Kite Lines - Summer/Fall 1995 (Vol. 11 No. 3) - KiteLife

QUARTERLY JOURNAL OF THE WORLDWIDE KITE COMMUNITY- w-SUMMER-FALL1995, VOL. 11 NO. 3TEA

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..-Volume 11, Number 3, Summer-Fall 1995rnlContentsSomethin' about the Smithsodan / 25The magic name, the tradition balanced with evolution--and this year the visit from theShirone (Japan) team and their legacy in the Cheny Blossom Parade. By Valerie Govig.International Festivals / 31New Zealand-+ great event touched with sadness. By Simon Freidii.Cwa~~farnily tradition in winds that won't quit. By Me1 Govig.Israel-the field of bad dreams & the post-op recovery. By Pierre Fabre & George Peters.Italy--a bigger yet more intimate Cervia. By Me1 Govig.Canada-Verdun shines through the drizzle. By Valerie Govig.Sidebar: Kite Art Exhibitlarrccoming soon to a festival near you? A chronology ofexhibits and some comments on kite art.Kites In Art & Art in Kites: An Interview with Steve Brockett / 47Unlike most kitemakers, Steve Brockett of Wales paints his kites, creating complete artforms that seem to contain a world of their own. Interview by Pierre Fabre.Taking an Aerial View.. . Where Only Blrds Can Go! / 52A great talent with the camera tells of his experiences using a kite to capture amazing'photographic perspectives. By Craig Wilson.ILerrer from the Publisher / 9Letters / 11What's New: Kites / 13The Air Ballet and Airobatic from liaht Lines: the Svmuhonv from MerricKites: theMaxima from NewTech Sports; the Da Vinci hyini~a'chine from Coast Kites; the LittleSquare and 4-ft Delta from Trlby; and the Top Half from Martin Lester.What's New: Books / 17Review of Drachen: Spiele mit dem Wind (Kites: Playing with the Wind) by Rainer Neuner ofSwitzerland, plus forecasts of several upcoming new kite books.Ultimate Questions / 18What is a Kite? Is the Arch Ribbon a kite? And what is not a kite? 'Itying a hand at adefinition. By Paul Siemsen.Design Workshop / 20The Playsail and Windbow by George Peters.It Works For Me / 54For the Record / 63Nicole van de Kerchove's solo voyage across the Atlantic by kite-powered boat. By Piem Fabre.In the Wind / 65SkyGaUery / 66An original: Pierre Fabre of France, bored illustrator, enthusiastic kite artist.Kite Lines Bookstore, Back Issues and Other Goodies / 57Classifieds / 68Directory of Outlets / 69Pocket Kite Calendar / Insert4- . . . .. with ...e their Ch big kite at the -.ey Curacao call themselve~nInternational enthusiast.. Kite Fehtival ..-$hborhood in April 1995. team Photograph in Curapo, by Me1 here Govig. posing6 1 KITE LINES 1 SUMMER-FALL 1995

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LETTER FROM THE PUBLISHERWhat Does "International" Mean?NTERNATIONAL: It's a nice big word,I isn't it? Rolls around well on the tongue.No wonder so many kite festivals use it.In fact, at least 40 festivals are now aliveand well and calling themselves "international."Another 10 or so use the word"world" in their names. Usually these termsfit the events very well (that is, only a fewhave the nerve to label themselves "international"when only two or three countriesare represented).It's rather impressive. If all these eventswere neatly distributed over the annual calendar,there would be one for every week inthe year. And that's only the festivals with"international" aspirations.It could be debated that we have reachedsome kind of saturation point in internationalkite festivals, but I'll leave that forsomeone else to argue. What's interesting tome is the extent to which they differ.Of course, some kite festivals are similarto others, and the effect is rein-techf')-and so on. Wonderfulforced when the organizers fail diversity. .to involve local kitefliers. InAs we were putting this issuethese cases, the dozen-or-soof Kite Lines together, we had the"regulars" on the intemation-fleeting idea that we could groupal kite circuit end up just meet-all the international kite festivalsing themselves again in anoth-together and treat them as oneer location and losing thebig story. Not a chance. Thesechance to make friends withevents are like a train of wildlytheir foreign compatriots in$ dissimilar kites: they won't line upthe sky.5 like peas in a pod; they want toLuckily, only a few events I fly as divergently as possible.are like this. Kite festivals are 2 So we had to show the festi-L5bringing us the differences wevals as the individual jewels thatYour editor on the field.enjoy: differences in size (fromthey are. In no way should theythousands of people to dozens), in purpose be held to any single standard. If you can(from tourism promotion to education), in travel to all of them (an exhaustingbudget (from a million dollars to a few hun- thought!), you will find that every festival isdred), in organization (from formal to infor- unique. And if you can't travel to all ofmal), in atmosphere (from intense to them-well, there's Kite Lines.relaxed), in kites (from big, flashy and "high- Make do and read.tech" to small, unassuming and "low-For catalog send $1 toJOE VAUGHANP.O. Box 276Mifflinville, PA 18631Phone or Fax:(717) 759-3167#4 (2ft x 2ft3 4 Square feet#8 (2.5ft x 3.5ft) 8 Square Feet-6 f3.5ft x 4.5fl) 16 Square Feetx3C) (5ftxW 30 Square Feet%U f6.5ff x 9fff 16.0 Square feet"1 W (IOft xf 3ft) 125 Sguare feets252 [I 4ft x 18ft) 252 Square feet- - PaFlies effortlessly in awider range of windthan other parafoils.Made of strong314 oz. spinnakerripstop nylonwith quality U.S.A.workmanship.Over 10 carefullycoordinated colorcombinations available.So the next time you'reready to buy a parafoil,ask for it by name,or give us a call.AIRAFAIRS0~~1 07 Chelsea RoadHatboro, PA 1904021 5-672-1 470SUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 9

OurRetail FamilyScrapbocY"Celtic Variations"the classic Boreal DeltaR.R. #4, St. Thomas, Ont. CanadaVoice: (51 9)775-2527Fax: (51 9)775-0099Most important adviceever received: TonyLast book read: Perpetual Cyphert said,"Keep colorMotion by Rudolf Nureye" in the I heL~~~ kite book read: Flying meant that it would thenStore: Kites UnlimitedToys by Kenneth Sams be in our hearts too.Atlantic Station ShoppingFavorite flying spot: Fortmade:CenterMason State Park,Every sale is special, butP.O. Box 2278Atlantic Beach, NCsales to handicapped peo-Atlantic Beach, NC 28512 Latest ple are the most uplifting.Tel: 919-247-7011effort: Carolina Kite Best fringe benefit of theFloor space: 2500 sq feetFest, a yearly event of free &Ore: flys keep usHours: M-S 1@9flying for all who attend, in touch with innovativeSun. 14Oct 28-29, 1995 inproducts and other fliers.Years in business: 10Atlantic Beach. Favorite issue of KiteYears carried Kite Lines: 9Specialty of the store: LOnes: Summer-Fall 1991,Owner: Jeri Dixon, withSewing each customer's with Kinnaird's rokkakupartners-husband Donneeds and cultivating battle article and Fabre'sand son Bretthappy fliers by offeringJapan article.Age: SO+appropriate equipment.Favorite food: Pasta withMade in the U.S.A.10 I KITE LINES I SUMMER-FALL 1995

Revising G RevisitingRotors & Other NamesGary Engvall's letter (Winter-Spring 1995Kite Lines) regarding autogyro and rotorkites is particularly interesting to me becauseI have been working on autogyro and rotorkites for some time. Early on, I realized I hadto find words to describe the cause of lift andthe means of stabilization for kites whichhad continuous motion in the air.Because of Heinrich Magnus's discoverythat a solid body, when rotating in fluid(gas or air), wouldgenerate a side-ways movement,the rotor (orrotary) kite wasA spinning rotor, or easy to describe.rotary, kite with a center ~ h ,,tor,,whediskfor stabilization. ther round, flat orcircular, provided the lift, and adjacent disksor a dihedral would give lateral stability tothe device. It would be a misnomer to callthis kite a turbine or turbo, because a turbineis actually a motor, whether driven by steam,gas or water. A rotor, on the other hand, issimply a rotating member of a machine,and not a machine in itself.An object which has a horizontal rotatingmember and rises in the air would normallybe called a "helicopter" as defined byLeonardo da Vinci. However, the rotation ina helicopter is caused by motive power ofsome sort, which would exclude it frommeeting the definition for a kite.Early in this century Juan de la Ciervafirst provided a way to cause horizontalrotation without the use of a power source,meaning the lift was caused entirely by airmovementwhichhe namedAutogyro kite with fuselageand a horizontal wing.autogyro. Sincethe term "propeller"sigmfiesforward movement,we wouldhave to call thelifting-source in this case something else. Iuse the term "rotary blades" to distinguishthem from propellers. So the lift in an autogyrois provided by rotary blades and stabilizationis provided by horizontal and verticalfins on the body or fuselage.To complicate matters, there is a third kitewhich has continuous motion while in theair. If you arenlt familiar with kites of thistype, think of a windmill with rotating sailsattached to a structure which remains in astationary position. It isactually a keeled kite withthe keel held upright by atail or another device.Since the rotationalmovement of the sails onthis kite provide no lift,this kite is more difficultA keeled kitewith rotating sail.to name. Genetically itis a keeled kite with tailand rotating sail, but thebest name I have come up with so far is"Rotating Kite" to try to distinguish it from"Rotor (or Rotary) Kite." "Autogyro Kite"describes the known kites with continuousmovement. "Rotary Kite" should be anacceptable name, because rotary means havingparts that rotate.I didn't intend to write a letter this longallI really wanted to say is we shouldn'tcall any kite a "Turbine" or a "Turbo."-Ed GrauelRochester, New York, USAHiroshima & PoliticsIn my naivete I thought that kiting wasapolitical. However, your precisely-timed(especially in light of the Smithsonian fiasco),one-sided and not-too-veiled politicalstatement via Tal Streeter's quaint, anecdotaltale, "The Kitemaker of Hiroshima"(Winter-Spring 1995 Kite Lines) has provenotherwise.Tal Streeter, a member of your EditorialAdvisory Panel, elaborates on his shame,lack of courage and self-righteous pathos. I'dlike to ask Tal Streeter if there were any kitesand kitemakers in Manchuria and Chinaprior to Japanese devastation and subjugationin the 1930s. In 1941 pre-invasionPearl Harbor, perhaps?How about some editorial equal time?-Dominick M. FurlanoEast Skoudsburg, PA, USAEditor: It is generally our policy to avoidpolitics in our journal-there's plenty of itelsewhere. That's why your letter surprisedus because in this case there was no connectionintended, or even imagined, betweenTal Streeter's supersensitive story andthe Smithsonian's Enola Gay exhibit. Wehad received Streeter's article years ago andnever had the space for it. When at last wefound space, we ran it. It was that simple.The relationship you inferred was pure coincidence,unthought of until your letter came.Incidentally, our Editorial Advisors seearticles in advance of publication only iftheir specific expertise is needed. They arenot responsible for selection of contents.Tal Streeter: The piece on the Hiroshimakitemaker was written in 1989, prior to thebrouhaha at the Smithsonian over the presentationof the Enola Gay.I don't know the details of the Smithsonianincident, but from my standpoint,countries at war invariably succumb to thelowest levels of existence, wreaking violenceon each other. I said once before, "I initiallycame to kites because it was, for me, as farfrom tanks as one could hope to go."In 1994, I added a statement to "The Kitemakerof Hiroshima" to clarify my personalattitude. I was remiss in not bringing theearlier version in the Kite Lines files up to date."I had never possessed the courage tomake a trip to Hiroshima, where the first A-bomb was dropped. It was not that I felt theUnited States had been any more or lessculpable in its methods of waging war thanthe Japanese, but I simply abhorred thenotion of this and all wars' inescapable savageryand inhumanity."I have difficulty with the impassionedviolence exercised in the name of religiousbeliefs in India, but write with love, I think,about the Indian people in my forthcomingbook on Indian kites. I'm doing a book nowabout Chinese kites. Can you imagine thedifficulty I have in writing about China inlight of its policy toward Tibet (a country Irevere) and the horrors of TiananmenSquare? Shall I indict the whole of China,including its kitemakers, for this policy?Believe me, the people of China, India,Japan and the United States are not one,undifferentiated, homogeneous mass. Let'snot lump everyone together and throw outthe good with the bad.No, I am not above criticism, but I amnot happy to be judged harshly in publicstatements. I'm distressed by simplistic finger-pointing.Though I appreciate your ardor,Mr. Furlano, I suggest you mght better maketime in your life to write positively aboutsomething dear to your heart: fly a kite orSUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 11

LETTERS.. . ContiauedCaribbean Kite Company1099 N.E. 45 StreetFt. Lauderdale, FL 33334 U.S.A.Tel: 305-776-5433Fax 305-776-5434Caribbean Kite CompanyP.O. Box 39, LuceaHanover, Jamaica, W.I.Tel: 809-956-267 Fax: 809-956-2677Caribbean Kite CompanyWeidestrasse 14722083 Hamburg, GermanyTel: 040-220 13 59 Fax: 040-220 16 45two-and let the generously shared pleasuresof the kite community replace theadrenaline rush of adversarial criticism.High Regard for HargraveThere was one thing in the Hargrave storythat was missing ("A Lift Into History"). ..TheAustralian $20 bill has the picture ofHargrave on it, which attests to the highregard his countrymen had for him. I alwaysregard Hargrave as the single innovator whomade heavier-than-air flight more successfulby the inclusion in the air frame of lateralflight surfaces. The "sidewalls" proved tobe the answer to stability.-Bob IngrahamFounder, American Kitefliers AssociationSilver City, New Mexico, USAEditor: It's good to hear from Bob, who iskeeping his spirits up despite bad news fromhis doctor. Write to him at 315 N. Bayard St.,Silver City, NM 88061, USA.Corrections & ClarificationsWe regret several errors appeared in theWinter-Spring 1995 Kite Lines, as follows:The location of the Buggy Boogie ThangI1 (January 14-95,1996) was incorrect. Thecorrect location is El Mirage Dry Lake, offInterstate Highway 15, near Victorville, CA.In the What's New: Books department,the price for Cuentos Poemas y Cornelas (StoriesPoems & Kites) by Luis Reinaldo Escalanteis$8, not $16.In the article about Alex Mason a photocaption incorrectly identified MikeSimmons. The person assisting Alex is SamRitter of Ann Arbor, Michigan.In Sky Gallery (featuring Scott Skinner),a photographer was not credited. FrancisHall photographed the Attic Window Edoand the Jacob's Ladder multi-triangles kite.In the data chart of our What's New:Kites section, sail loadings (oz./sq/ft.) are: forthe Speed Limit, 1.97; for the Eddy, 0.48.William R. Bige of Germantown, Marylandsupplies us with comments and correctionson the article "Spars: Making Your BestPicks" by Michael Graves. Bige says:The 'scale factor' is not defined, but oninspection of the chart it can be seen that thescale factor is numerically the fourth root(square root of the square root) of relativestiffness. This scale factor is the correct functionto use in calculating the size of a kitewith given spars to fly in a given wind.For geometrically similar spars of thesame material, the scale factor is proportionalto the size. The chart covers a rangeof relative stiffness of a bit more than 16:land a range of scale factors slightly morethan 2:l. The expected range (for geometricallysimilar spars) in weightlfoot is 41. Notsurprisingly, the larger spars are typicallystiffer for their weight.The last paragraph of Example l&should read:"We first look at the chart and find thescale factor of thereference spar Clearwater 250-2 C8;488$(0.880), then find the scale factor for the AFC2300 (0.995). These two values give you therelationship between the known and proposedleading-edge lengths. That is,-W!W++Mi58 . - 0.995/0.88= 1.13, sotheleadingedge of our new kite would be 4&%+fAf',H" 1.13 x 64"or 72"Write us a letter! Address to: Kite Lines,P.O. Box 466, Randallstown, MD 21133-0466, USA. Or fax us at 410-922-4262.112 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

