Kite Lines - Vol.1 No. 2 - KiteLife

the end is notin sightMillions of people fly kites casually, and thousandsfly them enthusiastically, but only a handful flythem obsessively. Perhaps the most manic arethose who fly kites in train .Their motives vary. Some are challenged by adesire to explore what the limits are . Others areinspired by the spectacular effect of many kites inthe sky on a colorful conga line . And some areafter the glory - either in the immediate rewardof a crowd drawn to the scene, or in the longrangegratification of media coverage . A morepermanent distinction is that of being listed inthe Guinness Book, of World Records .Linked intimately with fame is that virtue/vice,competition . As soon as a significant feat isaccomplished and made known, hearts stir andbrains hum and the notion that "I could do betterthan that" becomes an irrepressible urge .Among those most infected are the Japanese .Last November, a group led by Takeshi Nishibayashiflew 1585 kites from a single line (shownhere), the latest (but probably not the last)triumph in this kite genre .In the following special section, Kite Lines looksat trains from several points of view .