Flying a kite has really grown up since Charlie Brown last tried it. Some fanatics are even daring to call it a sport.
Kiting is my fountain of youth," says Bud Taylor, better known to frequent flyers at the Kites Over Callingwood festival as the Kite Guy. "It takes me right back to my childhood. My stress disappears, and I'm in my glory."
Taylor likes to tell kids who flock to see him when he's flying his big, bizarre kites at the Labour Day weekend festival – everything from a giant 36-foot-long lobster to a 32-foot alligator – that he's 95 years old; he just acts 25. The truth is, he's just the right side of 50 but has never lost his enthusiasm for kiting. It goes all the way back to when he was five, building kites from newspaper and sticks with his dad. Somewhere, he has a photo of himself as a kid, sitting on the shoulders of Ray Bethell, the only living Canadian inducted into the World Kite Museum's Hall of Fame.
After cutting himself loose from a career in the oilpatch, in 1990, Taylor began making kites his living through his online store the Kite Guys. His company motto is: "Fly a kite – just for the health of it." As the summer sun shines and a prairie breeze beckons, that's an appealing notion. Why endure another stuffy, sweaty session at an indoor gym? But can chasing a kite – even if it is a giant lobster – give the body a workout? Absolutely, says Vince Herchmer, a custom picture framer and photographer who indulges his passion for kiting with his business, HorizonKites.com. A recently converted fanatic, Herchmer describes kiting as a physically demanding, strenuous hobby and a great upper body workout, "like doing a series of arm curls."
If those words don't jive with your mental image of children flying contraptions made of construction paper into trees, that's because Herchmer's kind of kiting is extreme. Kiting has grown up and branched out since Charlie Brown first tried it. Most versions of extreme kiting involve strapping yourself to a giant kite and letting it take you over land, water, snow – even up into the air. There is also kite surfing, buggying (with a specially built three-wheeled cart); kite skating (with all-terrain roller blades); snow kiting (on skis or snowboards) and even kite jumping (becoming temporarily airborne). Herchmer says that some daring Brits even practise a sport called "skudding" – letting oneself be dragged over earth, grass, hills and dales. Traction kiting, also called power kiting, has been big in Europe and the UK since the late 1990s.
As in other extreme sports, there is risk to go along with the rush. "It's very scary initially," Herchmer says. "You don't realize the power of the wind until you try to harness it." Last winter he enjoyed snow kiting on skis and is eager to try kite surfing this summer.
Andrei Chichak, an original member of the now dormant Edmonton Kite Association, is a good example of the many directions kiting can take an enthusiast. Since buying his first kite on a whim while honeymooning in 1985, Chichak has travelled to various kite festivals, conferences and kite-building workshops all over North America. He sewed his own parafoil (a cloth kite that resembles a parachute with vents, rather than the traditional flat, thin sheet of material) and embossed it with a Frank Lloyd Wright design. His family has taken up the Japanese tradition of kite flying on New Year's Day ("It's a good barometer of how the year will turn out") and his kites always travel with them. He even attempted (unsuccessfully) to fly some off the Great Wall of China. Recently Chichak has started experimenting with aerial photography, sending the kites up with a camera equipped with a remote-controlled shutter to snap the bird's eye perspective.
But if you're not keen on these, you can take it slow and head to one of Edmonton's two Kites and Other Delights stores. You'll see kites shaped like butterflies, dolphins or mermaids; geometric wonders in brilliant colours for those who appreciate symmetry; frogs, tigers and dragons with 18-foot tails; even kites shaped like pirate ships or the Red Baron's airplane. Their kites fall into two categories: single line and sport kites of the dual or quadruple line variety. Having more than one line gives you more control, allowing for more elaborate aerial tricks and manoeuvres. The dual lines are like a horse's riding reins. Pull right to make your kite go right, left to go left. But if, after all that, you're still feeling intimidated, store employee Sandra Wicks recommends flying a parafoil. Last year, Wicks was the store mascot at the Kites Over Callingwood festival. She was dressed as a sea lion and had no real hands to speak of. But she took out her parafoil anyway, and up it went. "It was super easy," she says. "If a sea lion can fly a kite, anyone can."
Kite Consciousness
When flying a kite, think of the three C's of safety: caution, courtesy and common sense.
- Fly in wide open spaces. Avoid power lines, cars or airplane traffic.
- Do not fly a kite during a thunderstorm.
- Wear UV sunglasses, even on cloudy days.
- Avoid cuts and line burns; wear gloves and shoes with closed toes.
- Stay grounded; choose the right kite for wind conditions and fly within your strength.
- Don't fly over people, their kids or their pets.
- Never harness yourself to a kite without the proper training and supervision.
- Don't bring down another flyer's kite, unless you both agree that's the object of the game.
- Invest in quality equipment. Read the instructions when putting your kite together.
Take Flight: Find someone experienced to show you the ropes. Go to www.HorizonKites.com or www.kiteguys.ca for kite-flying lessons. Kites Over Callingwood usually takes place on Labour Day weekend at Callingwood Field at 177 St. and 69 Ave. There will be free kite-making kits for kids, prize draws, face painting, entertainment, food and beverages and, of course, lots of kite flying.
Create a Wave: Sign up for, or create, a Facebook or Yahoo group to connect with experienced kiters. Get tips, advice, suggestions.
Where to Start: Any open terrain, such as a park or school yard, is good. Choose a day with steady wind.
Your Health Magazine - Summer 2008 Edition
Disclaimer
Reviewed by Alberta clinical experts. Brought to you by HealthLink Alberta. Copyright.
This material is designed for information purposes only. It should not be used in place of medical advice, instruction and/or treatment. For more health advice call Capital Health Link at 780-408-LINK (5465) 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In Alberta, call Toll-free: 1-866-408-LINK (5465)
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