WHAT'S NEW KITES4 Each: h e r s G One-linersBy Michael J. Graves, Me1 Govig &Valerie GovigAir Ballet & AirobaticTight Lines Kites is a small manufacturingoperation run by John Shara in California.A recent startup, they offer several models ofstunt kites, their first being the Air Ballet.Breaking somewhat with the Kite Linestradition, we decided to write two reviews inone, addressing both the Air Ballet and itssmaller sibling, the Airobatic.Tight Lines Kites, like a few others in thebusiness, is run more like a craft studio thana kite factory. Each kite is hand-cut, sewnand tested by the designer. Our sample kiteswere superior in construction as you'd expectfrom such a company.The sails are cut from %-oz. nylon, withadequate reinforcements where necessary.The leading edges feature enclosed openingsfor the spreader, creating an unbroken edgethat can't snag flying or bridle lines. The trailingedges are fitted with a Kevlar leech linealong their entire length.Both kites are fitted with pultruded carbonframing, including four carbon standoffs.The outboard standoffs are used toinduce fixed wingtip "washout." The term"washout" describes a twist put into thewing as it tapers toward the wingtip. Thistwist causes the kite's angle of attack to varyacross the wingspan, and can result in stableperformance near the edge of the wind window.The upper spreaders are cushioned atthe spine by a foam tube color-matched toeach kite-+ nice finicky touch.The design places the lower spreader verylow on the kite. This moves the center ofgravity down and can make a kite stable installs and slides.We flew the Air Ballet over three monthsunder varied conditions. In most circumstancesit flew on a 100-foot set of 80-lbSpectra lines, but in strong winds we used1304 150-lb lines.The Air Ballet is a very versatile kite: it flieswell in winds as light as 3 4 mph, yet withstandsa 15-18 mph breeze without incident.Given 6-8 mph of air, the kite handlessuperbly. Forward airspeed is a little fasterthan average, as is its speed in turns. Turningperformance is admirable, tight but withoutany oversteer. The frame is quite stiff, whichmakes hard snap turns easy and reliable.While it tracks and turns well, the Air BalletLeft panel: top, the Airis a bit too fast for useBallet moves nimbly;in precision competi-bottom, its sibling, thetion. But the kite'sfluid character andfreestyle ability makeBelow, the omnidirectionalquad-line Symphony turnsit ideal for ballet peratcommand.formances. The kiteBottom, the 10-foot Maximapassed our freestylegives a credibleroutine (which in-performance for its size.cludes various axels,turtles, stalls andslides) with no problems.For its size, the AirBallet is also nimbleon the ground. Relaunchingfrom variouspositions is not aproblem, though theflying lines occasionallyget caught on the end of the spine or thewinglets formed by the outboard standoffs.The kite's relatively low aspect ratio permitsmost tumbling and cartwheels. With a veryshort wingtip, the Air Ballet is particularlygood at vicious wingtip stabs.Designing a kite with such a low centerof gravity is not without its tradeoffs. In thelowest of its wind range, the Air Ballet tendsto pitch in reaction to pumping the flyinglines. This does demand the flier to adopt a be available everywhere yet, but it is worthsmooth and constant flying style as the your effort to seek them out. -M.J. G.wind drops.Now to compare the Air Ballet to its six- Symphonyfoot sibling, the Airobatic. Our sample We recognize that Revolution kites have setAirobatic was framed in lighter weight car- the standard for framed quad-liners. In fact,bon than the Air Ballet and had a there are few alternatives to the Revolutionsingle-color sail. This smaller kite seems and those that exist explore radically difmostat home in winds over 6 mph, but we ferent design ideas, such as Synergy-Deca bynever encountered winds that overtaxed Guildworks Flight Studio (reviewed in Kitethe kite. It was a challenge at times to keep Lines, Spring-Summer 1994). We're excitedup with such a fast-moving kite. to find a new design in this category:The Airobatic shares all of the qualities we It's the Symphony by MerricKites of Newenjoyed in the Air Ballet, but has a bit more Jersey. One of the standouts at this year's Kiteof a radical nature. It is capable of extreme- Trade Association convention, the Symlyaggressive ground play, literally bouncing phony is a patented quad-line design thatin tumbling moves. The Airobatic ought to had been under development for a numbermake an impressive short stack, performing of years. At the 1992 Smithsonian Kiteadvanced maneuvers not normally associ- Festival it made its first public appearanceated with stacks.when it won in its category.The Air Ballet and Airobatic are two of the The Symphony features topquality matemostentertaining dual-line stunt kites we rials and uncompromising construction.have seen recently. Tight Lines Kites may not The sail is %-oz ripstop polyester on aSUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 13

WHNS NMI: m. .. ContinuedeI Stunters 1 DATA CHART 1 me-~iners Iwrapped graphite frame.The kite's design is simple,even elegant. CloseSail Materialinspection reveals everythingabout the kite hasbeen carefully thoughtout, which is whv itappears so simple.Before assembling thekite, I read the accompanyinginstructions. I haveassembled many types ofkites before, but someinstructions, particularlyfor quad kites, seem tb 1 M ' i.8 ' :' ' &A I Nput up a geometry barri- 1 1-2 1 -2 1-2 1-2 Assembly Time(minutes) 1 5

The Maxima is framed in large-diameter you are a modpultrudedcarbon. Molded plastic fittings eler, the da Vinareused throughout the frame, adding to its ci should prooverallstiffness. Three battens support extra vide a goodsail at each wingtip, si@cantly increasing template forthe amount of overall sail area presented to your own stickthewind.built versionWe flew the Maxima under various con- and you couldditions, though on the first day out we faced shave a fewstiff winds of 15 mph. Selecting a set of grams off the200-lb 120-foot lines, we set up on the beach weight of theand braced ourselves for action. It became plastic original.immediately apparent that the kite could Because ofhandle more wind than we could. The the relativelyMaxima is a powerful kite.sharp comers without any significant over- white copyor understeer and performs tight spins centeredjust inside its wingtip. Ground play isclearly something the Maxima does not dowell, but it is capable of some of the moreadvanced freestyle maneuvers such as stalls,slides and the occasional axels.Most large stunt kites are characterized byslow forward airspeed. Not so the Maxima.Its shallow depth of sail results in reducedprofile drag, allowing it to fall nicely intoteam flying among the smaller 8-foot kites.Unlike them, though, the Maxima requireslarge hand movements by the flier.While its construction was generallygood, the Maxima carried two annoyingdesign features: standoffs that protrude 2"behind the sail and a spine that extendstoo far below the sail. It was common tocatch the flying or bridle lines on one ofthese protuberances.New Tech's Maxima offers an impressiveamount of kite for the price, without compromisingon quality of materials. Fliers whothink bigger is better might find their prejudicesconfirmed with this one. -M.J.G.Da Vinci Flying MachineIf you're not a modeler, but you like thelook of models, maybe even for hangingover your desk, the Leonardo da Vinci FlyingMachine is the answer to a prayer.Already constructed of Silkspan paperand molded plastic, its assembly is a matterof minutes rather than days or weeks. Ifpaper and taped them to make an 8'8"streamer (by the directions). We flew inwinds from 5-20 mph, with occasionalhigher gusts. Below about 8 mph it was nota good experience. But from 8 mph througha range to over 20 mph, it fZew. And it flewstably, through gusts and at a respectableangle of 3045 degrees. The thin tail mightbe a disgrace to Leonardo, but we found itto be hardly a distraction at all.This kite was years in development bylongtime kiter Craig Stratton of Coast Kites,and the research shows. There are joinrs atthe wing roots that allow you to playornithopter with the kite in your hands(but we found no discernible effect fromthis in the air). There's even a little treadle onthe platform wher+if a Lilliputian bodywere strapped in-the feet could flap thewings in flight. What a charmer. -M.G.h?G.Trlby's Little SquareWhen I first saw this kite I was impressedwith its craftsmanship and attention todetail. Even though it was made for thechild kiteflier, a kite doesn't have to look asif it were made by children or stamped outby machine. Not built to the exacting detailof a fighter kite, the Little Square nonethelessis built with attention to symmetry thatmade me think of it at first as a fighter.With its furnished tail, the Little Squareflies as an active but well-behaved kite. Achild could hold it and watch it dance, runClockwise from left:The Da Vinci FlyingMachine shows itsstuff; Trlby's LittleSquare and Delta flywith aplomb; andMartin Lester's TopHalf smiles andwaves to the crowd.with it, jerk on theline, whatever, andstill look up to see itholding onto the sky.Replace the tail witha longer, lighter surveyor'stape tail, andit can be flown like a fighter, for example, theThai pakpao, the Brazilian fighter or theCaribbean Kiskadee. (Refresher course: Tailedfighter kites are maneuvered by first yankingthem into a stall and then letting themspin. To recover from the spin, use either arapid retrieval of line or short yanks on itto take the kite off in the direction it isheaded.)Some of the details of this durable kite:flat-fell seams and double-folded hemsgraphics in bright colors that lookinteresting in the skyfiberglass spars with vinyl end capsrugged tape pockets for the sparsbrass grommets for the bridle lines topass throughflying line on handle included inpackagetail included in packageOn the down side, the slippery bridles onboth of the two samples we tested cameuntied. It was no problem for us to tie asecurity knot at each end before retying,but a child might be disappointed. However,we hear the maker has eliminated this problemin future models by gluing the knot. It'sgood when a manufacturer listens. -M.G.Trlby's 4-Foot DeltaIt's very hard to make a reliable small delta.Trlby has done it, again. They proved withtheir plastic delta that their machines coulddo it. Now they have done it in a sewn kiteSUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 15

WHAT'S NEW: KITB . . . ContinuedE 5 Sizes - 18,26,40, Hi40 & Hi60 sq.ft. f Now in ICAREXm too!E Trailing edge flaps for easy turning. f Superior aerofoil shape.E Inner thru-venting stops cell collapse. E Pre-set no fuss bridle.8 Made by Flexifoil International.8 The latest two-line for trick Freestyle.8 Available in Carrington K42 or ICAREXN.-1EXCLUSNE WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTORSP.O. Box 1086, Island Heights, NJ 08732 A Ph 908 506-0461 - FAX 908 506-0388No Visit To The West Coast Is Complete Without A Stop At ...Windborne KitesAmerica's Premier Kite Store!Over 27,000 culft of Kites, Windsocks & Flags!"The store ... is an incredibleassembly of form andcolor that tantalizes allyour senses and watersyour imagination!"Ron Gibian"The 8th wonder of the world!Absolutely fabulous!"Martin Lester"A +! A Great Kite Store!"Dean JordanCall or Write for our FREE Mail-Order KITEALOG@Windborne Kites585 Cannery Row #I 05 Monterey, California 93940Kite Store: 408-3 73-7422 Fax: 408-3 73-0688Toll-Free Orders 1-800-234-1033with graphics and colors that make a kid feellike he or she is flying one of the performancestunters.This is a classically proportioned highangleflier that will do very well in steadywinds of 5 to nearly 20 mph. But its highaspect ratio makes it respond quickly towind shifts and ground turbulence. So thesecret is to get it up quickly and well abovethe ground. At 100 feet or more, it has roomto respond to wind changes as it roamsaround the sky. In high winds, it will occasionallyoverfly, but it can easily be calmedby a few feet of plastic or ripstop tail at eachwingtip.All the quality aspects delineated in thereview of the Little Square apply here. mereis no bridle line, so the maker didn't have thechance to let the knots slip out.)Attention to quality presumably appliesto the other kites in this new Trlby series,which, besides the Little Square and theDelta, includes a larger Delta and a Diamond,all in an assortment of graphic patternsand colors.-M.G.Martin Lester's Top HalfMartin Lester of England is noted for hisLegs kites in all their athletic and dancingvariations. Now, here's the "rest of the story."The Top Half is the better half! It fliesbetter than Legs, probably because the torsoof this male figure, like its designer's, is stillahead of middle-aged spread. Where theLegs are a variant of the Flow Form with leadingedge buns trailing to legs and feet, theTop Half is a parafoil based torso with shorterappendages of arms and head. The effectis as funny as the Legs.We're reminded of the People Socks madeby Oscar and Sarah Bailey of North Carolinaand clever copyists like Bill Gaskill of NewJersey. But People Socks are windsocks, whileMartin's Top Half flies on its own. And itmoves! The head and fingers put on a realpuppet show.Put up the Top Half and people gather.Put it up next to a Legs and they thinkthey've stumbled onto Lizzie Borden or thechainsaw massacre killer.For sheer attention-getting, any MartinLester creation is hard to beat. But the TopHalf has an edge because of its simplicity inlaunch and stability in flight. -M.G.16 1 KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

WHAT'S NMI: BOOKSSwiss Treats & MoreLight & EasyBy Valerie Govignot a great book, but it's a good one, most-Drachen: Spiele mit dm Wind (Kites: Playing ly introductory in nature. For its many windwith the Wind) by Rainer Neuner (Aarau, toys, its variations on the genki and its lik-Switzerland: AT Verlag, 1994), in German,-able appearance, it should help launch ahardcover, 131 pages, $32.95. few kites in the Alps. -KG.Here's a nice, accessible kite book, color- translation services by Gabriele Howticolonful and apparently unobjectionable.The work seems predicated on the idea Book News & Forecaststhat Switzerland needs its own kite book, in The Tao ofKiQYyingby Harm van Veen is getparticularan introductory volume tailored ting ready for printing as this issue of Kiteto the light winds typical there. The book is Lines go to press. The Tao began as an articlesubtitled "light wind models to for Kite Lines and then outmake."grew its space. AlthoughThe core of the work is itsmainly concerned with howplans, for eight kites and fivekites fly, the book contains1 1wind toys-more than usualplans for two simple kites.for a kite book, includingThis quality softcover will bewheels, baskets, a Playsail, out in October, selling forflags and banners. Laudably,$12.95. ... -4 At last, Wolfgangeverything comes fromSchimmelpfennig's two stuntNeuner's own experience.kite books, originally in German,Some kites show originali-will be published as one (combity.In particular, the varia-nation) book, in English! Titled4tions on the genki and Is ma,Making &Flying Stunt Kites & Onetheyakko are extensive, kite wiz:;~ingF Liners, it's anticipated for publicademonstradnga catholic bridles in racteristic tion in November as an 80-pagetaste for effects from simple hardcover, all in color, at $1 9.95. ...to complex. And I liked the highly poster- e David Craddock's two books onjzed "Marilyn" face Edc-type kite. In fact, the Lawrence Hargrave won't have to be shippedonly kite I objected to was the hakkaku, an from Australia anymore. Kite Lines is printoverbuiltversion having twice the number ing them in the USA for the author at aof spars necessary for this design. new-and lower-price! . . . e The KiteThe book is very well organized. Preced- Aerial Photography Worldwide Associationing the plans is a section on tools, materials (now a foundation) will soon publish, inand line, then another section on tech- both English and French, a 140-page bookniques, including sewing and applique. titled L'Aerophotographiepar Cerf-Volant: HierThese are large territories and the coverage, & Aujourd'hui (Aerial Photography by Kite:though fairly up-to-date, is not exhaustive. Yesterday & Today). No date yet as we go toAs a physical product, this is nearly a press. ... e Seldom do we see books thesemodel book, containing many excellent days in cloth cover and slipcased, but Thecolor photographs, sensitive layout and a Ribbon is that and more, an exquisite progoodjob of printing and binding, with a duction of a poem written by Hugh Shurleyhardcover that lies flat. Printed off the trim in tribute to a friend lost to AIDS. A kite isedges are color blocks for each group of used as a metaphor for the struggle of lettingchapters, serving as an index. go. An evening kitefly was held on May 11,The book does have some shortcomings. 1995 in San Francisco, California, inspiredThe drawings are only adequate. Missing by the book. Profits from The Ribbon, whichare background and credit to the creators of sells for $12.95, are donated to San Franascothe Eddy, genki and others. No general prin- programs assisting persons living with Hn!ciples of flight are mentioned. The appendix (Note: The Ribbon will not be carried in theincludes safety, wind tables and some useful Kite Lines Bookstore. Orders may be sent toaddresses, but no bibliography, acknowl- the publisher: Chronicle Books, 275 Fifthedgments or thank-you's.Street, San Francisco, CA 94103; telephone:In short, Drachen: Spiele mit dm Wind is 800-722-6657.) v\IcnaWnZ-38cnSL00m8cn*0Ca -48-T he sourcefor the latest~n and greatestWa0products, supportcncnW and service for00eC32-1;LL8cnC32uaWZ00whichever waythe wind blows.FUNaOMENAL FLYING PHENOMENA4500 CHAGRIN RIVER ROADCHAGRIN FALLS, OHIO 4402221 61247-4222WHOLESALE TO TRADESUMMER-FALL 1995 1 KITE LINES I 17

