21 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 Fighter Kites Sharon Champie 707/545-6737 Barbara Meyer, President 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.