1/3
Just sitting here at the park looking at the still to be emergent beach. Sometimes I think, if I had money I would start a kite festival here. At least half of the most dedicated kite fliers in Oregon live in the Portland metro area, and there are very few local beaches where they can fly. I know of only two, and one is too close to the airport for a festival. I keep monitoring Rooster Rock to figure out when this emergent beach is most emerged, what time of year is it...
@bbamok a kite train of stunt kites, all flown and maneuvered from one person holding two lines for maneuverability.
Interestingly, when you are the one holding the lines, you are only able to see the forward most kite, because all the others line up behind each other and decrease in size slightly from perspective. Only people off to the side can see the whole spectacle.
6/6
...that tow point is ahead of the CP, it will hold that edge into the wind even if the kite would prefer to be turned around. This also implies that you could tow a rocket backwards, but it would swing around wildly. This is exactly what an unstable kite is doing. So a kite that is spinning has a tow point = CP = CM. So move the CP backward (add a tail or trailing feature) or MOVE THE TOW POINT FORWARD. Any kite that isn't behaving can probably be fixed.
8/8
...touring festivals now who can do it well. The Ray Bethel kite flying demo area is still marked off on the beach every year at the Long Beach International Kite Festival in his honor.
7/7
...Kite" by Tal Streeter, originally published in 1974 but frequently reprinted.
And here is a link to a good 2019 article on the Shirone tako-kichi kite festival:
https://japan-forward.com/niigatas-giant-kite-battle-a-story-of-retaliation-turns-into-a-festival-tradition/
Three hundred kilometers west of Tokyo, in the heart of Japan’s Niigata Prefecture, lies Shirone. It is a modest city with a yearly festival that is quite unique — even for Japan. In early June every year, Shirone hosts its annual “Giant Kite Battle” — a festival otherwise known as tako-kichi matsuri — […]
6/6
...kite at the last second. He said it crashed a few times, but then the wind calmed down and they had it flying high for about an hour. He brought it down and had each of the girls do their own long line launch when it was their turn. I have another delta that I saved from a thicket of scotch broom, in a new bag, with new line on a handle, waiting by my front door to give to them the next time I go over.
6/6
...I can't do that.
This is mine. I see kite fliers & makers at festivals that put up $k displays and I wonder if this discourages average kite fliers. It does me, to an extent. But it is a festival, not a show, & if you said that it doesn't feel inclusive they would give you a cookie & a hug and hand you their kite to try. I'm glad to see that my fear is not widely shared.
Out of time. Enjoy kites if you can and are willing. We need more public expressions of joy.
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Second page, just to add more kite pictures.
Be sure and check the Alt-Text for more details.
Follow and boost #ThursdayIsKiteDay and #HappyKiteDay. In dark times, share the joy! Also, your kite pictures and thoughts. Happiness is better shared.
Urban Hermit