ULTIMATE QUESTIONSEKite Lines' question "Isthe Arch Ribbon a kite?"(Fall 1992) begs a largerquestion: kite?" If one "What pauses is to aconsider this question, one inevitablyasks, "Is a windsock a kite? Is a flag a kite?Is a tethered helium balloon a kite? Whyis this a kite? Why is that not a kite?"And further, "Does a kite have to havelines? Must it have gravity? Does it have tohave wind? Does it have to have air at all?"In this issue's Design Workshop, GeorgePeters describes how to make his Playsailand his Windbow (a version of the ArchRibbon). Are these kites in the literalsense? Or are they wind toys for the air?When Kite Lines originally asked "Is theArch Ribbon a kite?" noted expert Harmvan Veen of The Netherlands responded:"Yes, it is a kite (but) it would be niceto have a definition of "kite" to measurethe Arch Ribbon against.. .but it's impossibleto determine an ultimate definitionbecause future kite variations cannot beforeseen."With all respect to Harm van Veen,who has greater historical perspectives onkites than I have, I feel an attempt at adefinition must be made. The definitionof every word in the dictionary is subjectto revision as time passes, and "kite"should be no exception. We can accept.,definition to determine what is-andwhat is not--a kite.Let's begin from van Veen's observationthat current dictionary definitions are"gradually losing the notions of shapeand materials, tending to a description offunctions." I suggest the following:Forgive this definition for getting a littleheady. It clearly will not do for a definitionof "kite" in Webster's. It is offeredas a definition from one kiteflier to another.Perhaps discussing these unusual termswill make them clearer:Moves or attains position: Somekites move, some hover, some do both. Itis tenuous to use the word "fly" in the definitioninstead of this phrase, because theword "fly" comes attached to notions ofair and gravity, which are not always nec-for a "wind" thatis moving rela-InLs. - , I 122) 1 Ute' tive to the kiteand its anchor.In other words,it doesn't matterwhetherLa=...regularand the fluidi$ medium ismoving (as when thend is blowing), or whether the fluidBy Paul Siemsenmedium is still and the anchor is moving(as when the anchor is a person running).Fluid medium: Air (wind) is the traditionalfluid medium, but these wordsare not inclusive enough. If one donnedscuba gear, descended to the bottom of adeep and wide river, one could launch akite in the current of the river. It wouldbehave in every way like a kite should,albeit with strains on any lines beingused. In other words, a kite must "fly" in amoving medium, but it doesn't matterwhether that medium is air, an ocean current,a mercury river or a solar flare.Connected: The connection may be aphysical tether (such as a line), or a nonphysicaltether (such as a magnetic attraction)or a direct connection (nothingbetween the kite and its anchor).Nonrigidly: The connection to theanchor obviou&ly limits the kite's distancefrom its anchor, but movement of thekite, left to right and up and down,should not be limited by the connection.In other words, the connection could benonrigid, in contrast to a rigid connectionsuch as a sign to a signpost.Relative anchor(s): There may beone anchor or several. The anchor@) mayor may not be stationary. For instance, aperson is a nonstationary anchor. Theanchor offers more resistance to the flowof the medium than the kite does, so it isa "relative" anchor.Constantly presenting: There mustalways be an upwind face to deflect thewind. However, the face does not have tobe constant. A kite may turn and presentits face to the wind differently, or it mayturn and present a completely differentface to the wind.Upwind face(s): An upwind face isany net surface area in direct oppositionto the wind's flow. A square of fabric maybe held at right angles to the wind andpresent its full face directly upwind. Orthe same square of fabric may be leanedinto the wind, presenting a smaller net

surface area as its face into the wind. If thefabric is held parallel to the wind, as withan extended flag, then that fabric is notpresenting a face to the wind. An upwindface may be composed of several facets,panels, or sails.Deflects the medium's pow: Whenthe wind hits the kite, the kite's upwindface exerts a sideways force on the wind,which returns an equal force with oppositedirection on the kite. A kite must deflectthe flow of the air down in order to fly up,or right in order to fly left, or clockwise inorder to fly counterclockwise, etc.gravity's ground: Most singlelinekites use gravity for orientation, thatis, to keep one edge or comer down. However,not all kites need gravity. One couldmaneuver some kites in a wind tunnel ingravityless space. The definition doesn'tcare if gravity is needed or not needed fora particular kite-but if gravity is present,then the kite must be able to lift off theground. While a kite may be able to scootalong the ground by wind deflection,such scooting is probably not enough tomake a device a kite.opefully, these explanationsbring our definition's unkiteliketerms out of the clouds ofobscurity. The element of "fun" has notbeen discussed-the element that is the"why" of a kite to begin with. But therehave been strictly utilitarian uses of thekite, and this disqualifies "fun" frombeing part of a formal definition. (Ofcourse, our personal definition caninclude "fun" as being the most essentialingredient of a kite.)Now we can see that most of thedevices we are accustomed to calling kitesfit the definition. And we can see howsome devices do not fit the definition andtherefore are not kites.For example, the following are notkites by this definition:Flag-Does not constantly present anupwind face. Does not attain position bydeflection of the medium but attains positionby virtue of a flagpole.Helium balloon-Does not attain positionby deflection of a medium flow and isnot required to be connected to an anchor.Monday's wash on the line*-Does notconstantly present an upwind face anddoes not attain position by deflection ofthe medium.Sailboat-Incapable of leaving gravity's*"Monday's wash on the line is kin to a kite ..." wrotethe late Wyatt Brummitt in his Golden Guide to Kites.ground and does not need to be anchored.Streamer-Does not constantly presentan upwind face.Windsock-Does not constantly presentan upwind face and does not attainposition by deflection of a medium. Itachieves orientation and motion bydeflection, but it attains position by virtueof its anchor.inally, we consider the originalquestion, "Is an Arch Ribbon aL7kite?" By the definition offeredabove, an Arch Ribbon is a kite in most circumstances,when it is being used in itsheretofore conventional way.. .0 It is connected to anchor personsnon-rigidly. 0 It is achieving position ina fluid medium which itself has motionrelative to the ribbon's anchors. @ It isconstantly presenting an upwind face tothe medium flow. @ It is achieving positionby deflection of that medium's flow.$ It is able to lift off gravity's ground.Howeverl there are at least four circumstanceswhen the Arch Ribbon is not a kite;. .0 If two anchors are positioned so farapart that they put the ribbon in nearlystraight tension, then the ribbon is notachieving its position by virtue of winddeflection. It has its position by virtue ofits anchor positions, and it has become abanner rather than a kite. @ If two adjacentanchors are brought together intoone position, the ribbon may "fold" inhalf. Then it does not constantly offer anupwind face and becomes a two-ply flag.@ If one end of an Arch Ribbon is letloose from its anchor, the ribbon fromthat end back to the next anchor is notconstantly offering an upwind face. Thatend has become a flag or a streamer. @ Ifthe ribbon comes loose from all itsanchors, it becomes ... unanchored. It hasturned into a large piece of confetti.I offer this definition to you as I wouldoffer a kite to the sky. I throw it up to seeif it flies. If it doesn't fly well' maybe someof you observers in the field would care tosuggest modifications to its materials,structure or bridling. If it does fly well,everyone is free to fly it and enjoy it.PAUL SIEMSEN is a pier of several dual-linekites in the wide open spaces of Iowa.SUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 19

o many kitefliers haveS asked me for the plans ofmy Playsail and Windbowand, one by one, I havesketched them the details onrestaurant napkins, beachsand and chalk boards. I'veDESIGN WORKSHOPGeorge Peters' Playsail G WindbowBy George Peterssharp knife or scissorsand hem theperimeter with aroll-over seam. A %'Igrosgrain ribbonedging all the wayaround strengthensseen several in the sky alreadythe edges. Reinforcefrom those brief instructions. George Peters and his wind toys: the corners withWhether they are technically left, Playsail, Thailand 1992; some large triangukitesor some derivative seems above, Windbow, Verdun, Canada 1995. lar 4-02. nylon orhardly worth arminn. Whatthey definitely give 7s a howling time ofcolorful wind play on the kite field.flatten the two sewn edges overDacron patches inIsimple and forgiving. Casual or accomplishedkitemakers will be able to make andfly them with very little expertise, but prob-have somepiece quilr pyour own pThe PLAYSAILThe Playsail was conceived and designedby artists Richard and Kathi Davey in 1981in Adelaide, South Australia. They intendedMy currenr design has gonetle change in the years I've beenrotated for the random design.Materialspolyester sailclothin the wind! You'll, The rectangular sail isthe wind, that is, with theTake two lengths of 100-foot rope (I use(3/4") grommetsConstructioni20 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1$5Id"

matter and your sail will collapse in a heap.This is really a two person kite.One time, in the 40+mph winds ofWashington in Northern England, I decidedto solo fly it. All I remember was thebarbed wire fence at the far end of the fieldapproaching much too fast to do the sensiblething-Let Go! Indeed that is the keyphrase to remember if you get in trouble.Since you're dealing with fairly large material,you will soon learn some humility inwindy matters.Once your flying is adept, you can .hy the2 stacks of fabric withdiagonal cuts, halfthe stacks flopped for 17crazy-quilt effectarawings, not to scale,by George PetersIthe control lines.cuttingleading edgel/d'drawings, rlot to scale,by George Peters------I--------e leading edge of thelift. It will fly at timespattern for unit in Windbow11 balance the ribbon byf flap, keeping the arch fromfinished appearance of Windbow41" of 3/4-oz. ripstop nylonI of 3/4", 4-02. Dacron polyester ord of 4-02. reinforcement Dacron"-C 4' of 1" heavy nylon strapping60" of 3/4" fiberglass batten or .505 tubing33 pieces .I80 carbon rods +e,,,,i;l,li:GEORGE PETERS is an artist who has devotedhis talents primarily to kites since 1975. His flyingmankites, insects, sandimal anchors, featherbanners-and playfulness-make him a one-mankite festival wherever he goes. He was last year'swinner of the Jalbert Kite Innovation Award.SUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 21

8The FASTESTHand-operated Wnderon theManM1DESIGN WORKSHOP.. . continuedNot just for single-line kites -Greut for dual-line too!CAREY I11 WINDERThe CAREY I11 WINDER can be used with allkinds of kites. To use for dual control lines, placeb. 1+the end loops over one end of the winder. You canwind up 130-feet of line with just a twist of thewrist in 30 seconds, tangle-hee!b If handles or straps are used in flylng your k~te -7 no problem - when you are finished with thekite, wind up your lines in 30 seconds tangle-hee,Pat. No. D260,479 then wrap the straps around the Carey I11 andsecure with a rubber band.Weight 6 02. Size: 7% x 4W Available in popular Day-Glo colors:Horizon Blue and Corona Magenta.Top Quality - Made in U.SAQUICKIE KITE STAKEDesigned for posting kite lines andstanding kite up for launching.Recommended uses include:Kite & Tent StakesFishing & HuntingOutdoor GamesBadminton NetsVolleyball NetsConstruction LinesMany other uses, limitedonly by one's imagination.Colors Available:Horizontal Blue . Corona MagentaPatent Pend~ngBst Whofesale Mces Offwed!Call and Place Your Order Today!!!CAREY WINDER*P.O. Box 151740, San Diego, CA 92175-0895 (619) 697-8557 FAX 697-2405TRACER QUAD-TRAC TAZ AEROBAT RAZORWING 60TRACKER TROOPER QUASAR RAZORWING 70 SLICERConstructionI use the unit method as in the Playsail.Units are 36" wide by 28" high. An ideallength is between 100' and 125' (33 to 42units). You can make them longer, butbeware in strong winds.Here's the secret ingredient: trim theedges of the units into a truncated wedge, %"in on each side of the leading edge (see drawingfor unitputtem). This will bring the ribbonin about %" at every batten pocket on theleading edge and create the shallow curvethat's needed. The units are then sewn edgeto edge. Be sure you mark the units as towhich is top edge and which is bottom edgeso you don't get them mixed up.The top and bottom edges of the ribbonare reinforced with 3/4" 4-o~. Dacron or nylonribbon, folded and zigzagged in place. Thecenter line and tow points of the Windboware reinforced as well with the %" ribbon.This line is positioned at one-fifth from theleading edge (or 5%" on a 28" Windbow).The edges tend to take a lot of groundabuse so I reinforce each pocket with a triangular4-02. nylon patch and leather pockets.For superior lightness and strength, Iuse .18 carbon rods for battens. Dowelswork but they tend to break a lot when theribbon gets some launching twists in it.Sew the 1' x 1" strap loops and reinforcethe tow points as shown in drawing. I put anextra set of lines through the straps to distributethe stress better along the base bars.These bars need to be extra strong and stifffor the loads they will take. I use %" fiberglassflat battens. Attach a couple of wrist strapswith a small carabiner and you're ready to fly!PerformanceI often fly my Windbow on long lines,using the 100' Playsail ropes clipped to thestraps at both ends. This puts the ribbonhigh up where the wind is strong andsteady. I've tied it off to some strong anchorsat several festivals with steady winds and itstayed up there all day, framing the surroundingscene.The Windbow flies best when positionedperpendicular to the wind direction with thesparred side facing the wind. Wear gloves,especially when flying on long rope lines.When it is dragging you across the field orout to sea, remember, "Let Go!" 922 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

Discover a colorful assortment of lifelike and fantasticflying creatures; from butterflies to dragonflies, birds tofrogs.. . even the rare Chinese dragon kites. Great WindsKite Company offers Chinese kites carefully chosen forquality as well as design.All are made of hand painted silk on detailed framesmethods passed down through generations ofMany can be disassembled and come inboxes for easy transport and storage.As fliers, some Chinese kites are stable,others a bit animated - all are decorativeAvailable at fine kite shops.'Announcing an excitingalternative to "how to"books"Stunt Kite Basics: Buildyour own Stunt Kite"This 49 minute video guides theviewer step by step thru thecomplete constructibn of an 8foot stunt kite.The materials Iist and patternlayout are ~rinted on theoutsicle of the box so you canpurchase the niaterials priorto viewng the video.Inquire about this video atyour local kite store!SAI&*/3555 Jubilant PlaceColorado Springs, Colorado80917 USAPhone/Fax (719) 596-2332#Introducinq from one of the world's best sport kite pilots ...With Dodd Gross1994 American Kite National Circuit Masters Champion1994 AKA Northeast Conference Masters Champion1993194 USA Eastern League Masters ChampionProfessional sport kite instruction from the First and worldrenowned Masters Class Champion to offer a completeFlight School supported by a comprehensive video series.Learn from one of the best.a(The Basics) Dual-line sport kite flying with an introduction to thehottest tricks, quad-line indoor flying, roller kiting and buggying.Run time 25 minutes.a(A six step progressive learninglpracticing system) Designed toincrease your existing dual-line skill level at an accelerated rate.Run time 45 minutes.For more information contact your local kite shop or call:DJ Sportkites International at 717-246-1214 Fax: 717-244-7608or write: Rd#2 Box 70 Windsor, Pa 17366 e-mail Djskites @ aol.coma aa aSUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES 1 23

Kite Commander ReelNewly structured, solid hardwood, center cross fastenedwith metal on top (not shown) and cornerbrackets, 7 112 x 17 112, patent, made in the USAIdeal for 20#, 30# and 50# single lineTested 5,000' of 30# and 2,000' of 50# lineWill hold 10,000'. Life long useSale Now $58.00Dealer Inquiries Welcome80# and overmade to orderprice variesISAMINA, INC. (manufacturer)1625 Greenleaf Avenue, Des Plaines, IL 60018708-297-2450, fax 708-297-0172- -PRISM DESIGNS INC. 2222 N. PACIFICnunnlr. r*nc\c n i 44 nnISEATTLE WA 98103 U.S.A.r m v - rnnetr rv r n n n m11 R E T A I L C A T A L O G A V A I L A B L E24 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

somethin' about theIArticle & Photographs by Valerie GovigWhat is it about the Smithsonian Kite Festival that keeps people comingback, grumbling sometimes, but coming back?It can't be the parking, - which is a lesson in vehicular torture.It can't be the judging and organization, which invariably slips in onelittle department or another.Nor can it be the quality and quantity of the kites, which don'tcompare to those of the major international festivals.Still it has something+x- rather serverar somethings:TOP: Action, cuts, driftlng kites!-it was one of the best rokkakubaffles in Smithsoniandrawing 29 entries (including theperennial Mamasans) and won bythe Lehigh Valley Kite Society.Above: the Smithsonian's judgingis always rigorous, formalandunder development.A MAGIC NAMEThe biggest draw of this event is the veryname "Srnithsonian," which carries an auraof erudition and prestige. Somehow it meansmore to say "I won at the Smithsonian"than to say "I won at the Las Vegas KiteKarnival."Closely allied to the name is the place.Where could you find a more appropriatelocation than this broad lawn on the Mallin our nation's capital, among all the historicbuildings and adjacent to the immenseobelisk of the Washington Monument? Thisis a national event-simply because it iswhere it is.A TRADITIONThe festival began from a conversation onesummer afternoon in 1966 between S.Dillon Ripley, the Secretary of the Smithsonian,and the late Paul Edward Garber,Historian Emeritus of the National Air &Space Museum. As they walked along theMall, Ripley remarked on the beauty of theplace and its regrettable disuse. He askedGarber for ideas on how to bring peopleoutdoors to this matchless area. Garber suggesteda kite contest-+ carnival of kites."Good," said Ripley. "You're in charge!"That was the start of what became an annuallabor of love for Garber and his wife Irene("Buttons"). Garber planned the judgingsystem and field layout that endures inmore-or-less the same form today. He trainedvolunteers from the Air & Space Museumand the Smithsonian Associates to staff theSUMMER-FALL 1995 1 KITE LINES 1 25

