Let’s Go Back In Time

On this past Labor Day the Mile High Kite Festival was held on Beech Mountain, NC. This is a festival we never miss. First, because we get to see some kite friends that we don’t see more than once or twice a year and, second, because we get to the mountains for the long weekend. (And get away from the mad tourist surge at the beach.) This year was a very unusual kite fly. There was wind. At times, too much wind. The sun shone the whole weekend and the temperature was perfect. However, the wind was gusting into the twenties. Because we fly on the side of a steep hill at the top of the mountain, kites are seldom anchored and left to fly on their own. This was a good thing as no kites were lost to the extreme gusts. The banners that were put out to decorate the flying field took a beating. And some of the vendors tents as well.

This year I flew more kites and took less pictures. Probably a result of having wind. I got my two latest kite builds in the air; the 3do and the Stretch Tucker parafoil. Both of these were online workshops as the in-person workshops were canceled this year. The parafoil flew like a champ. The 3do needs some extra tweeking. Not unusual for a new build. I didn’t realize it until just now that both of my latest applique designs were Oriental themed. Other kites made it out of the bag off and on all weekend. That’s a lot for me to fly on the mountain. Unfortunately, there was no kite builders competition this year. Maybe because I was the only kite builder to bring something. So, by default, I awarded myself “Best In Show”.

After sitting home for a year because of the pandemic, walking up and down the hill was quite strenuous. You never realize the effect of inactivity until you’re inactive for a period of time and then try to pick up where you left off. We stay an extra day after the festival to sight see a little, maybe fly our kites a little and avoid the holiday traffic. This year we mostly napped. We did find a new coffee shop which also had great pastries. I can only hope they stay open and are there next year.

That’s about it for now. Stay tuned for more updates and latest kite flying news.

Fair Winds All.

We’re Free To Fly

The beach accesses have been opened. Parking is at a premium as not all the parking lots have been opened. The stay-at-home order has not been lifted but that didn’t keep the people off the beaches. It looked like a holiday weekend with cars parked everywhere and people scattered throughout the public beach.

We, however, had a more private place to fly our kites, away from the crowds, with lots of room for kites. We love putting up a small personal festival when we fly and this kite fly was a combination of a test fly and a kite show. The afternoon couldn’t have been better, with good winds, mild temperatures and plenty of sunshine.

The first kite up was the newly finished Sun/Moon Giant Hata. Instead of fuzzy tails, it has a combination of ribbon tails and a streamer tail. The wind was in the teens and I was afraid it may be too high for this kite. But after some bridle adjustments, it went up and hung in the sky. A very satisfying fly for the first flight.

Then next kite up was the first flight of the newly purchased Killips foil. It was a little smaller than we expected and was so easy to handle. And it really made a statement in the sky. We’re looking forward to its next flight with some color coordinating line laundry beneath it.

So after successful first flights, it was time to add lots of color in the sky. One of the things I like to do is put up kites with a common theme. It could be having the same sail pattern or having the same colors or being of a common style. So for this fly, I decided to fly all of the HQ Xylon kites. There are four in this series and only one is still available. This just makes me even happier to have all four and fly them all at once.

The last kite up is a real show stopper, a large flo-tail delta. The tails seem like water rippling in the sky. And the colors draw the eye and cause the casual strollers to stop and admire it. And take pictures. That’s what makes it so satisfying to put up several kites instead of just one or two. It draws people’s attention and makes them smile.

So here’s to having more days like this day, to fly more kites and create more personal shows. And for the state park to open up soon so the community kite flys can begin again and there will be more of us to share in the color in the sky.

Fair Winds All

The 31st Carolina Kite Festival

This past weekend was the 31st Carolina Kite Festival at the Sands Villa Resort in Atlantic Beach, NC. This festival is sponsored by my local kite shop, Kites Unlimited & Bird Stuff, Etc., also found in Atlantic Beach, NC. We had no idea how this one would be attended as Hurricane Florence hit us hard and many people are out of work and out of their homes. Also, many of the hotels and condo units were damaged which made accommodations in the area harder to find. But it didn’t deter most of our regular out-of-town flyers.

The weekend started with very high winds and chilly temperatures. It rained the Friday before and was cloudy most of the day Saturday. The winds kept a lot of the attendees from flying their single line kites as no one wanted to have a broken kite. Luckily, the winds were blowing steady down the beach which made it much better for the large kites to fly. And there was a grand show of large kites.

The weatherman was both right and wrong about the weather on Sunday. The sky cleared and the sun came out which warmed up the afternoon. But the winds never let up, came across the buildings along the beach and became more turbulent. Fewer big kites were flown. But there were more people with their single line kites out on the field.

A couple of our special guests this year were Ray Wong and Randy Tom. Both are makers of art kites and hail from California. And both brought kites to be sold at the kite shop.. Photos of their kites are on the Kites Unlimited & Bird Stuff, Etc. Facebook page.

The Bay Area Sundowners Kite Team came from San Fransisco to perform both days. They are always a joy to watch. They perform routines flying stacks of thirteen hyperkites in red, white and blue. Many spectators come year after year to see them perform. Saturday’s wind was a little too high but they gave it a try anyway and did a good job. The slighter winds on Sunday were better and the team flew a couple different routines throughout the day.

On the third kite field, the stunt kites were flown. Dual line and quad line stunt kites were in the air as the wind and the whim of the flyers allowed. Along with all the flying, there was a kids’ kite building table for children to decorate and assemble a small sled kite and a candy drop from a high-flying delta kite. A few brave souls even went out on the beach Saturday night to fly their kites with lights on them. I emphasize “brave” as it was very cold after the sun went down.

Although it seems that I spent most of my time running around with my camera photographing the event, I did get to fly a couple of my single line kites, a friend’s quad line kite and visit with kite flyers I hadn’t seen in quite some time. The festival was deemed a success and plans are already in the works for next year’s event. For more pictures and some video from the festival, check out the Kites Unlimited & Bird Stuff, Etc. Facebook page (Kites Unlimited & Bird Stuff, Etc.).

Fair Winds All

Missing A Good Day

Fort Macon State Park is open. Although the fort itself is closed because of damage from Hurricane Florence. The early report concerning the weekly community kite fly was encouraging but we couldn’t verify the information because we weren’t there. Whereas kites are important, grandchildren are more important. And our youngest granddaughter turned three. There was no way we were going to miss the party. As seems to be the rule, the day was perfect for kites and we were absent. No doubt we will hear about it when we stop at the kite shop.

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The good news is the Carolina Kite Festival will go on as planned. It will probably have a different “feel” than other years because of the hurricane recovery. We have no idea how many participants can or will come nor what kind of accommodations will be available. But there will be color in the sky and camaraderie on the sand. Of that we can be sure.

Fair Winds All