSLISTS return to Argentina. Elizabeth Gordon’s family only made it to #8 on her list. LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS 48 Kiting | Autumn 2012 LISTS LISTS Autumn 2012 | Kiting 49 LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS Five Things That Are LISTSLISTS Top 10 Kite Festivals LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS by Scott Skinner LISTSLISTS Always In My Kite Bag LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS by Ron Lindner by Gayle Woodul LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS 1. Kite lines, all sizes and all lengths, so when I give a kite 1. Shower curtain rings. Yep, a buck a LISTSLISTS away I can just hand the line over. dozen at the Dollar Store. My crew is LISTSLISTS 2. Water. I don’t care where I am, my water seems to be always amazed at their uses. Initially, LISTSLISTS somewhere else, so I always stash a bottle. they were to hang windsocks off of LISTSLISTS 3. Jack-Back: a strapped cushion for sitting on, or unstraping my canopy supports but we’ve found LISTSLISTS and laying on, which is great for reflecting on your kite or plenty of other uses for those cheap LISTSLISTS just getting a nap. solid plastic loops that snap shut. LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS 4. Anchors to hold those kites while you are contemplat- 2. Tweezers. I’ll be honest, they do LISTSLISTS ing the insides of your come in handy for fiberglass splin- LISTSLISTS eyelids. ters from banner poles, but I’ve LISTSLISTS 5. Sand to remind me of discovered their greatest use is in LISTSLISTS the steady winds of the snagging those really tight knots in LISTSLISTS coast when I am home in kite line tangles. LISTSLISTS the Midwest. 3. Electric and/or duct tape. Okay, LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS I know that we all have duct tape LISTSLISTS by Richard Dermer in our vehicles, but the difference LISTSLISTS 1. Sunblock. (I’m a skin with LISTSLISTS cancer survivor.) mine is LISTSLISTS 2. Folding scissors, or a that I LISTSLISTS sharp pocketknife. carry a LISTSLISTS 3. AKA signage, the big- variety LISTSLISTS of colored tapes for quick emer- LISTSLISTS ger the better. ADVER- LISTSLISTS TISE US! My favorite is a gency repairs of banners. LISTSLISTS 3’x8’ vinyl sign with “American Kitefliers Association” in big 4. Twine. I’m surprised at the block letters. “AKA” is fine for those of us who belong, but number of times I’ve had a need Fanø LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS we need to spell it out for the public. to secure “part A” to “segment B” LISTSLISTS 4. Sample copy of Kiting to show off. and was grateful that I had some • Fanø, Denmark: the Kitefliers Meeting, mid-June every • Shirone, Japan: June of every year. This aerial kite ballet LISTSLISTS 5. AKA application blank. inexpensive twine on hand. year. Over 20 km of hard-sand beach and the steadiest of — and battle — between the towns of Ajikata and Shirone LISTSLISTS 5. Bose iPod speaker system and wind make for a wall of color that includes some of the ends with frantic tug-of-wars between teams from either LISTSLISTS LISTS extra battery pack. No explanation most amazing contemporary kites in the world. side of the river. LISTS by Mike Dallmer needed. Tied at #5 is, of course, LISTSLISTS 5. Repair tape • Bali, Indonesia: August every year. The three amazing tra- • NABX, Primm, NV: April every year. The North American Zombie Repellant. LISTSLISTS 4. Knife ditional kites of Bali — the Janggan, Bebean, and Pechukan Buggy Expo, held on the Ivanpah dry lake bed, brings LISTSLISTS — along with amazing creative kites, makes this a place together kite buggy enthusiasts from around the world. LISTS 3. Ground stakes or sand anchor LISTS 2. Carabiners every kiteflier should visit. • Cervia, Italy: late April every year. Cervia Volante, fea- LISTSLISTS • Hamamatsu, Japan: May every year. In this chaotic blend turing spectacular kites from all over Europe, also brings LISTSLISTS 1. Something to give to someone else to get them interested of sights, sounds, smells and taste, kites are launched, together the finest art kites and their creators to fly in LISTSLISTS in kiting. flown and retrieved; neighborhoods celebrate new births; the beautiful winds and weather of Italy. LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS and kite teams demonstrate their friendship and unity. • Washington State International Kite Festival, Long Beach, LISTSLISTS WA: third full week of August every year. Still one of the LISTSLISTS nicest beaches for kite flying, the small-town atmo- LISTSLISTS Five Things I’d Save If (Heaven Forbid) sphere, the World Kite Museum, and Kitefliers’ Hall of LISTSLISTS Fame bring people back year after year. LISTS LISTS • Wildwoods International Kite Festival, Wildwood, NJ: LISTSLISTS The World Kite Museum Were On Fire Memorial Day weekend every year. The funky town, LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS by Kay Buesing great seafood almost everywhere, the Boardwalk, and LISTSLISTS of course the wide beach and great wind, make a trip to LISTSLISTS the Wildwoods unique. LISTSLISTS • Callaway, NE: Labor Day weekend every year. This town LISTSLISTS 1. The original Conyne of fewer than 1000 people plays host to the largest kite LISTSLISTS 2. An antique Dutch tile decorated with a kid flying a kite festival in the middle of the US. It’s a great assortment LISTSLISTS 3. A Wayne Hosking calendar box full of kite plans (the last of families, kitefliers, and spectators in a completely LISTSLISTS two in an ephemera exhibit) out-of-the-way place. LISTSLISTS 4 & 5. At least two exhibit files. I’d hope to get kite trains LISTS LISTS and indoor flying. • Bay of Fires, Tasmania. Scheduled event or unscheduled, LISTSLISTS just go! Right up the highway from Rob Brasington’s LISTSLISTS house is one of the great beaches on the planet. Go LISTSLISTS And I’m out the door! José Sainz and Scott Skinner on the beach at Wildwood. there and fly kites! LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS 50 Kiting | Autumn 2012 LISTS LISTS Autumn 2012 | Kiting 51 LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS Top Kite Artists Most Memorable Kite Ballets LISTSLISTS by Ron Reich LISTSLISTS by Jon Burkhardt and John Pollock LISTSLISTS Sam Eaton • “Battle Hymn of the Republic” LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • Tom Van Sant Top of the Line – The Flight Squadron LISTSLISTS 1st place World Cup 1990, Seaside, OR LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • “In The Mood” LISTSLISTS High Performance (Revolution routine) LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • “Lady in Red” * (dogstake routine) LISTSLISTS Lee Sedgwick – AKA Convention 1986, Newport, RI LISTSLISTS Tie for 1st with Ron Reich — OIB LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • “Superman & Lois Lane” * (two independently controlled kites) LISTSLISTS Ron Reich – AKA Convention 1986, Newport, RI LISTSLISTS tie for 1st with Lee Sedgwick — OIB LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS (* These two routines were part of the catalyst for creating the LISTSLISTS Burkhardt’s... Open Individual Innovative/Freestyle category. Until then novelty LISTSLISTS • Peter Malinski routines were flown in the ballet event.) LISTSLISTS • Kathy Goodwind LISTSLISTS • Martin Lester • Bobby Stanfield • Ron Gibian • “Arabian Dance” (two kites tied together with a tail and a third LISTSLISTS • Lam Hoac LISTSLISTS • Pierre Fabre • Reza Ragheb LISTSLISTS • Therese Uguen • Randy Tom LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • John Pollock • Michele Gressier LISTSLISTS • Robert Trepanier • plus those pictured LISTSLISTS Pollock’s... LISTSLISTS • Steve Brockett • Robert Trepanier LISTSLISTS • Claudio Capelli • Ron Gibian LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • Michael Goddard • Philippe Cottenceau LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • Bas Vreeswijk LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • George Peters LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • Claudio Capelli • José Sainz LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS Dave Gomberg LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • Steve Brockett LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • Istvan Bodoczky LISTS LISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS kite tied to the ground with a tail) LISTSLISTS Ron Reich – Great Lakes Sport Kite Championship 1989 LISTSLISTS st LISTSLISTS 1, Open Individual Innovative LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • “Coyote Angel” LISTSLISTS Eric Wolff LISTSLISTS LISTS LISTS • “When You Wish Upon a Star” LISTSLISTS Dan Buxton – Flexifoil Lee Sedgwick dogstaking LISTSLISTS a stack of sport kites. LISTSLISTS Photo courtesy kitelife.com LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS 52 Kiting | Autumn 2012 LISTS LISTS Autumn 2012 | Kiting 53 LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS 1951. As an acknowledgement of his wife’s enormous contribu- LISTSLISTS tion to the project, Francis put the patent in his wife’s name. LISTSLISTS This was not simply a tribute to Francis’ love for his wife, but LISTSLISTS the acknowledgement that she was a significant partner in his Top 5 Moments In Kite History LISTSLISTS research. LISTSLISTS During the early Sixties papers written by Rogallo as well by Meg Albers LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS as government reports became available to the general pub- LISTS lic. The Rogallo wing was turned into an easily constructed, LISTS inexpensive, foot-launchable glider, which worked well. Word 1282 Marco Polo’s writings helped spread kites along the Silk LISTSLISTS benefactors of mankind. of its success got out and more were built. This presented the Road, introducing kites to Europe