Garbers also collected and madekites for display and prepared the lectureand workshop that precededthe competition. This tradition hasbeen maintained, although the display,lecture and workshop are nowcompressed into one intensiveSaturday under the direction ofBevan Brown.AN WQrnONThis event is not cast in stone like the monumentson the Mall. The Garbers themselvestinkered with the system. For example,in the first few years there were separateclasses for males and females. The women'smovement had its effect on that patronizingtouch.In the last four years the biggest changehas come from the creation of the SmithsonianKite Festival Advisory Committee,which helps the Srnithsonian Associates runthe Festival. The previous reliance on individuals(first the Garbers, then Bevan andMargo Brown) became a burdensome personalresponsibility. Now local kite clubs(principally the Maryland Kite Society, theKapitol Air Korps and the Lehigh Valley KiteSociety) are involved. The total number of vol-unteers at the Festival is approximately 100.Likewise, sponsorship has broadened.Although the main sponsor is still theSmithsonian Associates, their ever-morerestrictedbudget has required them to seekmore help from outside donors. But withthese changes the sense of vitality and outreachfor new ideas seems to have improved.It used to be that the judges would followa set of scoring rules that would vary littlefrom year to year. (Kiters learned to maketheir kites with lots of sticks for a higherscore.) Now the rules are reviewed everyyear and even the categories are updated.A big change based onincreased participationwas the creation of two classes, for"masters" and for novices. More changescan be expected, because right after the festivalthe committee starts its annual roundof meetings and self-criticism that bringimprovements for next year's festival.LOSSES & GAINSFor the sentimental among us, there willnever be anyone to replace Paul Garber'srunning commentary on the kites or hissinging of "God Bless America" at the microphone.But we are lucky to have the goodvoices of Rick Kinnaird, Jon Burkhardt,Margo Brown and others to fill the gap.Something else we've lost: for many ofthe first years, Irene Garber managed anarchives that included photographs of all thecontestants, kite in hand, as they were presentedwith their awards. The trophies weregiven with a slow formality that allowedfor these indulgences.However, the gains have been big. Thenumber of kites entered depends on weather,but discounting the wet, cold and windlessdays, the number of entries has generallyincreased. The total in 1995 was 151.More important, the number of winners asa proportion of total entries has increased.The publicity and the crowds have grownbigger, too: in 1995, an estimated crowd of10,000 came to clap and cheer. The audienceincludes many kiters picnicking and kite-26 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

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flying under flapping banners allYou expect to be surprised ataround the main field. The extra-the Smithsonian: people will bringcurricular spectacle (this year, bug-kites like you've never seen before,gies!) can surpass that of the com-everything from the strange to thepetition itself.magnificent. There is always some-Demonstrations have beenone to carry on the questionableadded-stunt kite flying, teddy but established Smithsonian trabearparachuting, rokkaku kite bat-dition of flying for the fist time attlinn. ., A maior attraction in 1995the Festival a kite that was made atwas the appearance of a team of2:00 a.m. the night before. Somekitefliersfrom Shirone, Japan. Intheir matching hapi coats, thehow after a night of kitemakingand a day of kiteflying the kitersvounrr , " men and their famous lead-still have the energy for an eveninger, Kazuo Tamura* assembled and Six kites from Shirone are marched down Constitution Avenue by of Ute partying g~~erously hostedflew a traditional o,Aakokite). local kiters in Washington's Cherry Blossom Parade. The team by the Browns after the festival.carries a rectangular kite face up to mlnlmize wind resistance.It was a to see One of theseMany of us have been near-Perlodlcally en route, the team does a turnabout with the kltes tofilmous war kites rise and glow in display them to the clapping crowds.ly all the Smithsonians from thethe sun next to the Monument.beginning. We look forward everyThe kite was one of several brought to the SOME THINGS NMR C GE year to the last Saturday in March (if EasterKennedy Center for the Performing Artsthe week before, where the kites had been abackdrop for a performance of Japanesemartial arts. This lucky coordination by BillFoster for the Kennedy Center and RickKinnaird for the local kite clubs resulted infurther cultural exchanges. The Shironeteam gave school workshops and the kiteswere marched the next weekend in theCherry Blossom Parade.*See article on Tarnura in Kite Lines, Fall 1994.The Garbers would be glad to see that ahigh proportion of families and childrenstill come to the Srnithsonian Kite Festival.Kids and parents fly their spur-of-themomentcreations made from butcher paperand dowels. The special family awardsencourage that-the larger the family, thehigher the score. The Holmes family ofGeorgia, South Carolina and Maryland hasa reunion every year at the Smithsonian tocapitalize on it.br the Cherry ~lossom~~estival don't upsetthe schedule as they dc-rarely).We especially look forward to 1996,when the 30th annual Smithsonian willhappen once again. The celebration willcoincide fortuitously with the 150th anniversaryof the Smithsonian Institution itself.Much as the Festival depends on the continuityof its regular volunteers, it will surelyoutlast them all. We wouldn't have itany other way.vHigh Fly Kite CompanyHOT Products for 1995S m - Leach Line and VentingC0mp1.25 - No Wind TeamKiteAdvantage RodsReady4Flying Traction Line SetsPrestretched With Knotless Loop & EndsPeter Lynn International ProductsFeaturing The Latest Advancements In Kite TractionTechnology - We Now Stock Buggies, Peels & PartsWe Can Answer Your Traction QuestionsHigh Fly Kite Company Check out the new prices on our30 West End Ave. kites and look for other great kiteHaddonfield, NJ 08033 products from High Fly Kitephone: 609-429-6260 Company at your favorite kitefax: 609-429-0142store.IKITES"No other kite produces sodistinct a sense of hooking upwith the wind." - American Kite(Review of Jordan Air Pro) - TBKA O X O M O X O A"Incredible workmanship ...7 (which) Jordan Air Kites are1 UE Known for? - El News a1 i NO 3?/a , (Reviewof Jordan Air. Millennium)IBtunt Bugg)ANDLight windspecialists.- -/836 nw 20th tar,., yaineeville, florida 32603ph: 904-373-7010 fax:&mail: aholem0013daol.com28 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

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KITE FESTIVALS!We could write a book.But we only have a magazine. Itmay look bad for us to apologize, butwe can't help ourselves; we know howfestival organizers feel. We never doenough. Any festival story we've everpublished-or ever will publish-willdissatisfy someone (often ourselves).So here is our standard apology:To all the people and kites we saw anddidn't mention, and also those wedidn't see and didn't mention, we aresorry for our space and human limitations.We trust in your understanding.SUMMER-FALL 1995 1 KITE LINES / 31

a great eventtouched with sadnessARTICLE & PHOTOGRAPHSBY SIMON FRElDlNAbove, schoolchildren and teacher with perfected Maori kites.Inset, on the rise: a stack of three Double Square kites by Mlchel Gressier of France0nce again New Zealand val. Despite overcast skies most of the time, in flight! In the first New Zealand festival inprovided the setting for a the full gamut of events was there: demon- 1990, the reconstructed Maori kites flewworld class kite festi- strations by each of the 16 counties, mul- poorly, or hardly at all. But in 1995 thetiple rokkaku kite battles,the world's largest kite,dual- and quad-line stuntkite demonstrations, buggyingand a multitude ofnew and old creationsconstantly in flight.During the openingceremony the crowdwatched the spectacle of aMaori blessing of the festival,official speeches anda Maori singing group.If there was one memoryof this event to be helddear it was the success ofthe traditional Maori kites Australian Michael Alvares sets up his new box kite.

TWO Colorado kiters on show: left, a red-on-red blrd and sun against white-on-white backgroundby Scott Skinner; right, swimming tortoise by George Peters.kites flew proudly;thanks to theefforts of theteachers andpupils of theOmahu school.Once again constructedof reed,woody vines andflax, these creationsflew well inthe strong windson Children'sDay. They medthe Maori chant,"Piki mai, pikimail kake mai,kake mai"--Climb, climb, ascend, ascend,There is still no other commentator whocan match Shakib Gunn of Singapore fortireless skill at the microphone. Over theyears, Shakib has devdopd his commentaryinto a fine art-aware, entertaining, unique.The world's largest klte, bruught by theDutch teamI was trunded onto the field inthe scoop of a tractor which served as itsanchor. It was fascinathg to see the Dutchteam commandeer the crowd to unfurl,launch and repack their giant kite. In particular'the task of deflating and rolling thehuge amount of semi-inflated material wasdone by people throwing their bodies intoit, on mmrmd, in unison. People really gotinto the fun!A€terIarrivedatthefesW,Iandthe 100other overseas guests learned of JarnesWhite's battle with cancer. James was thedriving force behind the event. Although hewanted to slow down the pace of hisinvolvement, James was at the field everyday and many kiters turned to him whendetails needed attention. James was luckythat his wife Judy and secretary Heathercould just as competently make a guest feelcomfortable and welcome at the festival.In fact, the support of many spnsors, theopening party at the Whites', the mayoralreception and the help of the New ZealandKitefliers Association all contributed to theutmost in hospitality for the guests. It is difficultto do justice to all that dedication.Since the first New Zealand festival,James and I have had a private joke. At theend of the &st festivalt James told me heawaited reading my story to determinewhether he had enjoyed the festival ornot. When we met at Dieppe last year'James told me how glad he had been to discoverhe had indeed enjoyed New Zealand.So at the end of this year's event James saidhe was looking forward to finding out if hehad enjoyed this one too.Do I need to state the obvious, James?Kissing dolphins by Peter Lynn, New Zealand's buggy and kite inventor extraordinalre.SUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 33

family tradition inwinds that won't quit A-. --ARTICLE & PHOTOGRAPHSBY MEL GOVlGtTwo kites in CuraGao are proudly displayed by team members who made and flew them.At left is the contest's overall winning kite, with interior view (inset) showing its complexstructure. The team captain, Ronny Koffie, wins the prize of a trip to Thailand.Below, a kite comprising 37 traditional bowed Caribbean kites has massive effect.ForSITE: grounds of the Univsome, Cua~ao is a sweetliqueur made from oranges.For others it's a stop on theCaribbean cruise itinerary, the C in the ABCsof the islands, after Amba and Bonaire. Forabout 100,000 people, it is home. The Curaqaoanshave made an industry from theirinbred friendliness and the island's aridbeauty.Not surprisingly, most islanders speakseveral languages. Besides the local patois,called Papiamento, my taxi driver spokeDutch, Spanish, msh, Portuguese, Germanand French (plus a few words of Japanese).But for kiteflying, Curagao has a greaterasset: trade winds throughout the year, averaging16 mph! The winds are so consistentthat all the trees have a peinanent northeasterlywarp.In Curapo, the traditional focus on family,parish and neighborhood (barrio) is evidentin all things. Nowhere is it more evidentthan in kiteflying. There are familyand barrio teams from two to 30 or more.Girls, boys,mothers andfathers pulltogether tobuild and flycreative andoften hugekites. GroupsIhave trademarkkites:boxes, threedimensionalcreatures,long kites, flatkites-eachhasthestampof the particularfamily orbarrio.IMade for Curapo's winds, the kites arfheavily framed and firmly lashed. The mateMER -FALL 1995

ials are basic: lumber cut into stout sticks; The use of cellophane is new; I was told outperform the last person flying. The closstrongtwine outlining and guying the that 20 years ago the kites were made with er you get to the ground, the more draframe;tissue paper or cellophane covers. the glassine paper favored in Sri Lanka, matic the final pass, the louder the applauseContact cement holds the film on the Malaysia and parts of Europe. Once the and the greater the challenge to the nextframe. The tails are from bed sheets, burlap Curaqaoans discovered the cheaper cello- flier. It is more like a limbo dance or a jazzbags and tarpaulins. The kites are strong phane, paper faded into history. trumpet "blow-down" than a battle. "Beatenough to be transported to the field in As a fighter kite enthusiast, I hoped to that!" is the goal. No harm, no foul-4 veryopen trucks. find a fighter kite tradition in this country. civilized kite fight.The designs are based on those typical of But one of the oldest kitemakers on the But at this festival, the contest rules pretheWest Indies: three sticks (with bowing at island said, "We do not fight with kites in cluded kite maneuvering. Prizes were giventhe head) and long tails. Starting from this, Curagao, we play." However, when I hand- for rapid ascent, steady flight and sustainedthe kite designs of Curagao have flourished ed him the line of a Suriname fighter kite I angle of elevation. The thorough, seriouslike island plants after a rain. For these kiters, had brought, I stood in awe as he did sev- judges had been seasoned by Curaqao'swhatever the impulse, if it can be framed, era1 figure-of-eight maneuvers toward the Easter Sunday kite ascensions that drawlashed and covered with cellophane, it can ground and made a 120-degree pass from 400 fliers a year. Our international event thebe flown. Even kite designs that are copied left to right before handing back the line. weekend after Easter apparently was antifrombooks or commercial kites are built The day before, some boys also flew my climactic and attracted fewer people.from lumber, twine and cellophane. Suriname kite. The object seemed to be to Exuberant organizers Carol Jansen andthe Curacao Kite Association (FundashonBelow, the largest kite at the festival uses a crewdi Fli Korsou: KEK) have decided that nextyear and in all future years the internationalfestival will be held on Easter weekendto coincide with the local event.The Curagao International may growin size (this year only Aruba, Bonaire, Curagao,The Netherlands and the U.S.A. wererepresented) but its hospitality is alreadySUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 35

Lthe field of bad dreams& the post-op recoveryPHOTOGRAPHS BY PIERRE FABREGill Marcus holds up one of his many new designs on the Katzarin field.LSVIEW I by Pierre Fabrearticipants in the Israeli kite Why set this festival in the Golan Heights,festival returned with many an occupied territory since 1967, won byunanswered questions, such as: Israel from Syria during the Six Day War?Why hold a festival for kites, messengersof peace, in a highly-militarized area,where every soldier carries an automaticrifle at all times?Why choose a military training ground,sprinkled with unused cartridges, sharp partsof training shells and rusty barbed wires lefthalf-buried in the harsh soil of a dried dustyearth?Why should the beautiful landscape behidden by ugly plastic tents, advertisingbillboards and portable toilets?Why did the public have to pay anLOCATION: Golan Height: entrance fee so high (up to $7 US per person)?When the wind didn't help the show,many rightly complained and wanted theirGANIZER: Yael Padovmoney back.It seemed business and politics onceagain had spoiled the soul of kiting andruined a festival.Many of us felt like hostages on this field.We couldn't even run away because of dangerousshells scattered around the countryside.We felt cheated by an obscure organization,not knowing if we were there tocomfort the positions of right-wing politicians,to fill the pockets of a private companyor to please an Israeli public who expecteda real show.Some aspects of the festival, such as locationand financing, were not revealed to usbefore we reached om destination. This lackof information caused serious misunderstandingbetween the organizers of the festival,its art director, Yael Padova Levi, andthe guest kite artists. The result: no one hadthe kite festival they wanted or expected.This promising event had beenannounced as a festival that would empha-MER-FALL 1995

Right, one in a brand .Ichanged his style.He's framed by theever-prominentadvertising billboards.Far right, SolanoCardenas and one of hisdistinctive kite sculptures,"La Chrysalide."IEsize the artistic aspects ofkites. There would beexchanges between intanational guests and Israeliartists and discussions around the conceptof kite art. Many outstanding kite creatorscame, including Istvan Bodoczky ofHungary, George Peters of the U.S.A., RobertTrkpanier of Canada, Gill Marcus and TonGeers of The Netherlands, Solano Cardenasand (flying the kites of Michel Gressier)Jean-Michel Petit of France, and Raoul Fossetof Belgium, a kite aerial photographer andlongtime lover of Israel.Although we did meet some Israeli kitefliers,none of the artists we expected tomeet ever showed up. So the guest kiterstook the opportunity to get better acquaintedwith each other's work. We held severalinformal meetings until early morning inour rooms, involving various local andimported beverages. We extensively usedcellular phones, very common and cheap inIsrael. The gathering of this small group ofkite artists was stimulating and could inspireattempts at organizing exhibits or kite art festivalselsewhere.Although everyone agreed the festivalitself failed because of its improper setting,we experienced intense moments and funwith many surprises, good and bad, that wiUkeep Israel in our memories for a long time.During the couple of free days we spenton the beaches of Tel Aviv and and Herzliyathe kitefliers took their revenge: Peters,'Mpanier and Petit flew for themselves andset up a spontaneous "off festival" and putkites in the air for themselves. I was alreadyback in Paris; I'm sad I missed that one.The festival did give the kitemakers theopportunity to get better acquainted witheach other's work and we learned muchabout Israel's political dilemma. So, in theend, this festival offered us quite an enrichingexperience.1VIEW 11 by George Petersf I were to try to find a term for kite travel,it would be called something like"Wishful Wind Wandering." Like itinerantsky surfers, we search for the perfectwinds around the world to throw a splashof color in the air.Finding good wind is the trick. You canoccasionally find the perfect wind at kite festivals,but in my experience it is rare. Despitethe best intentions, festival organizers oftenend up with either too much wind, not abreath of wind, a washout deluge or aswirling, bumpy, first-this-way-then-thatwaytwister. If you intend to actually entertainlarge crowds of people, you can almostcount on the wind pooping out on you.My travel experience has made me windwise.Often, the best wind is not at a kite festivalbut is hiding somewhere else.I traveled to the event in Israel expectingto be in the rolling green and flowered fieldsjust above the Sea of Galilee. A perfect picturein the mind but in reality, as usual, itwas something quite different.Let me say now that when the winddoesn't seem to want to cooperate neitherdoes anything else.Bumping up the dirt road into the hillsbeyond the promising festival banners, wecame upon a large open, freshly bulldozeddirt-clod field surrounded by a web ofchurned-up roadways. My first thought,looking at the flying field was, "I wonderwhat this will be like when it rains?" The skyoverhead and my inner cloud darkened abit. We were told not to wander beyondthe fences because of the unexplodedartillery shells and land mines. This wasoccupied Syrian territory and Israeli soldiersSUMMER-FALL 1995 1 KITE LINES 1 37

were assigned to keep us safe with Uzis slungover shoulders, pistols in their belts and cellularphones to their ears. Somehow I did notfeel all that safe.We kitefliers caught our kite bags as theywere tossed from the truck. A few plops ofrain tapped the dirt as we looked for cover.The tents were no refuge. The organizershad expected sunny days and had coveredthe tent tops with sunscreen netting. Nodry place there. A few test kites went up. Thedrops got bigger. We all dashed for whatevercover we could find.The following day, carloads of familiesstreamed up from Tel Aviv and paid admissionat the gate.With each tentative breath of wind, wetugged our lines, ran, propped kites andwatched the launched kites drop like leavesonto the dirt. All day long this continued.Loudspeakers crackled with anticipationand apologies about the lack of wind. Livelyparty music filled the windless field butthere was no party. Soon the spectators whohad driven so far were cornering anyonewith a badge, a festival t-shirt or a walkietalkie,demanding their $7 admission back.Arms went flailing in gestures of Mediterraneanpassion and the organizers tookcover behind the armed soldiers. A few familiesgot theirmoney back; othersgot tickets forthe next day.As the crowdsdiminished in theafternoon heat,the wind pickedup, a bit morewith each car that - .-roared away. Aswe were packing up the kites, up went thewind-and the show. The sky filled withcolor as a few lingering onlookers gazed up.Then a police jeep pulled up with redlights flaring and annnounced that an unex-ploded artilleryshell had beenfound near thechildren's playarea and thatall the kitesmust comedown and thefield vacatedfor the detonation.We allwaited on thehill overlookingthe sceneuntil a loudbang soundedand blacksmoke driftedover the field.The secondusurge Peters poses jn his7ew wind garden.'IAs the sun set, the kiteartists gathered for one lastpicture. An armed soldierday broughtdraped with our cameras tookwind along last parting shots of our warwithheavy tom group. "Don't shoot thegray curtainsone slung over your back,of rain up andplease!" Click, click, click.down the After a long drive downcountry side. A soldier takes our group picture: Please the Syrian-Jordanian border,don't shoot with the wrong trigger!Solano Car- we visited Jerusalem to see thedenas dashed for the plastic cover each time sights, then spent a couple of days of rest andthe drops would come, covering his delicate recreation in the seaside community ofmasterworks while the rest of us hid Herzliya north of Tel Aviv.j under nylon kite umbrellas. The sun That bright Sunday on the beach, perfectpopped out occasionally. A few opti- breezes brought a second impromptu festimisticspectators braved the day val out of our bags. "This is the place! PutAs the kites rose up and fluttered them all up!" Soon the beach sands danceddown on the field of bad dreams, two with kite shadows. A small group of beachtanks roared by with gun turrets bathers lay under the kites watching themwhirling, aimed at our kites overhead. dance overhead. It was perfect. No loud-The wind finally picked up. The speakers, no guards to defend our humbleshow filled the sky. I lost my large Kite sky fest, no fences to keep out the crowds, noRoach into a nearby mine field when mines, no tanks-just kites and happy smilesits line got cut and it drifted out of sight. I on a sunny, windy day. We flew until it washad to ask myself, stepping carefully down time to dash to the airport. I reluctantlythe road, avoiding the litter of shrapnel and put my kites back in my bag.bombs, how much do I really love to fly Just a bit of wind. That's all we need. Kitekites. Would I give my left leg? flylng can be such a simple pleasure. Q38 I KITE LINES I SUMMER-FALL 1995

a bigger yet moreintimate CerviaARTICLE & PHOTOGRAPHSBY MEL GOVlGBubbly, tireless Beatrice and Bernd Hellwage of Germany fly a number of outstanding kites, including the oneabove based on the Tri-D-Box. Inset: Italian father and son Ettore and Vittorio Callegaro make intricate sculptedkites, such as this miniature Chinese dragon; Ettore assembles the frames, Vittorio covers and paints them.Ten years ago, we visited C&a on Start with the location. On my first mom- Cervia's organizers, led by Mauroour first trip to Europe. It was a ing I strolled down the beach three miles to Andreucci, evidently modeled theirlasting experience of close cama- visit the Bagno Publico, site of the first and "kite village" and schedule after the fesraderie, gracious hospitality, wonderful food other festivals at Cervia. It was still as small tival in Dieppe, France. It could hard- Iand a permanent bond to the Italian kite and pretty as I had remembered it. But for ly have been more convenient. Eachcommunity. It was good to be back-but 1995 the site was the Riviera del Pini, awould it be the same?beach south of the city where two of the hos-Well, it was better!tels, not yet serving regular ~Iientele, wereopened for kiters.The festival wasonly one block fromour hostel and spreadover 1,000 yards ofbeach. Though this ICH ANNUAL: 15beach was larger, it wasstill relatively narrowES: May 18-28, 19A superD Dlrd kite by Li Rou Xin of Beijing. Xin was a constantpresence every day. Although he spoke only Chinese, his kitesand his good humor spoke volumes to everyone he met.and intimate, just bigenough for the excellentselection of guests:Over 160 visitors from24 countries.LOCATION: Cervia, ItSITE: Riviera del Pini beaZERS: Mauro AndreucciI

French pleasures:near right, ClaudeQuessada's handlebarmustache is almostupstaged by his handsomecellular kite;far right, Joel Thezeand his wife MartineChatel fly one of their 1several eye-capturinggossamer creations. 1L. k-,;i. . . -.'3 , " '-'. .'.TrnF "n., '~.-7 '5&=&country's team was provided with a sunshelter facing the beach. At night, all kiteswere secured and guarded.The wide range of winds over the 10days allowed equal time in the sun for highwindfliers (Aim6 Barsalou of Canada, FrancescoInnisi of Italy) and low-wind fliers (LiRuo Xin of China, Annick Gosselin ofFrance, Poul Christoffersen of Denmark,Hideo Matsutani of lavan).Claudette Gosselin at the French standshows one of the many mlniaturesmade by her and her husband Guy.They even had a mini Cody manllftsystem and a complex Malinski box.In a large section of beach in front of thegrandstands, all the fliers were introduced tothe many appreciative spectators. Announcementswere made in Italian and other languagesby Claudio Capelli and Mauro, makingsure that everyone felt included. Thisstyle of management created a cohesive andfestive atmosphere.Perhaps the presence of Peter Lynn isone measure of a festival's ambition. Hewas everywher~buggying, boating andflying a multitude of inflatables, includinghis newest, Trilobite, 15 yards long, a pro-minute." He would find a pretext to goaway, then come back and talk to them, allthe time letting them fly the kite, sometimesfor 10 or 15 minutes. The congenialityof the kiters and the quality of the kitesgo beyond the limits of these pages.Near the end of the week, NorwegiansTerje Westfoss and Egil Syverson boughtsome local fat, fuzzy sash cord, attached it toa delta and carried it around calling it"Norwegian fighting line." As a NorwegianheritageAmerican, I was especially amusedby this. It was my spoonful of whippedtotype for what is to be his attempt at the cream on the capuccino of Cervia. 9world record for largest kite.Apart from the kites, the most enjoyablepart of the festival for me was the interadonbetween guests and tourists. Matsutanihelped to bridle the so& kite for Eli Shavit ofIsrael and painted samurai on T-shirts, barebodies and his own small kites. Throughoutthe week, Malaysian crafters carved paper,shaved bamboo and assembled their classicwau kites. Sari Madjid of Indonesia gaveaway dozens of fighter kites to the spectators.Pinch-hitting translations were made byOlive Barsalou for Ukranians Alexei andNadezhda Zverik and by Ong Lang Tee ofMalaysia and Sachiko Modegi of Japan forChinese Li Rou Xin. Don Mock of the USAtook spectators from the crowd, handedthem his kite line and said, "Hold this for a40 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995 -

Verdun shinerthrough the drizzleARTICLE & PHOTOGRAPHSBY VALERIE GOVlG-IArching above: Randy Tom of Calfornia readies his ribbons, a fabulous Disney filmstrip (500hours of work!) and hls flags of the world, while Frank Schwiemann of Germany lofts hiscomely ribbon arch train. Inset: Barry Poulter's astonishing Betty Boop Edo-type kite flownby the Boop Troop of England; and a diaphanous mermaid kite by Therese Uguen of France.erdun is not yet the Dieppe ofNorth America. But it's the onlykite festival that is frying to be. Thisyear the effort to match the French modelwas particularly valiant because the budgetwas down and the weather was disagreeable.But the committee kept on.The Rendezvous Mondial du Cerf-Volant has so much promise and so manyrewards almost in spite of itself that kitersaccord it the title it obviously covets: thePremier Kite Festival of North America, or(as they would prefer to say in Quebec) LaPlus Grande FZte du C@-Volant d'Ami~quedu Nord.Why is this? Purely because the organizersmanage to bring in the largest contingentof prominent overseas kiters of anyfestival on this continent. This fact reflectsless on the success of Verdun than the short-comings of North America. This yearabout 80 guests arrived, representing12 countries. The guests are chosento exemplify a variety of kitesand cultures, and when mixedtogether the broth is rich. Necessarily,the Verdun list is not ideal by anabsolute standard; it is compromisedby such practical concerns as theneed for spectacle or reputation toLeft, a jester rokkaku is serious sewing by Randy Tom.Above, a genki kite as a house with laundry on the lineis the whlmsy of Adrian Pierorazio of Kingston, Ontario.

Pierced sails are said to sometimes improveflight rather thanympair it. For example, left, asode kite by Willi Koch of Germany, and below,the latest applique masterwork byJose Sainz of California.attract a crowd. But the compromises barelyshow. It's still a big event.The crowds flock in (about 75,000 thisyear despite rain through two of the fourdays). They fill the stands, cheer, snap photos,buy t-shirts and take turns flying kiteswith the guests. The fliers, in turn, enjoythe chance to meet fellow fanatics and seeinspiring kites.When you are as steeped in kites as someof us, your perspective is skewed. At Verdunthis year I especially noticed how this cutting-edgegroup of fliers revealed kiting'slatest trends (see box). Any one kiter may bebarely conscious of it, but in a group a trendbecomes fascinatingly apparent.We had time to reflect on such things aswe milled around in the tents and the schooladjacent to thefields. Althoughheavy showersdrowned ourkites and wipedout the fabledVerdun night fly,we made andflew kites indoorsand took full advantageof thechance to mingle.When at lastSunday broughtsun and wind, afrenzy of kiteflyingmade up forthe previous disappointment.The Rendez-Vous organizers do learnfrom experience. For example, Canadiankiters aren't the festival's poor relations anymorebut instead are generously featured. Aslong as this essentially caring attitude pre-vails, Montdal will continue to be a magnetfor kitefliers.v42 I KITE LINES 1 SUMMER-FALL 1995

Experience the Artand Science ofZeroVoted a best-selling toy by the kite industry for1992-1993-1994For sample and price info:ARROWCOPTER Inc.Tel 408-978-177 1 FAX 408-978-1270P.O. Box 6480, 5an Jose, CA 95150Synergy*8th AnnualEthnic ExpoFamily Kite FlyOctober 15,1995CompetitionsFree FlyFree Kite MakingTrophiesAssociated with"One Sky, One World"For more informationEthnic Expo Kite Fly123 Washington St.Columbus, IN 4720181 2-376-25000GUILDWORKSSynergy-DecaTM Zero WindTMindoors or very low windsSynergy-DecaTM Zero Wind.tTMindoors to 10 mphGuildworks Flight Studio 181 Elliott Street, Suite 803, A-1, 33Beverly, MA 01915 U S A phone 508 921 4069 fax 508 921 2919SUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 43

IK I T E ART E X H I B I T I O N SComing Soon to a FestivalNear You?A CHRONOLOGY OF RECENT KlTE ART EXHIBITS IJune 1987: The Hague Air Gallery, premieringat Scheveningen, The Netherlandsand consisting of 21 Edestyle kites of nylonand fiberglass, constructed by Vlieger Opkite shop and painted by noted artists.Organized by Gerard van der Loo and ElsLubbers. The kites have appeared elsewheresince the debut, sometimes flying and sometimesin exhibitions.May 1988: Kiinstdrachen (Art Kites),consisting of over 100 kites made collaborativelyby Japanese kitemakers and worldrenownedpainters. Vernissage in Himeji,Japan, followed by a world tour to museumsin 15 cities over five years, attracting two millionvisitors. Organized by Dr. Paul Eubel andIkuko Matsumoto of the Goethe InstitutOsaka. Elegantly documented in videos andcatalogs in several languages. Selected kiteswere flown on three occasions, the last inJanuary 1995 in Sydney, Australia. The originalplan to auction off the kites has beenreplaced by a decision to establish an Art KiteMuseum in a city in Germany or Japan.March 1991: Mask in the Air, cottonrokkakus built by Yael Padova Levi andpainted by 13 major Israeli artists were flownand displayed as part of a festival held threedays after the end of the Gulf War on thebeach of Herzliya. The kites were later exhibitedat the Israel Museum in Jerusalem.September 1992: Heavenly Museum, initiatedby Dan Reusser of Zweisimmen,Switzerland, including 43 Tyvek rokkakukites made by the three-person "Windmaschine"group, painted by 43 artists andflown -- in - S~arenmoos. The kites were alsodisplayed in February 1993 in Bern beforethey were sold.December 1992: AIDES rokkaku kiteauction in Paris, France of 150 rokkakusbuilt by volunteers for the AIDES association(founded to help AIDS victims), decoratedand signed by celebrities. A gross total of310,OO francs (over $56,000 US) was raised.April 1993: Imparando a Volarte: Edo inLiberta (Learning to Fly Art: Edos inFreedom), 10 Edo kites built of ripstop andfiberglass by Gruppo Aquilonisti Vulandra,Ferrara, Italy, and painted by 10 local artists.Flown at the Vulandra Kite Festival, then theChioggia Festival. Displayed in seven otherplaces in Italy to date.June 1993: 7k WorMon a Stving, an exhibitionof 13 internationalkitemakes, debuted atthe Pacific Science Center,Seattle, Washington,then touredthree U.S. cities. TO bekitefor the Europeanat EpOt centerl Or- Atr oallery inland01 Florida, Sep Cervia, 1995tember 9-24, 1995.In January 1996, the kites will be auctionedby mail to benefit the Long Beach, WashingtonWorld Kite Museum. Organized bythe Drachen Foundation.July 1994: European Air Gallery, initiatedby the City of Sunderland (England)Libraries and Arts, including 12 Edo-stylekites of nylon and fiberglass built by VliegerOp, Netherlands and painted by artists.Debuted at the 1994 International KiteFestival, Washington, Tpe &Wear, England,July 1994. Flights to be hosted through1995 at four European festivals, culminatingin an artists' symposium at the festival inSunderland, July 1996.August-November 1994: Arvada Centerfor the Arts & Humanities, Arvada, Coloradointernational kite exhibit (part of Bikes,Kites &Puppets), curated by George Peters,assisted by Scott Skinner. Featuring over 75full-size kites and 40 miniatures, the eventincluded a kite festival in surrounding fields.Mid-January 1995: Art Volant, organizedfor the opening of the Pont de Normandie,a new bridge across the Seine river betweenLe Havre and Honfleur, France. French artistspainted 53 Edo-style kites constructed byLudovic Petit. A kite flight ~lanned nearu Lthe bridge for its inauguration was canceledbecause of 60 mph winds, but an exhibitionof the kites was successful. The kites wereflown in April at the Berck-sur-Mer RencontresInternationales de Cerf-Volant.Eao-style kites on display made by theVulandra Club and painted by artists in Italy.A COMMENT ON ART VOLANTGENERAL COMMENT ON KlTE EXHIBITSSourcePresentationA. Kite artists* + Flying incorporatedB. Collaborations - Gallery showing only*Responsible for total structure as well assurface design.44 1 KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