and the rest of the world. LISTSLISTS “The history of Franklin’s electrical experiments and Rogallos with a dilemma, whether to defend their patent or Marco Polo wrote of seeing kites being used as aerial work- LISTSLISTS discoveries is one of the most attractive, beautiful, and LISTS 1866 – 1901 History tell us that in 1901 radio pioneer not. In an incredibly generous gesture, the Rogallos chose to horses as they carried bricks and humans up a pagoda. Ac- LISTS pregnant episodes in modern science. The grand simplicity of LISTSLISTS Guglielmo Marconi made the first successful transatlantic let manufacturers freely produce their invention. And to this cording to Malcolm Goodman, “In the 13th century Marco Polo his theory, the familiar apparatus by which it was tested, the LISTSLISTS wireless (radio) tests by raising the antenna 400’ by means day the people of the world continue to enjoy the fruits of wrote about how the shipping merchants tied someone (usu- accuracy of his foresight, and the unpretending spirit with LISTSLISTS of the Baden-Powell Levitor Kite. Marconi also experimented their labor. ally a drunk) to LISTS which he received the fame incident to so great a result, form LISTS in shore-to-ship radio communication in 1901, possibly using It can certainly be argued that Dr. Rogallo’s most signifi- a huge kite and LISTSLISTS together one of those memorable instances of the conquest these kites to raise the antenna. cant contribution was in the development of the famous delta launched the kite LISTSLISTS of mind over matter, of human intelligence over the secret History also tells us that in October 1866, Mahlon Loomis, wing. While this makes Rogallo the father of modern hang with the drunk LISTSLISTS facts of nature, which add the cognizance of new laws to the an American dentist and amateur inventor, successfully dem- gliding as it is known today, for kitefliers the importance of attached before LISTSLISTS domain of knowledge, and brighter names to the catalogue of LISTSLISTS onstrated what he called “wireless telegraphy.” Loomis was the delta is profound. Dual-line sport kiting is what it is today the ship set sail. her immortal disciples. LISTSLISTS able to make a meter connected to one kite cause another because of the delta swept-wing design. It is also very possible If the kite went “Franklin drew down the lightning and identified it with LISTSLISTS one to move, marking the first known instance of wireless that the ease and lack of frustration that accompanies the high and straight LISTS electricity, he forever allied his name to an element, whose LISTS aerial communication. He accomplished this eight years be- flying of a single-line delta kite has significantly increased the it meant a quick LISTSLISTS every subsequent revelation is associated with the kite and fore Marconi was born. ranks of the AKA and kite clubs the world over. and prosperous LISTSLISTS key, the thunder and the conductor, the benign image and LISTSLISTS voyage but if it endeared name of the Boston printer, the Philadelphia sage, LISTSLISTS 1948 The modern non-rigid kite started as a vision of Dr. crashed or didn’t and the American patriot.” LISTSLISTS Francis Rogallo, an aeronautical engineer of the National fly well it was a According to Isaac Asimov, in his 1961 book, The Kite that LISTSLISTS Aeronautics & Space Administration. Rogallo earned one bad omen which Won the Revolution, “In 1752 Benjamin Franklin had flown a LISTSLISTS of the first Aeronautical Engineering degrees issued by the meant no-one set kite while a thunderstorm gathered overhead. You may not LISTSLISTS United States educational system, from Stanford Univer- sail.” think there is much to flying a kite, but when Franklin did so, LISTSLISTS sity, in 1935. Following WWII, Rogallo began research on LISTSLISTS he made himself world famous. He made himself one of the LISTSLISTS a flexible wing. He had always been an avid kiteflyer and 1749 Alexander Wilson and Thomas Melville of Glasgow most admired and respected scientists in the world. He made LISTSLISTS he believed he could develop a kite with the stability and University performed the first recorded weather experiment himself the only American known by name to the cultivated LISTSLISTS shape of a parachute, but with the lift of an airplane wing. using kites in 1749, spawning the weather forecasting field. men of Europe. You might say, then, that it was Franklin’s kite LISTSLISTS Prior to Dr. Rogallo’s research, it was believed that cloth The early 1900s saw dozens of weather kite stations across the that won the Revolution. It was Franklin’s kite that allows us LISTSLISTS had to be braced or stiffened in order to serve as a basis for U.S. and scientific and research campuses had kite buildings to live in an independent United States of America today.” LISTSLISTS flight. However, no organization was willing to subsidize such in places like