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Steve Brockettinterview & photographs byP I E R R E F A B R ETop, Steve Brockett poses in his workshopwith Angel and the Dreamer.Above, the artist holds Cat Angel atop abollard at Cardiff's docks.Brockett's kites are among themost creative in the Western world.Unlike most kitemakers, Brockettpaints his kites, combining figurativeand symbolic graphics of mysticalstrength with original shapes. Some of hiskites seem to contain a whole world oftheir own, referring to some imaginarylegend or tale. They show plenitude andbalance as well as movement, some usingthe wind for kinetic effects.Brockett has also organized several skytheater shows, using his kites as charactersthat interact with unpredictable winds.Brockett is 35 years old, born inEngland but a lifelong resident of Wales.He earned a fine arts degree from CardiffInstitute, Faculty of Art and Design. For thepast 10 years, his main creations have beenkites; they have been exhibited in many artgalleries in the United Kingdom.In the.backyard garden in front of hisworkshop, we had a long talk about hiswork with kites, about kites in art and artin kites.. .PF: Why do you make kites? You couldhave stuck to painting!SB: Kites bring a new dimension. It's notbecause I want to make "paintings in thesky"-it's completely different. It's the synthesisof painting, sculpture and flight: threeelements that make a kite what it is.PF: Do you desig each kite for a specific environment?SB: No, because the sky is an abstract concept,a vast space that is always changing. . . .Ifeel my kites should look good in the air butalso hanging on a wall.PF: What about the landscape beneath thesky?SB: I don't design kites for the landscape,but I am beginning to realize that landscapedoes have an effect on what I make.I spend time in Spain every year, and the colorsof the land and quality of light certainlyhave a significant influence.PF: If you had to label your works, would youcall them paintings, sculptures or kites?SB: I would like to just call them kites,because kites are what they are and thatsays enough about them. But when you'redealing with an art gallery, you have to callthem art kites or sculptures. But the kite isSUMMER-FALL 1995 1 KITE LINES 1 *'

Top rlght, Brockett's paintingtechnique lets the light comethrough in his Angel Ute.Far left, Ida the Glider.Left, DreamcatcherAbove, sketch for a flylngelephant.Opposite page, Brocketf holdsa complete art form in itself. It doesn't needup two sister bird kiteg, mlniatoborrow similarties from painting or sculptures In paper and bamboo.ture or performances: it has all these elements.deal with things like chance. The wind just by leaf and bird shapes I had never seenPl;rHow did you come to kites-was $sudden? seemed to be the perfect metaphor because before. Then kites came into my drawings.SB: No, it was slow. Looking back, it was a it's not seen but it can be felt through the Also, I was frustrated with painting andlogical progression from the paintings, I other senses. In 1985, I was given Pelham's having lots of troubles just finishing a paintwaslooking for a metaphor far change, to The Penguin Book ofEm and was fascinated ing. It always ended up being overworked48 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

and the life in it was killed. When I was PF: In a 23rd century museum, will kites be then, there's a quality and a feeling that I getgiven that kite book, I made a simple kite, an shown as a 20th-century art form? in painting that you can't have when sewingarch-top, painted it and flew it in a grave- SB: Yes, I hope so. ... There are more and together pieces of colors. One of those isyard. The painting was somehow resolved more festivals. As that sort of education graduation in color to give depth to anonce the kite was in the air. Also I was frus- goes on, then the standards will have to be abstract image. It's part of the process oftrated with painting because I needed to higher. People who come to festivals year how I make the kite that even if the shapesbuild, to create, to construct. Making a after year don't want to see the same things and designs are flat I can give depth bystretch of raw canvas wasn't enough. The or anything that's visually bad. shaping and graduating color.only thing I knew when I left art school PF: Is kitemaking an art or a craft? PI;: Have you been inspired by other famouswas that I wanted to be an artist, to create SB: That's a better question than "What is artists'works?things. But I also knew I didn't want to just art?"-it is more reasonable! Kitemaking is SB: First I was interested in thmgs like Northwork in a studio, making paintings and both. There are elements of kitemaking that American Indian Art the old ritual masks,exhibiting in galleries. It all seemed very expand into superb craftsmanship. When transformation masks. These were visuallystale, a monotonous life-strong and very graphic and had astyle-you would shut tremendous sense of power to them.away, and then you wouldThen I seemed to get inspiredbring the paintings out forby objects more than by anydisplay and only a certainpainting by some famouskind of people would seepainter.. . just made objects, foryour work. If you wereinstance a piece of jewelry or espelucky,someone would buycially objects from other cultures,it ...from different sensibilities. ThePF: Then comes the ques-artist who influences me most istion-What is art? SOPaul Klee. He worked with imagesSB: It's an incredibly per-from the unconscious yet applied asonal thing. For some peo-rationale to create pictures that pospleit can only be paint-sess an extraordinary power.ing and sculpture, forPF: Among kite artists, are there someothers it is filmmaking,who inspired your own work? For instance,cooking, performing.. . Fordoes seeing other kites change your ownsome people it's a wholerange of things-living,efinitely. I like to see howwalking, every action ispeople solve problems, especially theirart.techniques in kitemaking. That's real-PF: When does walkingant, to learn and share ideas.become art?Probably my kites are a lot better nowSB: When it moves you! My definition of craftsmanship becomes incredible, like that because of that.good art is something that moves you. Art of the Japanese kites, then it can translate PF: Do you think it's important to make kitesis all about communication. If it doesn't into an art form. I don't think it's enough to with a good finish?communicate to you, it has failed. say that the kite, because it functions, is SB: Yes.PF: Can you put any kite in a gallery and call craft. PI;: Perfect stitching?it art? PF: Kites f l but ~ this flight is useless! SB: Not stitching. For myself, the wholeSB: The way people perceive art is contex- SB: Not always. They can pull buggies! thing about making a kite is that it shouldtual, that is, you sesbut your visual sense Some crafts, like ceramics, are now consid- feel "right." .. At the moment, the kites I amis advised by your previous knowledge and ered art even though they are functional. making wouldn't feel so resolved if theysometimes historical attitudes. This would PF: Does your painting on a kite have more a were rough and badly made.usually prevent a mass-produced plastic kite, meaningfiu?clion or more a decorative won? PF: Do you remember the kites by Aim6for example, being considered art. SB: Both. It is vital to the meaning of the Barsalou of Canada that we saw at Dieppe?PF: Can some things become d even if their cre- kite. Kites are designed from feelings and --their "imperfect" craftsmanship.. .ator was not aware of it? sometimes they have narratives or things I SB: Yes, that's what I'm saying. ...Aim6SB: Yes, it definitely can happen. want to say. But I don't make kites just for makes kites like that because he is like that.PF: What is not art if anything can be art? visual things. I'm very much involved in try- It is not right or wrong, it's just the way heSB: Plenty of horrible things, sometimes ing to portray, I suppose, other elements, is. My own kites are the way I am.. . Kitesprecisely what people like to call art! sometimes unseen. You're dealing with issues don't have to be perfect. In fact, perfectionCopying is not art. and ideas that you can't talk about because in kites sometimes I find quite irritating.PF: Yet in so many Asian countries, people are language isn't enough, and they have much When you make a kite so well, sometimesdedicated to reproducing traditional patterns. more to do with intuition and feelings, with you kill off what you plan to do. There's noSB: But that is craftsmanship, not art. Art is unconscious ideas. life in it, it looks robot-made!about creation, developing new things. It has PF: Would you make unpainted kites? PF: What about all these animals and chartobe towards something new even if it's not SB: At the moment my forms are more acters on your kites? Do they tell stories? Storiescompletely new. Of course we all borrow abstracted and at times I think that maybe that you invent?things here and there. applique is much more suited to them. But SB: Yes, mostly stories I invent but I doSUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 49

Combo WinderTMAvailable with or without presleevedSPECTRA@ lineDEALER INQUIRIESINVITEDseparate sets of lineContoured edges toprevent line abrasionborrow ideas, images and meanings. I usefavorite thmgs like lizards, blackbirds, crows,chameleons.. .PF: Why do you like them?SB: They have qualities about them as animalsand creatures that I need to have andthat I relate to. I like that. Pretty much all mykites have faces. I like the kites to have anidentity. But I also like to have relationshipswithin a kite, so the images are composed ofrelationships, usually between human andanimal. The way we communicate with animalsis totally different from the way wecommunicate with people.PF: Could kites keep you busy for the rest of yotrrlife?SB: Yes, definitely. It's difficult to predictwhat will happen, but they haven't deceivedme so far. I started 10 years ago and I stillhave so many ideas that I haven't tried yet.A lot of people say, "do you still paint?" or"Do you still do art?"-proper art. All ofthe questions I had about the art I wantedto do, the kites kept answering them. Thekite is available, it's immediate, iVs enjoyable,it's fun, outdoors it's great.. . There is nodifference now between painting and kitesfor me: the kite is the art-piece.PF: So now I ask you: Do you still paint onpaper or canvas?SB: Recently I have been making smallpaintings, that are not kite designs. I wouldlike to make some bigger paintings. I doenjoy the physicality of paint.PF: Switching to technical matters, could youtell me about your choice of materials andpainting techniques?SB: I spent a year and a half exploringmany Merent fabrics, from silks to pure cotton,and learning about various Merent dyematerials, dyeing technology and chemistry.I'm still at the very beginning of whatthe potential is with the new inks.PF: Do you still use bamboo?SB: Sometimes yes, when bamboo is best.For example, when you need spars thatdon't bend symmetrically or when you makea shape in a certain form. .. I'd like to usebamboo more because I love working withit. The disadvantage with bamboo is that Iwasn't successful in making collapsible kiteswith it. I have tried various joints and thingswithout much success. Bamboo and paperkites have such an enduring quality that I feelBuffalo Kite Company myself being drawn back to this way of49 Argyle Ave. working for the future. As with many things,searching for the essence requires a gradual) Michael T. Decker shedding of complexities that confuse issues.(716) 834-2879 I would like to imagine the last kite I will evermake will be small, unassuming and simple,and probably just called "kite."PF: What kinds of kites will you be making 10SO / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

Lf, laser cut.sai1s - carbon air frames - flawless construction - 8 ft. wing spanyears from now? Will they be very diffmt?SB: I hope so! I am always on the lookout fornew colors, new processes. I find the kites I'mmaking now are a big change from my previousones. That's mainly because of theinfluence of my trip to India, its shrines andplaces of worship. As long as you keep gettinginspired.. .PF: What does it bring to you when you showyour kites to the public at festivals?--a publicwhich offen does not consider kites an art form?SB: There's an incredible sense of wonderwhen a kite just lifls off from your hand-youalmost can't believe it is doing that. Kitescan be appreciated on so many levels. Youdon't need to be interested in art to appreciatea kite; that's what so nice about it. If youmake something that flies, and it looks good,it's a great reward. You don't need people tocome up and buy it to feel rewarded. . . .Youget your own feedback. Also I prefer to showmy kites to crowds rather than to the limitedpublic of art galleries. . . .In painting' agood way to step back from your work andsee it is by putting a frame around yourpainting, because suddenly you've removedit from your touch: it's finished and you putit on a white wall. It's similar with a kite. Youput it in the sky and you've got it at that distance.It's removed.PF: When making kites, are you looking forappreciation from other people?SB: It's a very dangerous way to be. Whenyou make kites only for appreciation or tosell, it's like a death-maybe not death--aninhibitor. Recently I've been through stageswhere I felt like that. People were tellingme: "Do this, it's like your old style, it'smuch nicer.. ." I have to get over it. You gothrough so many barriers.. . If you do somethmgonly because it's successful you usuallyend up hating it. It never works.PF: How long have you been making a livingporn kites?SB: I'll start soon! 9w Buena Vista Kite Co.. .photography by Stuart AllenDYNEEMA*BY EUROCORD-HOLLANDEUROPE'S FINEST BRAIDED KITE LINEH SUPER STRONG H VERY SMOOTH MINIMAL STRETCHESPECIALLY DESIGNED FOR POWER KITINGAND COMPETITION STUNT FLYING7*DSM Registered TrademarkWORLDWIDE WHOLESALER INQUIRIES INVITEDMANUFACTURED BY EUROPEAN DISTRIBUTORSEUROCORD-HOLLAND VLIEGER-Or-HOLLANDTEL 01131 13 675878 TEL 01131 70 3858586F~x0113 13634643 F~xO1131 703838541SUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 51

mwwa n-later I had the timer in my hand and head- the photos from the lab. Wow, it worked- the cameraed out to my garage to set it all up. To test the beautiful, blurry, out-of-focus shots of what wreck ~t, I just won't tell anyontheory meant epoxying the timer to the I recognized as my house and yard.back of the camera. Several hours later, with Thus began my evolutionary process in Opposite Page, two views of the Iwo Jima=22the sweet smell of epoxy still wafting aer~al photography. The next step was a Memorial, Washington, DC, May 20,1995. The w - 2close-up reveals the statue's grit, like war's. -.?--through the garage, I knew the theory was camera that would ''automagically'' take a Center, ,mmpetinn pMnring for me annualiz:;wcsound. TO this me11 of picture every 60 seconds and advance the Paddle and Portage canoe race, Madison,. . - -- - --6lm itself. The answer was Ricoh Shotmaster, Wisconsin, July 17,1993. +&.pi-~-- - , _ost of a $150 worth of raw power, nothing epoxied Above, inflating hot air balloons for The Gmat, ,,i + =Wisconsin Dells Balloon Rally, WisconsinSaturday afternoon to raise the camera, wait to the back of this baby. Next came a betterWisconsin, June lgw. 5+xAFq- L-+=+&&?=a'3,- 'for the timer to go off, bring the camera camera cradle that uses an old six- minute - -..=. w*>=- :down, wind the film ahead, adjust the aim, darkroom timer so the Ricoh camera can do Craig Wil~on contributes to The Aerial Eye, a==,?- 2,reset the tlmer and lift the camera back up. a 360 degree spin as ~t takes pictures. 'Then rlavpublication ufliliatrld with the AKA. He hu~"-;-6.'~I repeated 24 times. Conclusion number I got an even better carnera-a Ricoh KRlOm lrpcoming exhibitions at the West Bend Arts T '*one: 12 exposure rolls would be good. and a radio-controlled rig to allow me to Museum, West Rend, Wisconsin, August 9-'-z"'" -. -With anticipation rivaling that of my control elevation angle, 360- degree rotation September 17 and at the Smithsonian Air and * z- ;,six-year-old on Christmas Eve, I picked up and shutter release from the ground while Space Museum, Washington, DC, October 21. :+ ?-=-,:a. *i* : ,. .- ;':"' < '. - - ..I ,,- - n&+.7"" ,g. -: %* ;L*< - , :- - c% 7 . .T;-@l_i., ii* .$ * ,& , :-j. A ? - 1%, .= -* =.= . >.%A. r**-* '=- .s *:. ',

1 Ci ood ruin d5 T54 / KlTE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995Kit-;"uSeattle, WA 98103 USA206) 632-6151AX: waingfo* (206) 633-0301 N.IT WORKS FOR MEA Parabearrn1Mouthpiece for aTeddy BearFrom Adrian Pierorazio, Kingston, Ontario,Canada:Recently I have developed this reliable dropmechanism using an inexpensive two-partkey chain and an old trumpet mouthpiece.The key chain hastwo key rings, one connectedto a simple socketand the other to the stemof a spring-loaded release.The key chain is light andstrong but separates easilywhen the stem ispressed.In performing ajump, the teddy bear isattached to the triggerand lofted using a lightlift line. The lift line travelsthrough a small pulley(or ring) in the line of thelifting kite. Once the triggerreaches the pulley agentle tug releases the daringbear.I used a trumpetmouthpiece because I hada few handy, and alsobecause it providesenough weight to ensurethe bear's lift line willThe dropmechanism fora teddy bear.re- to the ground aftereach drop. Thus I can leave my lifting kitein the air while performing multiple beardrops.Follow these steps to parachute yourbear or other fauna:1. Remove the key ring from the triggerside of the key chain; this half will be theactive component of the mechanism.2. Cut a 24" piece of 24-30-lb Dacronpolyester line. Tie one end securely aroundthe body of the key chain release.3. Feed the free end through the largeend of the trumpet mouthpiece.4. Using a large, sturdy button, feed theline through one hole and back throughanother hole.5. Feed it back through the trumpetmouthpiece and tie it securely to the bodyof the key chain release.6. At this point the mechanism is work-

able but not quite reliable because the triggerpart may turn sideways when force isapplied to release it. To remedy this, inserta nylon wire tie through the hole in thestem. Just make sure the tie wraps aroundthe line on both sides of the stem.When force is applied to the lift line, theend of the stem will be depressed regardlessof the angle at which it hangs. The curvedinside of the mouthpiece ensures that theforce will be delivered to the stem at anyangle.7. Place the key ring that was removedfrom the key chain over the neck of themouthpiece. This gives a convenient placeto secure the static line that draws the bear'sparachute out of the backpack.8. Tie the other half of the key chain tothe bear's parachute pack.This mechanism is now well tested,though the first jump was somewhatunnerving for other reasons. It was the firstjump for a bear named Petri, whose missionwas to not only test previously untriedequipment, but also to deliver a proposal ofmarriage to my now fiancee Heather.Needless to say, Petri was successful!2Paper Clips forLight Duty Connecting-From Walter J. Brick, Florence, Oregon:Split-ring connectors are expensive andoften difficult tofind and use.I've found thatare a simple alternative:easy on, easyoff, strong, inexpensive andavailable.I use them for attachingtails, streamers and, with aswivel connector, the flyingline. They allow me tochange color, length and decorationto adjust for appearance and wind strength.It Works for Me is your place to share yourfavorite kite hint or trick. Each published itemearns your choice of (1) any book@) from the KiteLines Bookstore to a value of $16 or (2) a one-yearsubscription or extension to Kite Lines. Senddetails, drawings and/or photographs to KiteLines, P. 0. Box 466, Randallstown, MD 21133-0466, USA, or fax us at 410-922-4262.I iWhen you'reready to make thecommitment.. . . .We have the kffe to he@ you reach your goalr.IHandcrafted by Michael "Gel" Girvin,a 5 time World Record Setter anda Member of the 1994 World ChampionU.S National Boomerang Team.Gel Boomerangs'" have been used toset 11 World Records by 7 different throwersafid have received 7 USBA Merit Awards.FREE GEL BOOMERANGS CATALOG"2124 KITTREDGE ST. #61, BERKELEY, CA 94704TEL. 510-658-2469 FAX 510-655-9690DEALER INQUIRIES WE1 COMEChdce of eiifter Carrlngfon K-42 or QD crn/CARE X sails. Wodd ckrss frames are standard -(Prospar, Sky Shark or Advanta 9). IncrediblePertomnce at a great pdce~ !on tact yourlocal dealer ocParagon Kitesp.0, Box 591 562, San Francisco, CA 941 59 Tel & Fax: (41 5) 668-2 185FOR FURTHER INFORMATION:610 W. MARKET ST.51 LVER CITY, NM 88061505-388-1993ENCANTADOOCTOBER7,8 &9KA SANCTIONED / SINGLE LINE COMPETITION!FIGHTER KITE & ROKKAKU BATTLESDUAL LINE COMP. / CLOISONNE PINS /T-SHIRTSBANQUET WITH BOB & HAZEL INGRAHAMSUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 55

INTRODUCING: The Only Two-Dimensional Quad Kite!The Prowl* &9'9* @ ."e+&eqa

The Kite Lines Books~reserving the kiter's reading needs by mailEnglish edition, revised fromF IT'S ABOUT KITES, the Kite Lines title, but we do guarantee your satisfactionBookstore probably has it-the common, with our service. We want you to feel likethe rare, the foreign, the domestic, the you're in your local bookstore. Pick a book.informative, the artistic, the good--and the Look it over. If it's wrong for you, you can putbad. We carry nearly all the kite titles in it back on our shelf: No problem.national artists collaboratingwith 36 Japanese kitemakers.print, even ones thatgive us a lot of trouble to Kite books ofren go out of print without Softcover, 406 pp., $78.95warning. If you want any of these, we suaest(no airmail shipping)The Bookstore gives no endorsement to any you snap them up now!--Make Mine Fly by HelenKite-Folds by BethBushell. This 1988 edi-Matthews. This imtionis an excellent proved edition has printed edition at a price break:collection of tips, tech- plans for 12 small Ravensboume to Airborne coversniques, and hints (gath- kites, easily made Hargrave's work on aerodynamics,ered since 1977) for from a single sheet gliders and kites, including his sketchbeginners,experts, of paper, plus the es of equipment, concepts, designs. Nogroups or individuals. "Skyvelope." Clear photos. Softcover, 57 pp., $21.95Includes plans for the instructions, lovely Construction Drawings for a Selectionauthor's famous patent- color photos, adden- ofKites, companion volume of detaileded Trefoil Delta, plusplan drawings for a dozen moderate-sizeseveral paper kites. Soft- Hargrave kites. Softcover, 25 pp., $14.95cover,90 pp., $22.95 36 pp., $14.95 Both books as package, $34.95.,om BRAZIL.. .Bemzuda Kites by FrankAtte de Pazer Pipas 2 (The Art ofWatlington. Plans for five islandKitemaking 2) by Sivio Voce,kites, plus variations and hum- in Portuguese. How to make 10mers. Traditional methods andnon-Brazilian paper kites.materials (flour and water paste: Softcover, 56 pp., $6.95"a little cayenne pepper will Arte de Fazer Pipas 1 gives planskeep away the roaches"). Flyingfor 14 kitechalf are Brazilian.lacking dimensions.tips, a little history. A charmer. Softcover, 50 pp., $6.95Softcover, 24 pp., $4.95 Both books as package, $12.95Kite Crazy (the book) by Carol Thed P. Synergy's self-publishedmas. Accompanies the video. Plansbooks convey lots of informaforfighters, dual- and quad-liners.tion and enthusiasm:Reliable text, black-and-white draw-Kiting to Record Altitudes tellsings. Softcover, 176 pp., $25.95Kite Crazy (the video) by SOMAFilm & ndeo, Canada. Famouskiters teach how to make and fly I-,2- and 4-line kites. Good clear social aspects, equipment andinstructions and lovely footage,maneuvers (32 in all). EmphasizesVHS format, 102 min., $34.95success in competitions. Softcover,Special book/video package $57.95Chinese Artistic Kites by HaKites: A Practical Handbook byKuirning and Ha Yiqi TheRon Moulton and Pat Lloyd. Acelebrated kites of the Hasolid pack of Information infamily of Beijing. History,slight disorder. Excellent drawstructure,decoration, flight.ings of 25-plus kites. Fine sec-Over 80 kites in richly print-tions on sport kites and paraedcolor. Good English trans-chuting teddy bears. Outdatedlation. Limited supplies. Soft-appendixes; some color photos.cover, 160 pp., $16.95 Softcover, 255 pp., $27.95=&A Beginner's Guide to Flying Indian Fighter Kitesby Shirley Turpin. A well-compressed compendiumof good advice gleaned from StaffordWallace, British flier of Indian fighters.Discusses basic principles of fighter flying, lineselection and handling, tuning, bridling,launching, changing direction, care, repairs,problem-solving. Simple but adequate blackand-whitedrawings. Softcover, 18 pp., $4.95Mark Cottrell's books are homely and self-published, with plansBox Kites Making and Flyingthat may call for a magnifying glass-but they are also some of the by Dr. Bill Cochrane. Plans for 17most honest, entertaining and useful in print:types of box kites, from basicKite Aerial Photography. Three kite plans and a system to comparedesigns to Hargrave, Conyne andtrade-offs among features in a rig. Source lists.tetrahedral plus three Cody styles.Softcover, 44 pp., $10.95A little history andSwept Wing Siunt Kites. Analysis of stunt design elements;aerodynamics but out-of-date4 plans. Softcover, 43 pp., $11.95 building methods. Color photosThe Kite Store Book ofKites. 10 plans for original Cottrell kites plusin attractive layout.philosophy and a 5.25" disk for computer design.Scanty appendixes.Softcover, 48 pp., $13.95 Hardcover, 96 pp., $34.95

The Ek Lines Bookstore . . . Continued .gSkywork LlExperrience by ChristinePerfbrmmce Stunt Kites i3 Make) by Peter Rieleit,Schertel, in German. New volumePlans for fOur kites, in German. Plans for 12 original dual-liners (six following original Skywork Experideltas,three foils and three figure kites, includ-ence. Plans for 12 original, testeding Superfly, banana, pteranodon]. A stlmulat-designs: nine stunters and threeing, motivating,creative work, lndudes finecellular kites, including a Hargrave,charts plus tips on materials, sewing, hots andCody and the "Revolver." Attractiveflying. Softcover, 96 pp., plus full-size foldatpaintings instead of photographs.airfoil pattern, $24.95 Softcover, 52 pp., $17.95reliable, have good ideas, instmctio~~~, colorphotographs and drawings:fiachen baum (Kitmaking;,. This well-rounded volumecontains 35 kite plans plus numerous accessories andtips. Excellent, detailed drawings and fine photosthroughout. Softcover, 128 pp., $18.95Dmchen aus aller Welt (Xites Fom Everywhere). A 40-kiteinternational sampler, including the Cloud Seeker,Cody, tetrahedral, rhombus and multicell boxes,~enkdkic henund Einleinerbduen und nt~enDmchen mif Gwhichte (Kites with A@oni (Kites) by Guide hi A m W( A W cHistory) by Walter Diem and Accasdna, in Italian, A teli- Kites) by Cristiua SanvitoWernpr Schmidt, in German. able mini encyclopedia, and Giancarlo Galli, inExtensively researched, faithfullywith kites in "family" grouprepmdwed models from our richings. Includes theory, techkitinghistory. Bmgden, Games,niques, sources, history,Gnmd, Hargrave, Kuznetzov,plans. Good printing includ-Lamson, Lecomu, Sauls, others.ing some color. Latest edi-Detailed plan drawings and won-Urn in standard poCktbookd m historic photos.format. Softcover,256 pp.,Hardcover, 160 pp., $29.95 now $16.95Two stunt kite books by Servaas van dm Horst and Nop Velthuizen, in English,cover all aspeas of the sport h uptodate high-tech style.Well arganiwd and Wted, the books contain excellentdrawings and photos, including some in color:Sttmt Kites i% Make and Fly. The first book includes clear plans fo10 shmters, some with novel touches. Softmver, 96 pp., $21.9!StuntKit@s Ll: New Desrgns, Ewes and Boats. Plans for 8 kites plusadvice on how to design your own. Emphasizes "paver" kites,fam0usarchtrain.Colorpho- has plans for a buggy. Softcover, 96 pp., $22.95tos, drawings, full details.NEW! Companion diskette 2.0 for IBMcompatlbles, prints outSoftcover, 100 pp., $29.95 templates of SXJlplans; also simulates stunt maneuvers, $19.95om SWITZERLAND . . .I

The Kite Lines Bookstore . . . Continued -The Penguin Book of Kites Kiteworks by Maxwell Eden. Re- Kite Precision by Ron Reich. Aby David Pelham. Called vised edition. Hefty book with strong foundation in stunt flying"The Bible," first published 50 kite plans (such as Yakko from a celebrated kiteflier. Fully.in 1976 and still recom- Stakk, Kaleidakite, Tri-D Box, detailed explanations of maneumendedfor all kitefliers.Pterosaur) with detailed draw-Plans for more than 100ings based on material providkitesplus solid, well-ed by respected designers.. Sewresearchedand -writtening, aerodynamics, accessoriesaerodynamics and history.and (un)related stories. KiteColor in half the book.paintings, a few photos.Index and bibliography. Appendixes and index. them. Touches of humor.Softcover, 228 pp., $14.95 Softcover, 287 pp., $16.95 Softcover, 182 pp., $14.95by Tal Streeter. Rare profiles ofmaster kite artists of Japan sensitivelyinterviewed in 1971-72, justbefore the waning of their traditionalarts. Includes 130 photos(52 in color). No plans, but somebackground on Japanese-style kitebuilding. A rich contemporaryhistory and a true joy to read.Softcover, 181 pp., $29.95ction of information,Books by Jim Rowlands, though U.S.-published, containBritish quirks; have a few color photos withiin otherwise blackand-whitepages of line drawings; have book list and index:Soft Kites and Windsocks. Same as British Kites and Windsocks.The best and most popular work from Rowlands. Plans for 11kites (including whale, frog, parafoil and Flow Form), 5 windsocks,5 drogues and 2 bags. Softcover, 104 pp., $14.95The Big Book ofKites. Same as British Making and Flying ModernKites. Plans for 36 kites all on the simple side, plus materials,techniques, an "evolution" of kites. Softcover, 127 pp., $14.95One-Hour Kites. Same as Bril~sh Kites to Make and Fly. Plans for25 basic kites, incluclmg oversimplified Facet and stunter kites.Somewhat overlaps with Trte Big Book of Kites. A reference (nota guide) for workshops. Softcover, 95 pp., $14.95The Ultimate Kite Rook by Pauland Helene Morgan. If itweren't for the exaggerated title,this book would be easier torecommend. Colorfully donewith high quality illustrationand printing. Brief history;incomplete identification ofkitemakers. Extensivephotographs showing flyingtechniques. About six good kiteplans, including a simplestunter and a tumbling star.Hardcover, 88 pp., $19.95Kite books by Wayne Hosking vary inappearance but suffer in the writing:Kites. Colorful, lavishly printed bookof beautiful kite photos. Some goodresearch on Asian kites. Kitemakersare unidentified. Absurd appendixes;120 pp., $15.95NEW! Kites to Touch the Sky. A homemadeblack-and-white book containingplans for 32 basic plastic kites.Simple drawings, no photographs.Softcover, 96 pp., $9.95Art That Flies by TalStreeter and Pamela Houk.An attractive anthology ofunusual kites from a 1990Dayton (Ohio) Art Instituteexhibit, featuringworks bv three notedartists. optical illusions,environmental works,interviews, interestingbibliography. No plans.Softcover, 139 pp., $14.95Fighter Kites byPhilippe Gallot, inEnglish. Plans for 29kites, tips on flying,tools, materials,games, accessories.Clear illustrations,adequate instructions,plentiful enthusiasm.Watch out for metricconversions. Softcover,96 pp., $12.95Super Kites Ill by NeilThorburn. Many designsfor delta-sled-box inventionsof proven performance.Tested, creativetechniques using mostlyplastic bags and woodendowels. Some color photosbrighten this "completelyhandmade" book.Softcover, 123 pp., $8.95Kites: An Historical Survey byClive Hart. Revised, secondedition (1982). Invaluablereference work with manyblack-and-white illustrationsand photos. Fascinating, readable,in-depth research in earlykiting. The most extensive kitebibliography in print. Noplans. Limited supply.Softcover, 210 pp., $15.95Kite books by Margaret Greger areclear, wise and reliable, ideal forbeginner, expert or classroom:Kites for Eveyone. Many good kiteplans, variations and accessories,plus tips and techniques. Secondedition. Softcover, 136 pp., $12.95More Kites for Eveyone. Some oldkites, some new kites, plus moretips. Plans for 17 kites, simple tocomplex. Softcover, 59 pp., $9.95MARGARET GREGER PeeER I25 Kites that Flyby Leslie Hunt.Reprint of the1929 original.Good old-fashionedkites(shield, elephant,yacht,etc.) usingpaper andwood. Has historical data andphotos. Hunt was a kitemakerfor the U.S. Weather Bureau.Softcover, 110 pp., $3.95The Usborne,Book ofKites by SusanMayes. Cute, colorfulcollection forkids. Six easy kites,with clear and fullyillustrated step-bystepinstructions.All measurementsgiven in both metricand U.S. equivalent.Good introduction to materials, windand flying. Many tips included. Softcover,32 pp., $5.95Make Your Own Kite (newkites) by John W. Jordan.Plans for nine o@kites (Flying Saucer, SpaceStation, Crazy Cobra,Computer Card Kite,others) using unusual butmostly-easy-to-find materialssuch as plastic foam.Clear instructions andamusing reading from agenuine enthusiast. Black-and-white photos.Softcover edttion out of print. Limited supplyof the hardcover edition, 90 pp., $14.95Ski the Beach by StanRogers. All you need toknow about sand skiingwith kites. The only bookon this topic. Safety concernsexplained throughout.Necessary beachconditions thoroughlyillustrated. Loads ofcharts, including "HowWind Energy is Affectedby Temperature." Homemade layout anddrawings. Scads of black-and-white photographs.Softcover, 100 pp., $13.95