Lindenberg, Germany. Weather kites went on to LISTSLISTS experiments at that time. His early work was done privately serve admirably for the next 150 years before retiring to the LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS in his own home with the invaluable assistance from his wife onslaught of technology. LISTSLISTS and lifelong partner, Gertrude. LISTSLISTS Before the end of 1948, Rogallo had succeeded in pro- LISTSLISTS ducing the first fully successful flexible-wing kite called the LISTSLISTS Flexi-Kite. A patent was applied for in 1948 and granted in LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS Zhao J. Chen LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS Top 10 Kitemakers LISTSLISTS LISTS LISTS by Kevin Shannon LISTSLISTS • George Peters Adrian Conn LISTSLISTS • Mikio Toki LISTSLISTS LISTSLISTS • José Sainz LISTSLISTS • Adrian Conn LISTSLISTS • Martin Lester LISTSLISTS • Zhao J. Chen LISTSLISTS • Ron and Sandy Gibian LISTSLISTS • Ramlal Tien 1752 The following words about Benjamin Franklin were LISTSLISTS • Bobby Stanfield published in The North American Review in 1856: “Few men, LISTSLISTS LISTS LISTS • Peter Lynn indeed, have lived, whose time, mind and resources were LISTSLISTS more wisely and conscientiously directed to the elevation of LISTSLISTS society, the enlightenment of the mass, and the improvement LISTSLISTS of human condition. He was indisputably one of the greatest LISTSLISTS 54 Kiting | Autumn 2012 LISTSLISTS Summer 2012 | Kiting 49 LISTS LISTS Summer 2012 | Kiting 49 LISTSLISTS Fun and Olympic Games Let’s say you’re Danny Boyle, Oscar-winning director of Slumdog Millionaire and the man in charge of the Opening Ceremo- nies for the London Olympics. And let’s say you need to re- create the history of Great Britain. And let’s say that as part of it you need a large steamship, which also needs to be man- portable, fit through the entrance of the stadium, and fold up to make room for the rest of the show. Who you gonna call? Karl and Sara Longbot- tom, of course, who built this collapsible lightweight steam- liner — modeled after the real M/V Empire Windrush, a WWII era passenger liner and See it in Enid on October 1! troopship — that was part of Boyle’s July 27 extravaganza.
Karl Longbottom In other Olympic
Mike King/NOPP news, kiteboarding will make its Olympic debut at the 2016 Games in Rio de Janiero after the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) dropped windsurfing. ISAF President Göran Petersson said, “Kiteboarding has proven to us that it is ready to be included into the list of prestigious ISAF events and it is a fantastic addition to the sailing programme for the 2016 Olympic Games.” And of course, Kiting will be there in Rio to cover this new event for the AKA. Although he has no idea how to get Olympic media credentials, editor Phil Broder will spend the next four years figuring it out. You can follow Phil’s progress (as well as his editorial thoughts on the Olympics, like how an athlete with no feet can get a shoe contract) at www.gettingtorio.wordpress.com.
There’ll Be Tears Before Bedtime... This could have ended very badly for Darryl Waters. At a Michigan festival, a 55mph gust hit, the anchor strap holding Darryl’s lifter, full-size Peter Lynn octopus and penguin broke free of the car it was anchored to, and as Darryl puts it, “The penguin experienced traumatic decommissioning. The penguin wrapped itself up on some power lines and pole, the still-flying octopus saw to it that the penguin got pulled through all the sharp bits, and shredded the penguin. The pilot ended up firmly planted in the top of a tree. The penguin is now a really large stuff sack, the octopus looks OK, but I wouldn’t be surprised if I find some minor damage on it. I’ve already decided to make a new pilot out of the fabric from the penguin. Seems appropriate. Fortunately, no one was hurt.” What happened? Simon Crafts witnessed it, and notes, “Darryl had his stack properly an- chored under his front axle using the ‘tire technique’ described at www.gombergkites.com/up- date/492.html. Darryl expressed some concern that the see-sawing action of the kites moving left- to-right in the sky, coupled with the relatively narrow width of the strap, was making him nervous that it was pulling out from under his tire. He had 6”-8” between the straps when I saw it, which is a bit wider than the standard patch of rubber-on-road of a parked vehicle. It’s likely that when the wind hit 50mph, coupled with the earlier factors, the strap came out from under his tire. Bottom line: check and doublecheck your anchors. Safety first, last, and always. 52 Kiting | Summer 2012 Under Cover There’s more than one way to begin a magazine, as these cover photos prove. They’re from an online contest organized by John Chilese, who took this issue’s real cover photo. Look inside for more potential covers.
by Dave Sabalino
by Kurt Overbeck
by Dan Czechowski