NEW! Scott Hampton's Long Beach posterScott Hampton'sposters are hugelypopular in the kitecommunity-andthis is his best oneyet! It shows 62 ofthe world's mostcolorful and creativekites asobserved in 1992and 1993 inLong Beach,Washington.Printed on heavy, high-quality paper 22" x 16 in size, "Long Beach"comes with a map so you can identify every kitemaker. Exclusively bymail from Kite Lines in the U.S. Great to display, super as a special gift.$20.00 plus $5.00 shipping in a strong tubenow you can have it all-on MICROFILM!each $3.00 postpaidentire set $85Here it is, the entire,coveted collection,all 42 back issues ofKite Lines publishedears, available in aneat, compact library on microfiche.When copies sell out, a microficheversion is offered immediately, so newenthusiasts can take a crash course inkiting with this treasure chest of usefulinformation!ach $2.50 postpaidLCK ISSUES of Kite Lines offer a wealth of t~~umation Christmas Island feats; Stunter Survey; George Peters.nd ideas: plans, tips, techniques (for both single- andmultiline fliers), personalities, world records, festivals, FALL 1992 (Vol. 9, No. 3)reviews--an essential history of today!s kiting, withCastiglione, Le Touquet, Barcelona, Ostia; Arch Ribbon;inspiring stories and designs.Niagara Falls; Tangles; IanuzVs Featherlight; Kim Petersen.No wonder back issues of Kite Lines are avidly collected ~ E 1992-93 R (Vol. 9, No. 4)by so many enthusiasts. You can start now with the 15 issues Hamamatsu; Kite Power, with traction chronology; fightersavailable while supplies last in original paper form. Single survey; Dieppe; GX-3 plans; Ron & Sandra Gibian.copies, $4.50 each plus $1.00 each shipping. Quantityrates: 4 or more copies, $4.50 each, free shipping. SPRING 1993 (Vol. 10, No. 1)Guatemala; Java; fighters; Celeb Rokkakus; Travel Tips; aerialsof Ireland; quad-lie hopeller; Jsrgen Msller Hansen.WINTER 1989-90 (Vol. 7, No. 4)China by Tal Saeeter and Skye Morrison; How to Dye SUMMER-FAU.1993 (Vol. 10, No. 2)Ripstop; Modifying a Parachute; Stunting a Flow Form. Adrenaline tour of India; Istv6n Bod6czys artistry; CarlSUMMER 1990 (Vol. 8, No. 1)Crowell's Cross Deck; Oldest U.S. Kite Festival (Iowa); Kites atNew Zealand, Berlin, Washington (England); Parachutethe Pyramids; Tony Wolfenden'Stunter plans; Peter Lynn's Future Tech; Bobby Stanfield. ~ E 1993 R pol. 10, NO. 3)WINTER 1990-91 (Vol. 8, No. 2)North Sea events (Terschelling, Scheveningen, Faner); KiteDieppe, Montpellier, Bristol and Berlin; Stunt Kite Survey;Camp Caravan; Rendez-Vous Mondial in Canada; Sheragy'sD'Alto's Whitehead kite; Largest Eddy record.Butterflies; Wolfgang Schimmelpfennig.'The complete set ofKite Tales (the originalAKA newsletter) onmicrofiche-over 1,600 pages-all 40issues from October 1964 to November1976. Twelve years of plans, news andhistoric materia1-a must for researchersor libraries.Beach festival; Reza Ragheb.&&us; Kocher's Obtuse PALL 1994 (Val. 11, No. 1)Shirone's New Museum; Korea and its fighters; Art & Ideas ofJoan Montcada; Thailand International; Aerial PhotographerGeorge Lawrence; Jimmy Sampson.; Painless ParafoilWINTER-SPRING 1995 (Vol. 11, No. 2)

Do you know what the Speed Limit is?The SPEED LIMIT is a new concept in sport kite design,featuring a self-adjusting sail for steady speed andmoderate pull. It literally changes with the wind tomaintain optimum speed and handling.Stay in control ... Fly the SPEED LIMIT.MODULUSPARAFOIL TRACTION SYSTEMDEALER INQUIRIESe FUNKite CataIogFeaturing Our Special Kite Rating Chart for Ease of Selection.ur complete source for 1,2,4 Line and Power Ki,t&g a Wide Variety of Accessories & Materialsto Build Kites or to Keep You Sailing the Skies.KaIaBash KNerSailing the Skies!800-576-54FOR USA DIRECTCONTACT"THE RATTLER"P.O. Box 3340 Incline VillageNevada,USA89450Tel: 702-833-4233Fax: 702-833-4244SUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES I 61

BOOMERANGS...as AMERICANas KANGAROO!@1 11 THE BOOMERANG MAN 111806-K North 3rd StreetI IMonroe, LA 71201 11318-325-8157DISCOVER SO OF THE WORLD'S BEST IFor color catalog, send $2 to:SAlLlNES 1720 SW 196th Portland, OR 97006 5031642-5 170I'720-A Gateway Center Dr., Son Diego, CA 92102uw.62 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

FOR THE RECORDAtlantic Crossing by Kite Power!-wArticle by Pierre Fabre / Photographs by Laurent Charpentiero would have guessed thatChallenges and techniquesthe first person to cross the Nicole patiently sailed a total of 2, 700Atlantic Ocean with a boat solelynautical miles (3,107 miles) at anpowered by kites would be a Frenchaverage speed of 4 knots (4.6 mph).mother of three and piano teacher Her highest speed was 7 knots (8by profession?mph). The rather steady trade windsNicole Van de Kerchove left the blew about 5 to 7% knots (about 6-9Canary Islands from Tenerife formph) favorable winds. Her boat, aher solitary crossing on February 8,JOD 24 (Jeanneau One Design) had1995. She reached Pointe-&Pitre on no mast or sail. It was so small andGuadeloupe islands on March 8,lightweight it would constantly pitchjust 28 days later.and roll, which made it dangerous forher to stand on deck. AWyt falhgWhy she did itoff the boat was the greatest dangerNicole's aim was only to demon- Above, Nicole Van de Kerchove launches one of the kites she since there was nothing to cling to onstrate dramatically how kites could uses in her crossing. A safety harness anchors her to the boat. its empty deck.Below, her route from the Canaries to the Guadaloupe islands.be used to replace a regular mastNicole brought a total of eightand sail: she felt she had to set an exarn-kites, all based on the same design. Two ofple. She speaks about her adventure withthem she didn't use: a 10-square-metersuch modesty that it sounds as if any-(100-square-foot) dual-liner, not a practibodycould have done it. But she is thecal option on a solitary sailing trip, and afirst and only one.15-square-meter (150-square-foot) kite, tooAbout 15 years ago, while crossing thelarge for the fair winds that blew most of theAtlantic, her Mends spent 11 days drifting intime. Her other kites were a 4 square-metera dinghy before being rescued. At times use kites to power a boat if it lost its mast. (40 sq~~~~foot), the smallest and most suittheycould see ships passing along the hori- Within one year after making her deci- able for strong winds; three 9 square-meterszon, but they had no way to get closer to sion, she launched a big soft kite from the (90 square-footers), used the most; and twothem and not one ship could spot them in deck of a 24-foot boat and headed west for 12 square-meters (120 square-footers) thatthe distance. a long run across the Atlantic. went up in lighter winds. Sometimes she putreaked, "If they had only had a kitewindsocks to the line to provide extra pullto tow their dinghy or to show their position, Turning the idea into reality (and show sponsors' names).they would have been saved so much soon- Despite a too-short period for experimenting, She flew only one kite at a time, at theer. It then seemed so obvious to me that kites she had no fear whatsoever and no doubt end of 300 to 500 meters (about 984 toshould be widely used in sailing." that the kites would tow her all the way. Any 1,640 feet) of Dacron polyester line. SpectraShe expected the idea would spread quick- tension she felt came from the fact that this line was sometimes used in light winds.er than it has, But since nothing much hap- was the first time she was sponsored: she Nicole would launch a kite directly frompened,* she thought she would prove what knew all those who supported her expected her gloved hands after she harnessed herselfkites could do herself by crossing the Atlantic her to succeed the first time. and strapped her feet to the front deck. Atowed by kites. Nicole is an experienced Looking for these sponsors was the strong safety line running from the back ofsailor, having spent seven years in a round- toughest and longest part of her project. her harness to the cabin allowed her tothe-world tour, so the challenge didn't seem Her estimated budget was 300,000 francs stand firm,slightly leaning forward, to pretootough. She didn't have much experi- ($60,000). She gathered about two-thirds vent the kite from pulling her off the boat.ence in kiteflying, but this was even better; of that amount and made do with it. Of course, the kite's line was locked beforeshe wauld show that any average sailor could Nicole got her kites from Icare, an launch and ran off the boat through a bedimporter and distributor in La Rochelle. All pulley placed exactly where the mast would*Underpub]i&ed examples notwithstanding,-for the kites were custom-made from original normally stand. Once the kite Was Up, sheinstance: Samoans in canoes ca. 1700; pocock designs by Sylvain Berthomm6, well known had to steer the boat and carefully watchwith boat, 1828; Cody with canoe, 1903; Gillett in France for inventing Mad Kyte, a power the kite, but she also used an automaticwith mtl lg75; Stewart with a-1 1977; stunter with a self-adjusting profile and sim- steering system, a regular feature on most sailandCarter with 1982; plified bridling. Sylvain is also a sailor and ing boats.with intlatable, four times (fourof the Great Lakes),1987-1988-4 solely under kite power, travershasexperimented with kite sailing, havinging bodies of water of known distances up to 130 success full^^ crossed the English Channel a Keeping the kites upmiles. (~etails from "A Brief Chronology of Kite few years ago. Nicole relied on his technical The major problem? These kites lacked a-,~ractioh,," Kite Lines, Witer 199293.) expertise concerning kites. device that would prevent them from fillingSUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 63

FOR THE RECORD . . . ContinuedTotally OmnidirectionalExtremely PreciseLow Wind RangePatented DesignITE PATTERNSFour patterns to help you createa kite with your choiceof fabric colors and framing:XlTR Sport KiteTMWind CheaterTM6-foot Delta CumulusTM3 - D Dual Duty D i a m 0 n d TM ~eo~er inquirieer welcome!Choose from our complete selection of parts.Call for a free brochure.Goodwindj (206) 632-6151 FAX 633-03013333 Wallingford Avenue NorthKites@ Seattle, Washington 98103AEXPERIENCE THEEXCITEMENT!1 LIGHT YOUR KITE WITH THEBRIGHTEST, BEST LOOKING KlTELIGHTS IN THE KNOWN UNIVERSEAHUNDREDS OF TIMES BRIGHTER THAN OTHERKlTE LIGHTSCLlP ON - CLlP OFFNO EXTRA PARTS OR TOOLS REQUIREDLIGHTS THE ENTIRE LEADING EDGE OFYOUR KlTEmA NOT FRAGILE - STORE THEM IN YOUR KlTE BAGI IF THEY'RE NOT IN YOUR FAVORITE KlTE SHOP CALL FLY BY NIGHT AT (206) 351-2385 1up with water if theyfell in the ocean.On the first day ofher travel, Nicole lostthe first of her 9-square-meter kites. Itdove and sank in thewater after a bridleline broke. Pulling Nicole's kite at athen over a ton, the high angle withoutdrowned kite was so windsocks.heavy on her winch that all the other bridlelines broke before Nicole could get hold of it.She lost a second 9-square-meter kite thesame way just a few days before she arrived.These single-liners, the only kites shehad, were not as stable in flight as Nicoleexpected-I believe because their designwas directly derived from the Mad Kyte, adual-liner. Maybe all they needed was adrogue. They had a strange tendency todive and then climb up again. Nicole discoveredthat once this behavior started, itwould repeat and only get worse. It becamea sign that it was time to retrieve the kitebefore it took a bath.A first in long-distance kite sailingAfter her trip, Nicole regretted not bringingseveral kinds of kites to test for efficiency,safety and ease of handling. She thought ofsome improvements that could be madeon the kites, for instance, fitting inflatableribs in some of the cells or attaching a spe-1 cial retrieving - line to the back of the kite.Nicole is a pragmatic person: she doesn'tbelieve kites will ever offer the same performanceand convenience as a mast andsails. And she doesn't think a lone sailor cankite-sail upwind across an ocean.But she is an enthusiastic promoter ofkites as emergency gear. She thinks highlyvisible kites can help rescuers spot a lostboat or dinghy, or power a boat when thewind is so strong all sails must be lowered.A kite pulling on the stern can steady aboat during a storm. It would keep theboat's bow into the wind so big waves don'thit the boat's side and turn it over. Such asteadying kite would make it easier to juryrig a mast or sail during a storm.Thanks to her success, Nicole hopes toconvince sailors that kites can save lives. Herreal victory will be when kites are compulsorysafety equipment for every survivalboat or dinghy.Q64 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

IN THE WlNDNews, Rumors 6 Miscellany 1S URPRISINGBUTI-IAPPYNEWS: things with kites. First, they areThe National Air & Space M m , scheduling an exhibit titled "FlightsWashington, DC is doing some new of Fancy: Photographs by Jacques-Henri Lartigue, 19041922" circulatedby The American Federationof Arts. Most of us have seen Lartiguephotos in pages of kite books,but did we realize that Lartigue wasonly 10 years old when he took hisfirst picture? (It was of the first gliderflight by French aviator GabrielVoisin.) And did we know that byage 15 Lartigue had taken morethan 1,000 photographs of earlyflying machines (including kites)?Or did we realize that Lartigue kepta detailed journal describing whathe had photographed-and that9by the time of his death in 1986 heDetail of Lartigue photo of Louis had written 116 volumes? Thisand Hubert Laroze, Rouzat,amazing display runs from Septem-France, 1911. During the holldays,the Lartlgue family gathber30,1995 to March 3,1996. Aderedat their country mansion of mission is free.Rouzat and gave free rein to Second, on October 21, 1995their imagination. This kite was two workshops on kite aerial phomadeby Lartigue's father, Henri. tnvranhv will he led hv CraigLN YOU BELIEVE IT? THEUhst Coast Stunt Kite Cham-,ionships is 10 years old. So the~rganizers wanted somethmg BIG.'Bring on the Flow Forms," they,aid. And at the designated hour a,ecord number of 30 of the big!52-square-foot kites flew togetherIver the otherwise gray beach atNildwood, New Jersey on MemoialDay weekend. Also impressivewere the Wild Wheels Buggy BlastNew Jersey. "Theythings you couldn't imagine possible."The top Indoor winner wasyoung Curtiss Mitchell of DaytonaBeach, Florida flying a SynergyDeca quad-liner to a cheering audiencein a tricky setting with a lowhangingballroom light in the middleof the ceiling. Indoor flying isnow a standard feature at severalleading events. And where did wesee it first? Wildwood.Wilson and Brooks Leffler. Thereare fees and class size is limited.Contact: Barbara Herrick, NationalAir & Space Museum, SrnithsonianInstitution, Washington, DC 20560;telephone: 202-633-8926.URRICANE FELIX MADE ITH dicey this year, but saving turtlesis a way of life at the Caribbean KiteCompany in Jamaica. Turtles areendangered there because of beacherosion, natural predators (such ascrabs) and the lo& belief that turtleeggs are an aphrodisiac. About 10people are recruited in July andbeaches and lay their eggs. The volunteerslift the eggs carefully fromtheir nests (about 120 eggs per nest)and bring them to a special holdingtank at the kite factory where thetemperature is right for hatching.Stormy waves destroyed many neststhis year, but still many eggs weresaved. And if you're in the factory onthe nght day about %lo weeks later,you'll hear the eggs cracking andsee the turtles rush to the surface,"like a volcano," according to SusanBaker, partner in the company andchief turtle keeper. "The whole placegets excited," she says. "We don't2 August when the turtles land on the make another kite for the day." vSUMMER-FALL 1995 / KITE LINES / 65

DISCOVER 'IWN.B.K. & Hawk 2Special Sale Price1 4 MORE? g;Classifieds are limited to non-commercial andpersonal advertisers. Rates are $1 .OO per word,$10 minimum, payable in advance. Publisher mayedit or abbreviate for space. Send copy with paymentto: Kite Lines, P.O. Box 466, Randallstown,MD 21 133-0466, USA.FOR SALEONE OF THE FIRST: Historic kite shop, TheUnique Place - World of Kites, in trendy RoyalOak, MI. Mobile kiosk also for sale. Famous ownerready to retire. Call Pat Gilgallon, 810-356-1427.Tony Cyphert's RECORD-SETTING 75-FOOTDELTA. Ready to fly, needs good home. Bestoffer. Contact: Gene Carey, PO Box 151740, SanDiego, CA 92175, 61 9-697-8557.RIPSTOP NYLON, kite construction materials.SASE for list or call 912-953 3509. David Olson,202 Joy Dr., Warner Robins, GA 31088.OPPORTUNITY in New Zealand: Kite shop andmfr. business. Estab. 10 yrs., 58.5 sq.m. (620 sq.ft.)in busy South Island city. Central location, populartourist venue. Small mfr. unit wlproven quality, goodproducts. Reg. whsle. customers. BothimporVexport possibilities. Well positioned for expansion,franchise agreements in place. Immigrationsponsorship help. Phonelfax +64-3-377-1107.WANTEDFor "KITE SHOW '95-Kite enthusiasts of all agesmay apply. Entry fee is $5 per kite. For informationsend SASE to Catskill Art Society, Box N,Hurleyville, NY 12747, (914) 436-4227.ANNOUNCEMENTSWARNING! The Unique Place-World of Kites hasnot been sold. A "World of Kites, Inc." claims tohave purchased my shop. They have opened abank account and acquired a tax ID number usingmy shop address. No one has the right to use myshop address. If my shop is sold, I will personallynotify the kite trade. Be advised this outfit is not legitimate.-Pat Gilgallon, The Unique Place-Worldof Kites, 525 S. Washington, Royal Oak, MI 48067.Not all colors availableCall us toll free1 -800-29-KITESFly-Away Kites, Inc.(Kite Supermarket on the Jersey Shore)1108 Main St., Belmar NJ 07719Fax: 1-908-681 -0523HUGE IN~ENTORY OF ME WORLDSFINEST STUNT KITES, SINGLE-LINEKITES AND ACCESSORIES. WIDECOLOR SELECTIONS. FAST, FRIENDLYAND PERSONALIZED SERVICE.1 81 00 CEDAR CREEK DR.NEW PORT RICHEY, FL 34653 IKITES & Airec fMajor BrandsLOWFactory Direct Prices!!!Call or Write forOur Free Catalog.Flying Things130 S.E. Highway 101Lincoln City, OR 97367(503) 996-631368 / KITE LINES / SUMMER-FALL 1995

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